If you’re like me, you’ve tried everything to be more productive, but nothing seems to work. You’ve installed the latest task management apps, watched hours of YouTube videos on productivity, and read countless books on the subject. But still, you can’t seem to get anything done.
Over the years, I’ve struggled to be productive. I’ve tried installing the latest task management apps, watching hours of YouTube videos on productivity, and reading many books on the subject. But nothing seems to stick. I’ll stay with an app or a technique for a while, but then it fizzles out.
When I decide to resume, I always start with a new app or process because the last one didn’t work. (a mistake)
I’ve been missing something that no app or book has provided me – the intent.
How ‘intent’ is the missing piece
Let me explain with an example. I’ve read and watched about the benefits of time-boxing one’s calendar, so I’ve been trying it. I add most tasks to my calendar itself, including pretty trivial things like calling a friend back. But the time to perform the task comes and passes, and I rarely take action. Most times, it’s not that I’m busy elsewhere. I simply procrastinate.
The technique of time-boxing asks us to add all tasks (even the very mundane ones) into our calendar and then stick to the schedule. However, the technique couldn’t make me actually stick to the schedule. My calendar is filled with a backlog of tasks that I did not do when they popped up in my calendar. I believe that the last mile to be covered is about me having the intent to actually do the tasks I’ve added to my calendar.
Good tools can reduce friction. But, no tool or combination of tools can make the process friction-less. Because the initial push needs to come from within. Now, that is not to say that nothing can be done about the push from within. Potentially finding the fundamental answers to why is something important can help. And I don’t mean superficial answers, but true answers that I actually believe. In certain cases, the answer might be that something is not important. And that is ok also. But unless my intent from within is aligned with the task at hand, tools/ courses would not help.
Without the right intent, everything else becomes mechanical and futile.
I’ve gone through the same loop so many times over the years. I start off with a new technique with full enthusiasm. I actually use it for a while (The time ranges from a few days to many months.) Then I start slacking off. I come back to it once in a while, but overall with a much reduced frequency. Eventually I stop, and essentially give up on the technique – for no fault of the technique.
Intent
I think of ‘intent’ as the why behind what I do. Without a clear intent, I find
- I either don’t take action
- or even if I do, I just go through the motions.
Without clear intent, I’m not able to prioritize my tasks. Whenever I don’t have a clear intent, I find I am hazy about what my goals are for the day.
Start with why
For every article that is lying in draft, for every video that I have been meaning to create, I am going to ask why am I thinking of creating that piece of content. Where does it fit into the big picture?
Probably I’ll realize that the reason I have been procrastinating on some of those pieces is because I don’t necessarily see value in them – for whatever reason. So, it would be fine to archive those drafts also.
The point is: If you find you are procrastinating with something for a very long time – e.g. I know of people who have been dabbling with the GMAT on and off for multiple years – over 5 years in some cases. If you have been procrastinating, try to understand more clearly – is GMAT TRULY important for you? Is an MBA truly important for you? Or is it just a notion that you have carried on for a while without truly believing in it?
Don’t believe your own lies
I believe I have figured out a missing piece of the puzzle. But it is a journey. I need to start with why doesn’t directly mean that the ‘why’ for every action is clear to me. Often there needs to be a lot of introspection and cross-questioning with myself to truly understand my intent. Often there’s a difference between what I truly believe and what I’d like to believe. Sifting through this is a challenge in itself. One thing that helps me with this is looking at actual data from my life – actions of inactions. Those tell me more about my true thoughts than me just thinking about things. I’ll take an example to explain:
Me: Health is very important to me.
Also me: No, it's not.
Me: Of course it is! Health is everything. No amount of money can compensate for poor health. I totally understand its importance.
Also me: Then why haven't you been taking care of it?
Me after a pause: You're right... I guess I don't actually consider health important for myself right now.
Also me: There you go. Now we can have an honest conversation about whether we'd like to change that.
The gap between what I claim I value and what my actions show I value – that’s where the real work begins.
So, is GMAT truly important for you? Is it just a notion you’d like to believe, or do your actions actually prove it? If your actions tell a different story, perhaps it’s time to have a open one-on-one with yourself.