Extreme Productivity

productivity
It’s not normal to have built a business that makes sizeable six-figure profits, employs dozens of people and pays hundreds of thousands of pounds in tax.
Normal people don’t do this.
Only extraordinary people achieve this. And one of the key elements they all master is the ability to be extremely productive.
This hinges on having effective control of yourself; control of your environment and working conditions; control of others (especially those who would sabotage you) and control of your time and priorities.
None of this is easy and it’s where most people fall down.
In this month’s Big Lesson, I’m going to share with you 11 REQUIREMENTS if you are to achieve extreme productivity.

Successful entrepreneurs are NOT normal

1. Willingness to disappoint, frustrate, annoy and inconvenience others

The more money you want to make and the more success you want to achieve, the more of this you will do.
You simply can’t be at everyone else’s beck and call. You won’t be able to reply to every email, attend every meeting, do everything that you’d like to do because you’ll be focused on getting the things done that matter most. The things that make the most difference and the collateral damage will be all around you.
Others will have to dance to your tune.

2. Compartmentalisation: what you allow yourself to think about and when

This requires real discipline but the dividend it pays is massive.
For any of us, at any one time, there are thousands of things that we COULD do. The trick is to work out the things that we SHOULD do.
There’s been all sorts of activity in the marketplace recently by former employees of mine. Regardless of what I might think of them, and how much exaggeration there may be in the claims that they make, there’s nothing I can do about it. So I don’t think about it. Or talk about it.
I learned a long time ago that focused effort is worth way more than just effort. That’s why when I lock my door and start my 90 minutes, my focus is exclusively on the stuff that’s on my list for that day.
When you’re able to get focused thinking on the right things and block out all the distractions, your output rises dramatically.

3. Litmus tests – your rules that you won’t allow to be broken

It’s been five years, seven months and 24 days since someone last interrupted my 90 minutes. The sign on my door is real. You can’t come in. That rule cannot be broken.
If we need to talk on the telephone, the call will be scheduled and I’ll ring you. These are just two of my rules that are completely fixed. Extremely productive people have ways of working that others must accommodate. You should too.

4. Eye on the prize – will it make my boat go faster?

Asking yourself whether what you’re doing right now, this minute is moving you, meaningfully towards your goals, is one of the most useful things any entrepreneur can do. The more focused we are on where we’re heading, the quicker and more directly we get there.

5. Extreme sensitivity to time

I hate being early. Such a waste of time.
My computer in my office is only ever turned off when I go on holiday – I can’t wait four minutes in a morning for it to boot up and be ready to go. I need it “on” – just like I am.
Extremely productive people are VERY sensitive to time. Every second in most cases, and certainly every minute.

6. Ruthless intolerance for incompetence and wasting of time

My staff will tell you that I live and breathe this one. If I’ve told you something clearly, and you then ask me again a few days or weeks later, the response will not be pretty. And nor should it be.
I’m on a mission, a crusade. You’re welcome to come with me and I value your support, but you have to pay attention. If you waste my time or show yourself to be incompetent, you’ll have to leave the crew.

7. Holding Self & Others Accountable

I have integrity with my deadlines. When I say something will happen or I’ll deliver something, then I will. This is so important for entrepreneurs where there’s no one else holding our feet to the fire.
We haven’t got a boss to make demands upon us so we must make demands upon ourselves if we’re to be extremely productive and therefore extremely successful.

8. NOT being perceived as a “nice” person

This doesn’t mean you have to be nasty, but it does mean that you won’t yield your time purely for the indulgence or satisfaction of others.
You’ve got a job to do, targets to hit, projects to deliver and you can’t make those omelettes without breaking a few eggs.
This means that some people won’t “like” you. Don’t worry about it, move on.
Those who appease and appeal to others and who put others before themselves can’t achieve great things. It’s your agenda, you get to set it and others have to live with your decisions.

9. High immunity to criticism

Extremely productive people get brickbats (and worse) thrown at them. The more you do and the more success you have, the more will be thrown at you. You know that you can’t please all the people all the time, so toughen up big boy, and deal with it.

10. Willingness to BUY time and productivity

To be extremely productive, you simply can’t do work that’s below your pay grade, and that applies at home as well as at the office.
I’ve talked many times about the immense benefits of having a fabulous housekeeper who comes in for five hours a day, and takes care of everything; of having a gardener, a bookkeeper, a personal
assistant (or, at least, a VA).
These are not indulgences. They’re necessities in order for me to be extremely productive.
It enables me to balance the three demands in my life (to be an effective boss of my business, to be a wonderful husband and a great dad).
Crossing the Rubicon to buying time and productivity is one of the first steps towards extreme productivity. It changes your life. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

11. Going to extreme lengths to get desired results

Several times I’ve flown to America one day to attend a conference the following day and then flown back that night. I’ve only been away from home for two nights (one on a plane and one in a hotel). That’s an extreme thing to do. Most people don’t or won’t do it.
I once left work at 3 o’clock twice on the same day. (Work it out).
Extreme lengths to get the desired result.
We all work hard as entrepreneurs. It’s just that in most cases the hard work isn’t on the right things.
Having clarity about what it will really take to get you where you want to be is the magic juice that liberates extreme productivity. Because once you’re on a mission, nothing can stop you…