Chris Perrin and I had a discussion about how your Productivity practice is more like a marathon than a sprint. Since I am not much of a runner, never have been, it was interesting to hear how this perspective could be applied to workflow and goal-setting.

Part of good productivity then, is looking at life as a marathon and planning for a longer period of time.

There are several ways to do this:
1. Know what has to be done (and when): A marathon runner has to know her track. You have to know what needs to be accomplished so that can you have the proper
strategy.

2. Know where you want to be: You can have more than one goal for running a race. Some people run to win, some run to finish, some run for the exercise. Why are you running the race and where do you want to be at the end?

3. Know what is important: Again, part of the strategy aspect. What steps will get you where you want to be?

4. Don’t panic: Once you have an idea of what needs to be done, there is a tendency in many to say “Holy [favorite expletive], I’ve got a lot to do” and just start diving in. However, this is not always the best course of action. You have to keep your strategy in mind and not overwork youself in the beginning only to be exhausted later.

5. Sprint only when you have to: There are times when you are focred to sprint and other times when it makes sense to do so. However, this should be a strategic decision you make, not something you do as a matter of course.

6. Don’t be afraid to recover: After a good bout of sprinting, feel free to take time to recover. Trying to be productive for the long haul means and you may
need time to catch your breath.

7. Understand the REAL consequences: This sort of falls under the don’t panic rule and the strategic plannning. As you decide what to do and when to sprint, understand the real consequences of completing a task or leaving it unfinished. In some cases, you may WANT to have something finished, but the consequences of doing something else (or not doing it) may be too great. Be honest with yourself and know that most things can wait a few days or weeks to get finished while only a small handful cannot.

Download the podcast

[podcast]http://stephenpsmith.com/downloads/productivity-marathon-podcast.mp3[/podcast]