Do you ever feel like some of your colleagues and peers accomplish more than you do?

The work may be the same (or similar) but you don’t seem to be able to produce the same output as fellow workers.

Studies show your productivity measure can have a lot to do with your mindset.

Let’s take a walk into the mindset of productive people.

8 Traits of a Productive Person

1. Accepting

Acceptance plays a huge part in the mindset of a productive person. A productive person will:

• accept themselves – and their shortcomings even more
• not be easily discouraged, rather they use it as a leverage to do better
• set goals in line with their skills and purpose, not based on urges rather than skill, purpose, strengths, missions and values
• understand their limitations and focus on things at they are good at
• set challenges knowing they may be reach them, but are motivated to try.

2. In Control

A productive person keeps control of their lives and is self-guided rather than distracted by others. Plus they tend to be happier! Ways for you to take more control are:

• identify who/what controls you and what you can do to move away from that
• challenge yourself to achieve more. Set realistic goals and work hard.
• think about the way you react to unplanned activities. Do you feel overwhelmed and anxious by a change of plans, or are you able to quickly reconcile the change in your mind and move in the new direction?

3. Realistic

This is a hard trait to replicate if you are a person who gets carried away with an idea. A productive person has worked out a way to:

• stay grounded in the midst of excitement
• experience tough times but don’t answer to them
• encounter hardships (work or personal) but stay focused
• use challenges to better themselves.

4. Accountable

Do you head for the hills and take cover if something you are working on goes pear-shaped?

Productive people are the captain of their ships and will:

• take responsibility
• take action to gain or maintain control
• accept any mishaps
• not hide behind excuses, preferring to find solutions.

5. Self-Starting

The internal motivation of a productive person is not easy to emulate. Productive people have been able to tap into their energy source and know how to use it to get things done.

External motivations can be lost or can be taken away from you. That’s why internal motivations are you’re most powerful weapon! Your motivations will change over time, but it’s useful to be able to tap into what:

• motivates you to get up in the morning
• makes you happy and eager to please
• hopes, dreams, passions or goals you think will make a difference in your life.

Just like a car needs regular servicing, you need to look after your mind regularly too.

6. Routine-Based

As boring as this may seem, often the road to success has a formula.

Productive people are able to:

• think outside the box
• make plans and routines
• establish good habits
• focus on their strengths
• act on their motivation
• stay determined knowing they have achieve their goal for the day/week/month/year, which in turn motivates them day in day out.

7. Strategic

This can be a ruthless trait of a productive person but essential to their well-being & success. Boundaries need to be established and met. You may need to assess and look to:

• remove inefficiencies from your life
• balance your work days better
• balance your home life better
• plan for unexpected events
• learn to say NO to things that stop you from achieving your goal.

8. Forward-Thinking

Productive people believe that one goal leads to another. They:

• see the bigger picture, not just the short-term benefit
• identify gaps in their skills and make steps to eliminate them
• believe that their current goals will lead to another.
• feel inspired by the achievement of one milestone and continue on to the next
• understand that they may fail, can reframe setbacks and strive to do better.

Are You Ready to Challenge Yourself?

If you’re looking to challenge yourself further join our online program: 7 Days to Better Productivity & Time Management

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