For the last few months, it has been my great pleasure to tell anyone who would listen about some of the new changes I have made in my life, and how they have helped me. I do not work to live; I live to work. I have always desired self-improvement, but I never knew before this year what strategies would actually help me to grow aggressively.
Productivity in economic terms typically refers to the output of a single unit of labor. That is you, the individual. Your productivity is how much, how quickly, and how well you create value. Whether innovating, working, studying, serving, or even entertaining, you are bettering yourself and humanity.
In economics, a unit of labor’s productivity is influenced by external factors. The capital resources that the labor possesses are one such factor, like the computer you are reading this blog on. The level of technology used also matters, such as a sleek, fast laptop versus a clunker desktop from the 1980s.
For economists, the level of technology does not just refer to electronics, but also methods of production. This means that the habits and practices you employ can make you faster, stronger, and more capable. If you consider a unit of time to be one day, then you have the power to increase your productivity three different ways: spending more time working, acquiring better material resources, and improving yourself.
Why should you care about your productivity? If you place any value upon life, then know this: the ultimate unit of time, your lifespan, is finite. In the words of Seneca, “We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as if there would be no end of them.” Time is our most valuable resource, and yet we make such poor use of it. Seize every hour with great intensity.
To reach the summit of your ambitions, you must produce more, and of greater quality, in less time. That is productivity.
To help others and benefit the world around you, you need more energy and resources which you yourself create. That is productivity.
To have fun or feel better rested, you seek more time, which comes from efficient working. That is productivity.
Everything in life that you could wish to do is purchased, directly or indirectly, with time. Your life is your unit of labor, and to maximize your potential, you must continually find new ways to grow yourself. I have written about a number of strategies which have done wonders for myself, and there are countless other topics that I did not even get to mention. Regardless of what motivates you, productivity is the technology that enables you to do more. It is time for an upgrade.
Go forth and conquer!