Let’s just cut to the chase: being busy is not the same as being productive. In an age where we wear our busyness like a badge of honor, it’s time to step back and get real about the true value (or lack thereof) of the chaotic overload we’ve deemed a mark of success.

On the surface, being busy and being productive can look similar. In both instances there’s a lot of ‘doing’ underway. There are check marks placed next to items on our to-do list. There’s progress, of some sort or another. That doesn’t mean busy and productive are synonyms. You can, after all, be busy without being very productive at all.

Meandering vs. Plotted Paths

Do you have a destination? Are you working toward a goal or are you meandering? Busy people are often on a frenetic mission to complete “stuff” for the sake of completing stuff. There’s no big picture other than getting a lot of random tasks done that feel important to get done for some reason or another. Productive people have a targeted outcome in mind and they complete tasks that move them closer to that goal. Which path are you on?

Important vs. Urgent

Not every important task is an urgent task. That’s not a riddle. That’s a truth that guides productive people to prioritize their to-do list, as well as adapt their daily efforts to accommodate curve balls as they come. Busy people don’t necessarily make…