Screw Productivity: Embrace Effectivity
What? You know that I have bandied the word “productivity” around for decades. One day I woke up and thought, “What am I striving to be productive for?” If I’m more “productive” does that mean I will have to bring on more clients because I have a lot of “free time”?
What did “productivity” mean to me? What did it mean to my clients and to those who attended groups at which I was speaking on “time management and productivity”? It was a middle of the night epiphany that made me realize that being efficient and effective were better mantras for my life.
Effective the resources that are adequate to accomplish a purpose; produce the intended or expected result.
Efficient is a way to perform, or function, in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort.
Here is a sentence I found that fully encompasses the difference between being effective and efficient: “Being effective is about doing the right things. Being efficient is about doing the things in the right manner.”
My tumble down the rabbit hole then brought me to: Effectivity. Yes, it is a word!
Effectivity is the power to be effective; the quality of being able to bring about an effect It combines the best of being effective and being efficient.
What can you, as a solopreneur, do to screw productivity and embrace effectivity?
I have a few ideas!
Plan. What do you really need to complete? What do you want to complete? What will make you happy to have completed? Know the answer to those items and you’re well on your way to effectivity.
Write it down. If you don’t write down what you want to do, why you want to do it and by when you want to have done it, it becomes an ethereal idea, not an actionable plan for your business.
Look at the big picture. How will what you do today fit into the big picture vision you have for your business? Will that blog post you write today fit into the big picture of tomorrow? Will taking care of your bookkeeping help you get a handle on how many more clients you need to bring in or if you’re at capacity?
Every step you take in your business is one step toward higher income, higher effectiveness and perhaps even more time off to enjoy friends, family, your pets or time to pursue your long set aside hobbies.