Move fast, stay open, keep chewing

Productivity is twenty percent action and eighty percent attitude.

Obviously, you still have to sink your teeth into the work. But so much of the battle is fought between the ears.

Goddard’s book on infinite potential says:

Man moves in a world that is nothing more or less than his consciousness objectified. As soon as we succeed in transforming ourselves, the world will melt magically before our eyes, and reshape itself in harmony with that which our transformation affirms.

So if you’re not happy with your level of productivity, it’s nobody else’s fault. It’s not your boss or your wife or the economy or technology. It’s you. It’s your attitude.

For example, how often do you complain about time? How there aren’t enough hours in the day to do what you want?

Big mistake. Productive people don’t do that. They have a prosperous and abundant relationship with time. I personally recite the mantra, I have plenty of time to do everything I want, on a regular basis. Especially when I’m running late and feeling rushed.

That affirmation is how I remind myself that I am the source of time, and I can make as much of it as I need. My productivity skyrocketed once I shifted to that mindset.

Here’s another example.

How many lists do you maintain?

Yet another habit productive people don’t do. Because if you’re a high output, tight focused person, the friction of documenting, sorting, prioritizing and checking lists is counterproductive. There’s too much administrative overhead. Execution is the list. You take action as things come up. The real training is in responsiveness, not in record keeping.

Beavers don’t make lists. They just chew. That’s the mindset you need to have. Once you make that internal shift, outward expressions start to manifest.

Now, if that sounds too woo woo for you, then maybe that’s the problem. Maybe you’re not welcoming any and every tool that can deepen your effectiveness.

See, openness is a productivity multiplier. When you’re willing to use whatever works, it’s amazing what you can get done.

I spent the first twenty years of my career as a writer not using artificial intelligence in my work. Now I use it all day, every day. And I’m thrilled with the results.

With the help of my robot friends, I can now take my ideas to places I never would have gotten on my own. Or if I did, it would have taken forever and made me broke.

Now, does that mean I have less ownership over the words, since a computer helped me write them?

Sure. That’s fine with me. It’s not like I’ve completely outsourced my brain. Not yet at least.

All I know is, it’s working for me right now. When that stops being the case, I shall adapt.

Man, if there was ever a solution to inefficiency, that would be it.

Move fast, stay open, keep chewing.