No matter what we think we “know,” it’s always a good idea to keep an open mind and occasionally question our norms. This helps freshen up our minds and keeps us out of the ruts that we are prone to get ourselves into. If you “always do it this way,” ask yourself if that way is really the best way. Use your counter-intuition!
This week, I read an article on Lifehack.org that got me thinking about this topic: HowtoStopFiddlingwithProductivityToolstoGetMoreDone. Chris Smith points out that sometimes we get ourselves caught up in the latest productivity tools because we convince ourselves that we need them to be productive. After all, it’s a productivity tool. It will change our lives and magically turn us into the people we’ve always wanted to be. Right? Not right. Smith says, brilliantly I think, “You get you organized. You get you productive. A tool doesn’t ‘get’ you productive or ‘make’ you more productive. A tool doesn’t create productivity. A set of tools augments and enhances your productivity.” Perhaps we shouldn’t make a reach for every new productivity tool that comes out. When it comes down to it, it’s about what you do. Smith even recommends occasionally limiting your productivity reading. (Maybe a weekly RoundUp is all you need!) To be more productive, stop obsessing about productivity. That’s some counter-intuition for you.
So let’s keep it short and sweet this week. Stop reading about productivity and go DO something!
