Differences Between Busy People and Productive People
The idea that being busy equals being productive is very far-fetched. A person who has a busy schedule is not necessarily productive. We discuss this in our ‘A Busy Person’s Lies‘ blog post. In fact, a productive person, or “Productivity Ninja“, is not the same as a busy one. ‘’Many people see those who rush around chasing errands as more productive than those who are more passive. But is often the very opposite’’ – explains Fred Dickson, a psychology expert at a well known Essay Service.
What’s the difference?
To help you differentiate between the two, here are the biggest differences between a busy and a productive person.
A busy person will try to fit many things into one day:
A productive person will cut down the list and get every prioritized task done in time. A busy person will believe that by adding more things to their to-do list, they will be more productive. A productive person knows how to prioritize. A Productivity Ninja prioritizes their weekly review so they are on top of projects, tasks, and meetings. Productive people know the value of taking a step back and re-assessing. They prioritize, while busy people keep on paddling ahead without a bigger picture in mind.
A busy person will accept any challenge and assignment.
A productive person takes their time and chooses the important tasks.If a person is busy, it doesn’t mean that they’re doing something important. Productive people take time to differentiate between important and unimportant. They have mastered the art of Productivity Ninja Ruthlessness and saying ‘No’.
A busy person is likely to be distracted.
A productive person has a system in place. Busy people multitask and meet distractions around every corner. Productive people are the masters of mono-tasking and have systems in place to ensure they won’t be distracted as easily. In our time management training, we talk about ways to protect our attention.
A busy person tends to be glued to the desk.
A productive person knows the importance of taking regular breaks. Breaks are an important way to remain productive and energized. We’re not just talking about your lunch break here. We mean frequent breaks throughout the work day. Don’t forget to book time off work to properly recharge. You only give 100% at work, if you invest time into unplugging. It is your own health and productivity that benefit!
A busy person will respond to your email fast.
A productive person lets you wait a bit. We highlight in our Email Training the difference between email and instant messaging. If something is urgent, people will pick up the phone. You don’t have to answer every single email in our inbox immediately. Productive people don’t focus on responding to every email straight away. But they have systems in place which will help them process their emails. Busy people tend to start their days by checking their emails and in return let the state of their inbox dictate the rest of their day. Productive people know there are better ways to start the day.
Which of your habits are you turning upside down to become a Productivity Ninja rather than a busy person?
By Chris Richardson
Chris is a journalist, editor and a blogger. He loves to write, learn new things, and meet new people. Chris is also fond of travelling, sports and playing the guitar. Follow him on Google+.
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Turn your whole team into Productivity Ninjas with our Productivity Training and one of our Time Management Workshops.
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