Productivity is often a misunderstood concept. Being productive isn’t necessarily about accomplishing more, but rather it’s about investing your time and attention in a more strategic way to add value to your career, life, and relationships. If you’re like most people, you probably wish that you could be more productive in your life. However, one thing that you may have failed to consider is the reason and motivation that drives you to work toward accomplishing your goals.

Too often, our desires to be more productive are based on the belief that it is what is expected of us by society or because we think we are being overloaded with work and don’t feel as if we can handle the workload. You might feel a desire to be more productive to impress your coworkers and boss or even to appear as though you are busy. While these are all valid reasons for wanting to be more productive, they are all external reasons. Other external motivators for wanting to be more productive may include material things, money, or fame.

While money can be a great motivator for many people, it is vital that you consider whether or not there is something else driving you. If your reasons for wanting to be more productive are shallow ones that don’t serve a higher purpose in your life, chances are high that it will decrease your motivation down the line, allowing your productivity to fall by the wayside.

If you want to increase your productivity then you need to take the time to consider what is driving your desire for productivity. If you need more money to support your family, then the love you have for your family might be your driving factor. Perhaps, you’ve found yourself in poverty, and your drive is the desire to improve your situation and yourself. If you want to improve your productivity, you need to determine what drives you on a deeper level and understand why you are working so hard.

It is critical that you make sure that you know what you are striving to achieve. Only you know what is driving you. Only you know what will make you wake up early and work hard. Only you know why you need to be more productive.

It doesn’t matter what you tell other people, and it doesn’t even matter if it’s true or not. You may have a desire to tell people what they expect to hear, but it may not be your real reason for wanting to improve your productivity. What does matter is what you tell yourself. If you want to improve your productivity you have to be honest with yourself. To keep your productivity from falling as quickly as it has risen, you need to continue to remind yourself why you are working so hard, being sure to always keep it in your heart and mind.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a magic pill that you can take to fix your lack of productivity. Improving your productivity is going to take you time and hard work and you will have to change how you work before you will ever see a permanent boost in your productivity. The next chapters in this book will provide you with the best things that you can do if you want to improve your productivity and start getting more done in less time.