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As performers, it can be hard to define the difference between being busy and productive. “Busy” is often the first thing we say when someone asks us how we are doing, or what we have been up to. It has almost become an expected response–something we don’t even question.
Performers thrive on hustle culture, where busyness is a badge of honour and pride. We use the word busy to show others how productive we are. But there is a difference between being busy and being productive. Busy simply means we are filling our days with lots of things. Productive means we are doing things that move us closer towards a desired outcome. So how can we tell if we are busy or productive?
One of the biggest misconceptions about being productive is that it has to do with how much time you’ve spent doing a task, or how much you get done in a day. This is the reason that being busy is seen as a positive thing. We think that the busier we are, the more we are getting done.
But there is no correlation between productivity and time. I can be productive by getting one 20-minute task done, and I can be busy doing 100 meaningless tasks that take the entire day. This one mindset shift is important when figuring out where we are on the busy/productive spectrum.
We must first decide what it is we are working towards. What is your goal, vision, or dream? What gets you out of bed in the morning, the thing that you can’t wait to tell the world? What’s your motivation for doing the things you do, and sticking it through when challenges and obstacles inevitably come your way?
If you haven’t yet taken the time to create and outline your vision, you are probably busying yourself with things that won’t help you be productive. After all, how can you take the steps you need to take if you don’t know where you are going?
Take some time to answer these questions:
These questions will get you clear about where you are going. Then you can see if the things you are doing in your day are getting you closer, or further, away from it.
Most of us don’t realise how many distractions we fill our day with–scrolling social media, scrolling Netflix, feeling sorry for ourselves, worrying about the future, snacking when we’re not hungry. Distractions are all around us.
Make a list of your daily habits, and see which ones are distractions. Then, over the next few weeks, focus on eliminating each one, one by one, until you have removed them from your list.
A good way to tell which habits are distractions is by asking this question: “is it helping or harming me?” If something is harming you, it is most likely a distraction and needs to be removed.
Now that you have created your vision and eliminated distractions, you can focus on the fun part. What habits do you need to introduce to your day to get you closer to the vision you created for yourself? For example, if you want to be a published author, maybe you need to write every day for 30 minutes. If you want to expand your business, maybe you need to dedicate an hour a day to connecting with people and making new contacts.
Make those habits non-negotiable! If you’ve decided you will write every day for 30 minutes, schedule it on your calendar, set an alarm on the phone for when you will start writing. Do whatever you need to do to make sure that you are prioritising it every day.
It’s our habits that make us who we are. Our habits get us where we want to be.
Crucially, our habits are the difference between being busy and being productive. If you haven’t read the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear yet, do yourself a favour and get it now. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to build and maintain healthy habits.
This isn’t an easy process. Many of us are simply unaware of how we are filling our day; in fact researchers now say that about 95% of our thoughts are subconscious! This is why it is necessary to examine the thoughts, behaviours and actions we are doing every day.
It is easy to run around like a headless chicken and feel like we have accomplished something, but when we take time to look clearly at what we are doing, a lot of it is filled with meaningless thoughts, tasks and behaviours that are not serving us. When we focus on our everyday habits, it becomes much clearer how to stay on the path to productivity.
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Originally from Barbados, Crystal Nicholls is a Professional Dancer and Nutrition Coach, based in London. She has performed on tv, the high seas, and Disney’s The Lion King. Through her 1:1 coaching programs, she helps high level performers overcome stress, to find balance in their lives and achieve their goals.
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