You may have heard that very successful people get up at four in the morning, run ten miles, and become enlightened before the sun rises.
Though it’s not always the case.
Instead, they come in a wide range of kinds, including early and late risers, singles, couples, and family members.
What characteristics of highly productive persons are most prevalent?
Whether they are business owners, employees, or a combination of the two, they are always trying to improve.
Building solid habits is one of the keys to self-optimization.
The appropriate routines can help you conserve time, energy, and willpower.
Here are 16 qualities that highly productive people have.
These productivity strategies will help you get the most out of your time, whether it’s finding methods to spend less time on emails or staying focused.
1. The capacity for initiative and independent decision
Managers or supervisors don’t need to instruct outstanding performers on what to do.
Instead, they look for relevant knowledge to complete a task on their own.
They could, for instance, get in touch with the project manager who oversaw a comparable task.
Even better, if necessary, they’re willing to take night classes, sign up for training courses, attend conferences, and read illuminating books.
Why? As a result, they will assume more responsibility and adopt new working practices as their careers advance.
2. They are structured and organized
The majority of productive people keep up some sort of focus-preserving organization system throughout the day.
Given that having a tidy workspace lowers stress connected to work and minimizes time spent looking for things, there is certainly some type of desktop storage.
Whether it’s physical or digital, having too much clutter slows down work performance as the brain tries to appraise the mess and minimize the task.
An efficient and structured workstation boosts productivity, which raises the caliber of the output.
They also follow a set schedule.
Following a schedule is essential so you can assign time and make sure you keep on top of what needs to be done.
3. They are aware of and guard their priorities
Highly productive people are clear on their direction, according to Laura Stack, MBA, president of The Productivity Pro® and author of The Six Keys to Performing at Your Productive Best.
Additionally, they do the right things instead of just what must be done.
The value determines priority, priority produces goals, and goals determine activities, continues Stack.
Additionally, they assign tasks.
In essence, they don’t waste time on tasks that someone else can complete.
Instead, says Sara Caputo, MA, productivity coach, consultant, and trainer at Radiant Organizing, they concentrate on “where their energy is best invested.”
Additionally, they can “say no and set healthy boundaries,” according to productivity coach and author Hillary Rettig.
4. Take well-planned breaks
Highly productive people not only establish the proper goals but also plan their breaks appropriately.
If you put in excessive hours at work while neglecting your health, you won’t get the outcomes you want.
You must therefore pay attention to both your health and your business.
Additionally, stepping away from routine tasks can occasionally result in fresh chances and be eye-opening.
To ensure your productivity, schedule a few minutes of downtime each day.
You ought to get some exercise, eat some healthy food, and drink a lot of water during these pauses.
The Pomodoro Technique has also shown to be very successful in boosting my productivity.
To use the Pomodoro Technique, you must set a timer for 25 minutes.
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5. Be results-oriented
According to Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman for HBR, “the majority of employees are willing to accept responsibility for achieving goals and to work at a fair speed to obtain expected results.”
However, a small number of people “have a huge desire to achieve outcomes sooner and quicker.”
They continue, “They are ecstatic to be able to cross something off their to-do list.”
They compete with one another as well as with themselves since they are competitive.
They want to break previous performance records before setting new ones.
6. Establish deep work as a habit
Sometimes a task is simply too challenging.
Deep work must be done to get real results, though.
Each of us has a few daily responsibilities that can largely be completed when we are asleep.
Because these chores aren’t all that engaging, it could be hard to focus on them. You probably do so to get through them by playing your favorite music.
However, some tasks are just too difficult. You can’t multitask your way through a task.
Spending a lot of time and effort on them is the greatest approach to completing them.
This kind of activity is referred to as “deep work.”
In his best-selling book, Newport, he discusses this kind of work.
Newport offers the following suggestions for encouraging deep work:
Plan your deep work.
Make it a practice to do deep work every day, ideally first thing in the morning when you’re most energetic. Setting aside regular time for deep work will help you develop a habit of doing it.
getting bored.
It may seem strange to think of being bored as a habitual constructive behavior. However, boredom is a necessary aspect of existence. Deep work isn’t always fun, so when we’re bored or frustrated, we look for distractions. Increase your comfort level with idleness and steer clear of social media as much as you can.
Make it more difficult to reach you.
To lessen the number of emails and other distractions, people who contact you should put in more effort up front. Emails should contain as much information as possible.
Recognize your working practices.
Do you work more effectively alone? How about regular rest periods? Do you have a busy schedule? Instead of altering your entire schedule, simply set aside some time for in-depth work.
People who are excellent at deep work are generally very productive.
7. Use criticism to enhance performance
For both personal and professional development, it is essential to be receptive to criticism and to take it constructively.
In actuality, high achievers assess their effectiveness and identify areas for improvement through feedback. They constantly seek feedback on their performance as a result.
The possibility to develop original, creative ideas will also be provided by the feedback that was provided.
8. They have emotional intelligence
In a prior Calendar piece, Hunter Meine states that “your emotional intelligence is just as vital as your street smarts and general knowledge.”
“This is how you connect with others, create connections, and properly express your feelings.” The five categories of emotional intelligence are as follows: Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and social abilities.
Being emotionally intelligent will help you be a better friend, family member, and employee. And, if necessary, productive people can improve their EI by Practicing meditation.
taking classes to advance personally.
Including service in their agenda.
asking others for assistance
increasing the frequency of unplugging.
9. Keep a positive attitude
Next, in the trial, those who wrote encouraging sentiments reported feeling much less stressed and nervous over the following four weeks.
People who do this at work will come across as more upbeat and team-oriented than those who let obstacles get in the way of their efforts.
The secret to working effectively is to have a can-do attitude.
For instance, a coworker’s negativity can have a significant effect on everyone else’s mood as well as the project itself.
However, those with a positive outlook can inspire confidence in both themselves and those around them.
With a positive outlook, you’ll have higher morale, a greater desire to work together, and more productivity.
10. They look for motivation
In actuality, we all experience periods of low motivation and require motivation.
However, a highly productive individual has definite inspiration sources that work for them.
It could be beneficial to go for a walk in the fresh air, create a vision board with all their objectives, or speak with a close friend or family member. It is irrelevant.
Less significant than how you get there is what inspires and motivates you.
The most crucial element, though, is that you have a place to turn to for inspiration if you lack inspiration.
11. They keep a list of distractions to help them focus
It’s simple to become sidetracked by emails, social media, and a million little jobs when you’re trying to be productive.
When it comes to productivity, though, distractions are unavoidable whether you’re working on complex projects or simply taking care of lesser issues.
With distractions all around, it can be difficult to maintain productive work habits.
What is a successful strategy for reducing distractions? “Distraction list” making
Keep this list close by while you are working, whether it be a real document or a Google Doc.
When distractions arise, you can note them on the list and return to your job as quickly as possible.
This method is employed by the Pomodoro Technique since many of your distractions call for your attention.
12. The capacity for productive teamwork and networking
High performers place a high priority on connections since they frequently seek out individuals who share their interests.
They build great networking skills that they can use to connect with different sources and obtain data and knowledge for their organizations.
They consequently continue to expand their network of contacts both inside and outside of the job.
Due to their inventive mindset, high performers are willing to invest in their personal development.
Consequently, the value of their abilities will increase.
13. They avoid being too approachable
I mentioned this earlier when I was talking about profound work. But let’s get into more detail about this.
Saying “no” is the secret to success, according to Warren Buffett.
The difference between successful individuals and successful people, according to Warren Buffett, is that the latter “say no to practically everything.”
Being an entrepreneur might make it attractive to network, attend as many events as you can, and take advantage of every chance, especially in the beginning. However, highly productive people aren’t always easy to reach.
Instead, the emphasis is on improving one’s performance and concentrating on what is important.
Undoubtedly, working together and accepting a project can lead to new opportunities.
14. Make the axe sharp
Give me six hours to cut down a tree, and I’ll spend the first four honing the axe, as Abraham Lincoln famously stated.
Whether Lincoln said this is up for discussion. But this illustrates a crucial point: productivity depends on maintaining mental acuity.
The success of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, who both attribute a large portion of their success to books, is a contemporary example.
By reading, learning, and honing their craft, they could make decisions more quickly and accurately.
Munger once remarked:
“Neither Warren nor I am intelligent enough to make conclusions quickly.
Although we make actual judgments quickly, it’s because we’ve spent so much time.
They maximize time slots.
Highly productive people understand how to maximize their time.
After all, there are numerous things you can do in your spare time.
While waiting in line, taking the bus to work, or buying your grocery, for instance, you can make the most of your time.
I utilize these moments to listen to a motivational podcast, answer emails, or assess my to-do list.
16. There is outside pressure on them
Because of the need to meet deadlines, close sales to earn commissions, or just complete their work in time to pick up their children, external pressure can push people beyond their natural capabilities.
In other words, they are playing with a lot on the line.
And flow is produced.
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