Highly Effective People: The 9 Habits they Live by

Highly effective people get more done in the same hours that we all have in a day. Not only do they get more done but they are more productive.

Here is how to brush up on this essential productivity skill.

1. What can I give?

Highly Effective people operate from a spirit of abundance. As a result, they look at an opportunity from the point of view of “what can I give?” instead of “what can I get?”  As opposed to being the talker in the room, they are excellent listeners. 

If you meet someone and connect meaningfully with them – then you have been a success. Cultivate relationships at all levels – not just at the top.

You can give more by just being more attentive and ware of your environment and people around you.

2. Know why you should do a task: Prioritize

It is important to know and differentiate between what’s important, urgent and necessary. Often we put things first that don’t add value to our productiveness.

That is why you need to be clear on why you are doing a certain task and work out if it is a priority or can be left for later while you work on more important things.

NOTE: Urgent things are not always important. Prioritize. Prioritize.

3. Make meaningful connections (network)

Life is built on relationships, and the better you are at cultivating relationships with people who are not the same as you, the better life will become. 

In essence, a better life does not necessarily mean an easy one, and that’s where I think most people miss it. However, highly effective people have found the gem in meaningful connections.

It is the insecurities or feelings of superiority that often cause people to congregate around those they have seen before or feel more comfortable with.

Networking – which can be anything from a trip down to the office cafeteria for lunch to an official business event – is an opportunity to show how you can connect with different people to everybody’s benefit in the long run.          

We are all connected somehow. You never know how someone you meet might change your life.

4. Brand yourself right

I can’t stress this point enough. You are your BRAND!

It’s ok if you’re not yet sure what that brand is exactly.

If networking is the how of building your career or business, then branding is the why? Knowing what makes you, your business or talents unique is the key to good branding and successful networking. 

This is called the X-factor, the place where you are fulfilling your life’s purpose and doing the work you were meant to do.

Your brand is your first impression. It lasts. Work on it until it resonates and expresses who you are.

5. Work smart, not harder

Being productive and effective is more than just checking off items from a to-do list; it’s about doing more of what matters. It’s about working smart not working hard.   

 6. Schedule, schedule, schedule

You know what they say about failure to plan is planning to fail. That is so true. When you don’t have a plan for your day, anything can easily distract you and end up spending a full day doing nothing to get the things you need to get done done.

A schedule and/or planner are key to productive days. It’s not just setting out a certain time to do certain things but actually creating the accountability to do it. It’s not as easy to overlook things when it’s in black and white.

7. Limit distractions

Everything is tied together to aid in you being effective.

For example, the five minutes you take to scroll your timeline which ends up being 30 minutes will in return rob you of valuable time that could have been better used.

Turn off your social media notifications and set up specific times in the day to check emails. Don’t just schedule things; you need to actually follow the schedule.

You can even schedule times to check emails, socials and surfing the net. Therefore, stick to your schedule. Find a quiet space to work that isn’t busy or too loud.

8. Take breaks

Taking a break between tasks has proven to increase productivity. It is also good for attention, your health and overall morale. It is highly recommended to take breaks in intervals of 45 minutes, especially if you work prolonged hours seated or standing.

9. Automation

What would we be without technology! It definitely has it’s ups and can make life much easier. These days you can basically automate anything.

Find shortcuts and easy ways to automate tasks that you do repetitively so, that you don’t have to manually do them and in turn save valuable time.

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10. Don’t multitask

Multitasking doesn’t improve productivity. In fact, we can only do one thing at a time, that’s how our brains are wired. Research has found that multitasking is counterproductive.

In actual fact when we think we’re multitasking, we’re just shifting from one task to another very quickly. As a result, we can’t fully give both tasks our best and that affects focus.

Cultivating these habits of highly effective people will definitely lead to greater effectiveness and productivity. It’s not a once-off, done deal but a daily practice.

Love, Everyday

Ntha

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