The Importance of Skill Training in Productivity: A Proactive Approach

Productivity is not just about knowing what needs to be done and doing it. There are many skills that factor into being competently productive, and these skills need to be learned and honed over time. In this article, we will explore why skill training is important in enhancing productivity and how a proactive approach to productivity can help individuals achieve their goals.

Mundane Productivity and Philosophical Pursuits

Productivity, on its own, can be seen as a mundane concept. It is about getting things done, meeting deadlines, and achieving targets. But productivity plays a crucial role in our lives by enabling us to accomplish the more important things. Without being productive, the things that really matter cannot stand on their own two legs.

While productivity may be a functional concept, it also has deeper roots in the way we approach life. Our passions, our sense of purpose, and the way we make meaning from what we do all factor into our individual pursuits. Therefore, productivity should not be seen as an end in itself, but rather as a means of achieving the things that matter.

Avoiding the Productivity Crutch

Reading about productivity and lifehacking can be a useful hobby, but it can also be a way to avoid facing our dreams head-on. Just as some people turn to overeating to temporarily erase emotional pain, some might use productivity as a crutch. This can exacerbate problems and make productivity seem more complicated than it truly is.

The Importance of Skill Training

Like learning a language, cooking, or playing a musical instrument, being productive is not instinctual. It is something that needs to be learned and improved upon with time. This is why skill training is so important for enhancing productivity.

Improvement Comes From Practicing the Right Things

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. However, practicing the wrong things will not lead to any improvement. It is important to have a path to improvement, one that does not reinforce negative behavior patterns or cover the same ground repeatedly.

Core Skills for Productive Thinking

There are many skills that are required for productive thinking, but a few core skills stand out as particularly important:

1. Discipline: 95% of getting things done is in doing the things that need to be done.
2. Evaluation: Stepping above the day-to-day minutiae and evaluating progress towards your goals is crucial.
3. Discrimination: Being able to distinguish between productive work and busywork is key.
4. Foresight: Having a big-picture view and being able to envision tomorrow is crucial.

There are many more skills that contribute to productivity, but the point is to be proactive in our approach to developing these skills.

A Proactive Approach to Productivity

A proactive approach to productivity involves looking ahead and planning proactively. It requires a focus on where we want to go and what we want to achieve. Reading about productivity and gaining knowledge can be helpful, but it should not be the end goal. Instead, we should be thinking about what we need to do to become better at productivity and taking proactive steps to achieve our goals.

In conclusion, being productive may seem like a mundane concept, but it plays a crucial role in achieving the things that matter to us. Skill training is crucial for becoming productive, and a proactive approach is necessary for achieving our goals. By focusing on a few core skills for productive thinking and taking proactive steps towards our goals, we can become better at productivity and ultimately achieve the things that matter to us most.