Personal capacity

Read a very interesting article the other day on personal productivity. The tendency with human productivity is to work harder, longer, have todo lists etcetera. Fill time available and fill it with as many tasks as possible. Work harder, probably not smarter.

This article however came from a different angle and stated that you should work according to available energy (believe one can also use 'available capacity').

​This statement makes a lot of sense to me. I am sure also you have had these moments when you had a spurt in which you cleared work very quick while it didn't feel you needed to make a big effort. 

​Quite a few productivity gurus have stressed the fact to use your best energy on the critical few, the items that really mater and  deliver critical results, in stead of just creating business.

​This also requires learning to say 'No' in a polite way to tasks that only take your time yet don't advance you at all.

It does take courage though to take this approach in a world where being busy seems to be recognized more than results. 

That immediately sets the contradiction. In spite of only having to accomplish the critical few to achieve objectives, people remain extremely busy, as busy is what in many organizations gets  noticed and rewarded. 

So if you do choose to take the path of the critical few you must visibly demonstrate you now deliver more results than ever before!