What one student said and how it relates to your productivity

May 16, 2020

Last Sunday I held a group Q&A call for everyone who pre-ordered Big-Picture Productivity, and one of you expressed the following sentiment:

“It’s so frustrating to see that other people are more successful than I am, even though I am more skilled. It’s just that they put stuff out there, and I don’t. The quality of their work is worse, but because it’s out there, it beats mine, which isn’t.”

The person who said this is not the only one struggling with this problem. It’s one of those problems I hear about all the time. But that’s not why I’m mentioning it. Instead, I want to point out that this is a great example of self-awareness!

Being aware of what is holding you back is a necessary step to making progress. It’s not sufficient, but it is necessary. This is also why I’ve designed Module 1 of Big-Picture Productivity to make you aware of what is going on.

See, you might think that your sub-optimal time management is holding you back. But what if the true reason is not a traditional “productivity” problem? Something like:

  • Your partner snores, so you’re not sleeping well
  • Your coworkers constantly interrupt you, so you can’t focus
  • Spending so much time indoors has you stuck in your own head
  • Your mind keeps returning to a conflict you’re involved in

It can be uncomfortable to think about such challenges. If your problem is that you need stronger time-management skills, you can devise a new method in an hour. But when your problem involves other people, or lies within you, but on a much deeper level—there isn’t such a quick fix.

The absence of a quick fix doesn’t mean you should avoid the problem, though. So what are the real reasons behind your productivity challenges? Can you admit them to yourself?

If you need help with that, you’ll love Module 1 of Big-Picture Productivity.

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