The Four Ps of Productivity

Prioritization, Patience, Planning, and Preparation. These four concepts are the basis for achieving (or creating) Productivity.

Prioritization

You must prioritize yourself. What is most important at the moment. What must be done NOW? What can be saved for a little later? Often times we have our priorities out of whack. A good way of finding out what is important ( and to determine what should go higher on a list) is to think about Wants vs Needs. What do you want to do today? What do you want to achieve? There's a difference in these questions and What do you need to do today? What do you need to achieve today? Once the needs are met, you can move down the list of priorities to your wants.

Patience

Good things come to those who wait. Its true. Patience is a virtue. Instant gratification vs Delayed gratification, which is more fulfilling? If you always get what you want all the time, the satisfaction is short-lived. Working hard for something allows you to appreciate it so much more. It is important to take action and do what is necessary and not just sit around but sometimes you will just have to wait for things to come, especially the things that are beyond your control. Nothing good comes out of forcing what isn't meant to be or happen at the current moment. Having patience and practicing it can create a sense of calm, relaxed, peace of mind, knowing that you will meet your goals or obtain what you wanted as long as you give it time to manifest.

Planning

 "Failure to plan, and planning to fail."
                           -Benjamin Franklin

 The importance of having a plan is the difference between successful outcomes and failed outcomes. Productivity occurs once you are able to have a plan. A blueprint or map to your goals can keep you focused on your task and guide you towards completion of your goals rather than thoughtlessly jumping back and forth, going off tangent and feeling lost in chaos.

Preparation

Abraham Lincoln once said, "If you give me six hours to chop down a tree, I'll spend the first four sharpening the axe." Preparation is the stage between a plan and an action. You know the importance of having a plan already. Taking action is also crucial in reaching your goals and being productive. Preparation allows you to be more efficient.

 Lets stick to Lincoln's case. The plan is chopping down a tree. You can plan and say well, in order to chop down the tree I will need a tool. I will then use the tool to begin chopping. You would then take action. Here's the importance of  preparation.  A sharpened blade will slice through the tree at a faster, better rate than a dull blade. Not to mention, less effort hacking away would be required. It is an easier task to prepare the blade than to hack at the tree. Energy is saved and can we utilized for more productive tasks to come.