The best productivity tip - must read!

Setting goals has a lot to do with productivity. Visualizing what you want and how you want it also has a lot to do with productivity. However, with both of these tools, there is a crucial element missing, an element that you must be aware of and use in your everyday life and work if you want to be more productive and make more with your time.

before I get to the one element involved, you have to remember that like any other system in the world, being productive is made up of a number of elements that when combined they create what you want to be created. The system can function without all of the components however, it will not be working at its full potential. The key is having all of the elements working together in one system.

With all that said, there is a KEY WORD that you need to incorporate in everything that you do, if you want to handle your productivity issues once and for all. Once you manage to handle this word, then making difficult choice in favor of being more productive (yeah, like getting off Facebook or the warrior forum and doing what needs to be done) becomes an easier thing to do.

The word that I have in mind is NO. The word NO should be a regular part of your vocabulary and should be used on an ongoing basis. Many people have the idea that stating the word NO is something that shouldn't be done - as it is rude, makes them look bad, and a million other invalid reasons. The key is learning how, where and why to use the word NO.

Let us consider a practical scenario where the word no should come into practice. When conducting business the word no should be considered before agreeing to any short term or long term business decision.

if you are on course to doing a good business deal, but something comes up that you think and believe will make you lose sight of the bigger picture of what you are trying to achieve, then it is time to take the special word and say it - say NO to business decisions that are not in your long term interest - even though at the moment it might seem like it isn't the wisest decision to make.

What if a new job came up which allowed you to earn more than you are currently at the moment, but which you know will lead to you being less happy than you are at the moment? Can you not say the word no and risk being sucked into a never ending cycle of consequences?

With all that said, saying no is definitely not the easy way to go. Sometimes being a yes man and agreement with stuff other people say is most definitely the easy way out. However, the greatest rewards do not go to the man who takes the easiest decision.

When it comes to using the word NO, there are a couple of pointers that you should keep in mind. First of all, you need to know when you have to use it. Think short term vs. long term, happiness vs. sadness, values and major purpose in life. How does answering yes versus answering no to a big question affect your morals and what you believe in, in life?

How will answering yes vs. no improving or decrease your productivity in creating the best output that you can create? Always keep your long term interest close to you when making decisions.

Knowing how to use the word no is also very important. You do not have to be a jerk in order to say no to people and people will not see you as one if you use the word in a polite manner. However, do not mix polite with indecisive. Do not use the word no and then leave an argument open for discussion.

The word no should end a discussion, not an open one. Therefore, it is important to make it clear that it is a final decision on your part.

Meaning what you say is a crucial part of gaining integrity and trust of other people. Therefore once you say no to something, do not go back on your word and act in total opposite. It is not cool and not OK, to say no to something and then do it anyways. It goes against any type of value and understanding that other people and yourself have of you.

The key issue when saying NO to improve productivity is when we have to say it to ourselves. However, REAL PRODUCTIVITY is created and can be reached when we learn to say no to ourselves on tasks that seem unimportant in the short term but can be degrading in the long term.

Start saying NO to checking emails every 5 minutes

Say NO to yourself when you want to login to Facebook to see if the hottie that you've been stalking has uploaded a new picture of herself.

You get the point that I'm trying to get across - Now implement in your life and enjoy being more laser focused and productive on the things that you to accomplish.

Kevin