Personal Productivity: The Path to Getting More Done with Less

Good point about productivity! Great idea to prioritize and then match those priorities with the appropriate time slot in your own schedule of productivity. That will help me a lot in the daily grind! There are definitely times of day when creative thinking is easier for me, other times when I can think analytically very easily — so focusing my work accordingly would be a great help!

Also, I was talking with my dad last night and we discussed something I thought I’d pass on to everyone. For me, I’m more excited than nervous about finding a ob. I have my moments when I get overwhelmed and intimidated by it all — but here’s the trick my dad and I talked about last night. It helps TREMENDOUSLY in calming the fears of any daunting task: “Envision the win.” They use this in sports, especially, by the way (which is where my dad got it from). It’s a simple — and common — mental exercise. Just KNOW deep down you can accomplish something and charge ahead with faith in yourself. Focus on the end goal, picture yourself succeeding. “Envision the win,” as my dad says.

Another tip: reframe stressful experiences — turn them into positives. There’s so much to be learned from every success, and even more from each failure.

“We seem to gain wisdom more readily through our failures than through our successes. We always think of failure as the antithesis of success, but it isn’t. Success often lies just the other side of failure.” - Leo F. Buscaglia

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill

Lol … I realize I sound like a life coach but I just wanted to pass all that on.

Thanks for all your insight, Dale. Graduation and looking for that first real-world job is such a big life event, we need all the help and encouragement we can get!

I definitely agree with your comment. Last year in school, I found myself studying for a class for 10 hours. However, if I was to go to the library, sit in a cubby and not come out until I had learned everything about the subject; it would only take me an hour and a half. Sometimes, it is so hard to be productive. It’s hard to make yourself take that trip to the library. This year, I am taking 7 classes and am vice-president of projects for our school’s PRCA chapter, social chair of College Democrats and am in a sorority. I knew that I would not be able to maintain the grades that I wanted if I were lazy. So, I changed my behavior this semester. I don’t take naps, on my breaks between classes I do homework instead of socialize and I make the effort not to put things off until tomorrow. So far, the technique has worked out great. I call it the work hard play hard technique because as long as I do all the work I need during the day, I can go out with my friends at night. Now, my roommates, they seem to talk about doing stuff, but never actually get around to it. For the past year they have talked about painting the apartment, but don’t do it. So one day, I just decided I would paint it myself. It took 3 hours. That’s it, yet they say they don’t have time. They talk about cleaning the cobb webs from the balcony, but they webs are still there. So where is the point to my comment? Well lets just say I love productivity! Almost to the point where I can’t sit still. I think its definitely an important thing to learn not only in the working world, but also in life.

In regards to emails, well…. I am kind of iffy about that. I think it is important to reply to emails. No, don’t reply when you have tons of other things to do but, I think it shows that a person is responsible and credible when they reply to emails quickly.

I think to say that you are not able to handle details would mean that you were not able to handle the task. Period. The little details are what make up the task at hand. To not finish the details would mean that you did not complete the job. What employer would want that?

At my old job my manager’s motto was “productivity,� no matter what. If his employees were just standing, talking or not doing enough work, they were wasting his time and money. And this is true. You hire employees because there is work that needs to be done. Employers don’t want to have to chase their workers down to make them complete their tasks, so they hire someone that will bring energy.

When I am more “productive� at my job, doing whatever small or time consuming task that needs to be done, it looks good with whatever boss I have. Not to mention it also makes the time go by easier. I have done everything from scrubbing the walls to helping my boss number 1,894 applications (I even remember the number) just to stay busy and it has brought nothing but benefits.

When I find that I am starring out my window and wishing I were somewhere else, I immediately engross myself in something. If I am busy I am not thinking about the errands I need to run and the project I need to work on later, I don’t struggle through the day. My lazy days are the ones that go by the slowest and I never end up feeling good about them. I guess you could say actually working makes the work seem easier.

Thank you for this post Dale! I feel inspired! I think it is so important for all of us about to graduate to be confident in what we have learned here at Auburn. We have some amazing teachers who teach us so much, and more than that, they prepare us for the future.

I truly believe that once we are in the working world, and situations arise that, at first glance, seem like a huge stumbling block, everything we’ve learned will kick in. I’m excited for times like this, because I will actually get to put all I’ve learned into good use. Although it seems awful at the time, I am thankful for the dedication our teachers have put into our lives as P.R. majors.

Productivity to me is something that keeps me going. I feel worthless if I haven’t accomplished goals, or done enough productive things in one day. I’m grateful I’ve been given the passion to work hard, be productive and detailed oriented. I think it will benefit me in the long run, just like it has in school. I think these are characteristics anyone can achieve, like Diana did, by changing her habits this semester. It is possible for everyone to be as productive as anyone else. The only difference is if it comes naturally to them, or if they have to train themselves. Either way, these characteristics will bring success to their future!

Although jobs for college grads are highly competitive I feel that most of us will be able to compete with the best of them. Through all of our classes we have acquired a solid base that have taught us much more then the basic. They have taught us responsibility and productivity. Then after our internships we will have had hands on experience and I feel that’s the best experience you can get.

When choosing the company I wanted to intern with I choose one that I would like to work with after college. This way I use the internship as a way to get my foot in the door. I am often disappointed to hear my fellow classmate talk about their internships with organizations or companies that they do not want to work any further with after their internship. That is fine if the companies name or someone inside the organization can help you in your next step in life. But if not then one of the main reason for an internship is lost.

I, very much like Laura live for productivity. I tell myself if I get a lot done today then I will have less to do tomorrow. However, lately I feel like I just can’t catch up because all my classes have everything due at once but normally this motto works for me. If I take a day off to relax I still feel like I should be doing something and then feel worthless at the end of the day. It is amazing how a little productivity will help out your mood.

Productivity is the hardest thing for me to remain diligent about. I begin each semester trying to stay afloat and ahead, because I know by midterm I will begin sliding behind. However, this semester I am doing much better, and I think it is because I am finally learning to prioritize and look at productivity instead of quantity of time.

Except for my freshman year of college, I have had a job while being a full time student involved in several extracurricular activities. I continue to be successful in the classroom by knowing that I have to get everything done at my standards. I think having a job while going to school helps.

At my job, my boss says he pays us to work, not study. Yet, he is very understanding when it comes to us taking off time from work to study for a test or complete a project. For me, making checklists and being proactive at work compels me to work harder so that I feel deserving of the leniency he grants me when I am late or need extra time off.

Setting a goal to finish at the end of a study session or before my lunch break helps me continue to be productive, even when it is pretty outside or I’m sleepy. By setting a goal and then rewarding yourself when it is completed, productivity continues. At my internship this summer, my supervisor kept me productive my motivation and encouragement. With these two mentors (my boss now and my summer supervisor) I am learning how to one day manage others’ productivity and learn to unbiasedly evaluate my own because if I can tell when I’m being unproductive, I am more likely to be able to change my habits.

I look at jobs being highly competitive when I graduate college as an exciting challenge rather than a burden. What would be the point of spending hours locked up in a library studying to obtain a degree from Auburn University if when we got out in the real world we were just handed a job. I think the job hunt being a little difficult makes it more rewarding when we all do find a job. It won’t be easy, but when has anything great been easy to obtain??

All of the students in Public Relations at Auburn know what being productive is all about. Like Diana, I am involved in tons of other activities, a night job, and have to study for class. Although, being extremely busy and still doing well in school has made me feel even more accomplished.

I have never been one to be able to sit around and I am constantly on the go, like Ashley I work at a place that strives for constant productivity. I think our classes expect the same thing. We are pushed to complete our assignments, but not because our professors are mean, but because they know we are capable of doing it. We all know how good it feels to turn in that final project knowing how “productive” we were while working on it. The same will go for when we all finally land that perfect job.

Great post! The advice you have given us is wonderful and will help us immensely in our future after college. Not only have you given us some great insight into what life will be like in our jobs, you have also given us hope and inspiration.

Not too many professionals want to inspire newcomers. Most of them try to intimidate us; make us pay our dues. You, on the other hand, have encouraged us to be our most productive selves. College students, especially seniors getting ready to enter the work force, get bogged down with classes. Working for A’s sometimes overshadows the fact that what we’re really here for is to become as prepared as possible for our future jobs.

You were right in saying that we have been well-prepared during our undergraduate program at Auburn. We will have a wonderful edge when competing with other graduates for those much coveted jobs.

Classes such as Robert’s in which we get experience using blogs and other technological public relations tools are the very things that give us that edge. We truly are lucky to have the opportunity to be in touch with prominent public relations practitioners at this stage in our careers.

Thank you for the great post! It gave me new confidence as I begin my internship and job search.

Thanks for the inspiration! Even though I know how competitive jobs are for college graduates, I feel confident in the education and skills I’ve received here at Auburn. It’s always nice to hear that someone else is able to recognize the hard work we put forth during school. While I don’t know everything about the “realy world” or everything about good public relations skills, I’ve always felt like I would be able to compete with the best. It’s about productivity within the competition as well. If you find yourself not being able to compete as well as you had hoped, do what you can to better your chances. Productivity is about getting it done. Work, school, or looking for jobs. You do what you have to in order to succeed and reach your goals.

Productivity has been difficult for me lately. With midterms, work, and mounds of other school work piling sky-high, I feel as though I either sit a my computer all day or stay at the library all day. I work better, like your CFO, I find that I work better if I put a time limit on the work that I have. If I spend a certain amount of time doing certain types of work, I find that I’m able to concentrate more intensley on my work, even if only I’m concentrating on the fact that I only have a certain amount of time and I don’t have to do the work all night.

Futhermore, details are important. It’s just part of the job and part of handling the tasks.

Ahh.. College graduation and the dreaded job search. I appreciate your post and the confidence it inspires in me and my fellow classmates. I think all too often people who haven’t experienced the “real world” (as we are prone to call it in the safe harbor of college classrooms) find the task scary and daunting. We fear the unknown and doubt our abilities to keep up if someone isn’t holding our hand.

I thought a lot about your comments on Personal Productivity and being able to handle details. I was trying to apply this to my own life and the things I have experienced. Being prior Active Duty Air Force, I truly appreciate the concept of managing your time and paying attention to details more so than the average person. Often in the military you are given multiple task (which we lovingly refer to as “additional duties”) along side your everyday job. These tasks usually require as much time as your normal job and you are often given two or three to accomplish. The importance of these duties varies but the underlying theme is always the same … “attention to detail.” (In fact I think they would tattoo that on our heads in basic if they were authorized to do so.) Of course being able to accomplish your mission is top priority so you not only need personal productivity, your life demands it.

With that said I found myself looking around my classroom at my fellow students. I was thinking about all the things the average college student is involved in and how much they balance daily. The average college student is taking at least 15 hours worth of classes (often more) and is involved in at least one club or society that requires x amount of hours, not to mention an insane social life I still can’t keep up with. With all of this I think most college students are better at managing their time and personal productivity than they give themselves credit for. If they can keep that speed and just translate it into work ethic I am sure most will go further than they think. In fact I am sure my military friends would be impressed with some of the juggling college students are able to do!

Thanks for an inspiring post!

I’m glad that everyone has learned how to prioritize in order to be productive. In my life, productivity lies less in how I manage my working time and more in how I manage my time off. By this time in our college career, we do know how to complete a job, and have years of experience to cement the importance of using time wisely.

More importantly, I know myself - If I waste free time, my productivity while working goes down. Instead of entering “work time” with a clear head and eagerness to start a project, I am kicking myself for wasting time and scrambling to get back on track. I am in the class of people who have to train themselves to keep motivated. It is easy to let everyday life wash away your best intentions. Dale’s collegue’s 45 minute email rule is a great example of setting personal boundaries to force yourself to keep moving.

Another way to be productive is to work with productive people. Getting an internship or job where you work with someone who knows how to manage time will teach you how to do it yourself. Working in groups with people like Diana and everyone else inspires me to see how they are getting everything done.

Robert jokes with us in class that we are all “type A,” especially when we get mired down by little details. At first this pissed me off a little - I’m not like that, take it back! But then I realized that I am, and that it is a good thing. I am organized, punctual, dependable…everything that will help me find a job after graduation!

Great job on turning one of Robert’s cruel jokes into something positive and truthful Erin! We’re going to have to use that one in class today when he gets frustrated with us again. (You gotta love him!)

Tyler said in her comment that as college students we fear the “real world”. That is so true. The main reason we are so afraid of it is because we have no idea what to expect. All of the assumptions and conclusions we have made about what it’s really like out there are based on the observations and speculations of others.

Sometimes these others are our parents and other people their age, and we think, “What do they know, it was different for them because blah, blah, blah and they’re too old to know what’s really happening out there.” But ultimately, we are fearful of their warnings and take everything they say to heart.

Sometimes these others are our peers, consisting of recent graduates in the same field, etc. These people are busy telling us how hard fought they were to find a job, that the “real world” stinks, and to stay in college as long as possible. We definitely take them even more seriously, because they are actually out there experiencing it, and so they must be right!

Others still are professionals like the mentors on Marcom and our teachers, encouraging and pushing us. These people won’t let us get down on ourselves, but at the same time, you are making sure we are up to par and ready to compete.

Most importantly, we need to rely on ourselves: our own abilities, strengths and weaknesses. We need to trust our own skills and be confident that even though it’s slim pickin’s out there, we’ve got what it takes.

My immediate reaction to this post was “You’ve gotta have good time management.� Since my first college tour, I have been repeatedly told that well executed time management is the key to college success. And, for the most part, this advice has stuck. For instance, as a freshman, I was required to do five study hours every week at the library in order to meet the requirements of my sorority. By learning to set aside several hours of my busy week to study, it allowed me to prioritize the hundreds of other activities that I wanted to participate in. The result – I learned how to manage my time.

Time management has been my saving grace over the last four years. However, it wasn’t until I read Dale’s post that I realized how time management has allowed me to pay attention to the details. It has made me a more productive student and a more productive person.

Thank you, Dale, for reassuring us that we have a strong foundation for futures in public relations. These recent posts have really made me think about the future and reassess my accomplishments and goals. Now that I have realized the ongoing importance of time management, I will strive to work hard at my efficiency habits.

As a senior, I think I’m having my most productive semester. I know it’s sad to say that it has taken me this to get my act together and stay ahead in my school work. I have had a job during the school year since my sophomore year, so I always thought I had everything in line. However, this year I’m working in the media relations office and it’s an everyday thing. My previous jobs were just three or four days a week and I worked at night. Now, I’m in the office before my classes, after my classes and even inbetween classes.

It is mandatory that we do office hours (we don’t have a set amount though). I don’t want to look bad and only come in two or three days a week so I make an effort to come in for at least a few hours each day. I have learned that when I have not been assigned something to do at work that I can work on my homework. By being so busy with work and school, I have finally been able to manage my time well. Beside doing office hours, we also have to attend football practices, games and I have been assigned to attend volleyball games and the women’s golf tournament. My weekends are usually full of sporting events since volleyball plays on Friday and Sunday and football’s on Saturday.

By having very little down time I have been forced to prioritize my school work and I am doing much better at keeping up with my school work. Maybe all I needed was more activity, not less as I orginally thought.

First of all I must say that I agree with Erin. She said she felt like a “life coach” by sharing her’s dad’s advice to “envision the win” but I want to thank her for bringing this up. This quote reminded me of something I learned in a personal communications lesson with Don Baker of Don Baker Communications. He taught that a successful communicator in personal and group communications must visualize what they are going to say. Even the most outrageous question or questions you might be least prepared to answer in personal communications interaction or job interview can be answered gracefully with this technique.

Dale’s post also reminded me alot of advice I have been given about prioritizing my time better. Have you ever heard of that old saying “If you give ‘em and inch they’ll take a mile.” That is definitely me. It seems the less free time I have the more work I get done and more free time I have the less I get work done. Exactly opposite from what it should be! This is where I realized that the blame lies within me just as much as it does my school and extracurricular activities.

Furthermore, Dale’s post also reminded of something really important and that I’ve never really thought about. But….this problem with time will probally last all our lives…..not just magically be over when we graduate. So…in that sense we must all start with ourselves to change our own habits…because it’s not WHAT we have to do it’s WHAT we do with the time we have.

I definitely agree with this post. Unlike Diana, I could not sit in a cubby to learn all of my material before a test. To me that is just now how I can complete tasks such as studying. I plan to study in increments over periods of days for not long at all, maybe an hour. Refreshing my memory is the best way for me. That is how I become more productive. On the other hand, what works best for you is always a plus.

Also to be productive I must have a planner. I am a very scheduled person and without some sort of a plan everything for me would fall apart. When I am productive, a boulder seems to lift off my shoulders. Working with people in groups with a big group project due in a week, can get overwhelming. However, when that project is done, all of that hard works finally pays off. The first thing a student must do is realize they are in school to get an education. Partying comes after your hard work. If I go out with my friends, I constantly am thinking about a homework assignment if I don’t get it done before going out. That was freshman and sophomore year. This year I realized that in order to be productive, work hard during the day, and the night will be free to me.

I feel like we have an advantage being in some of the classes we are now. For example, this class where we must post and comment. At first I was like this is going to be terrible. Then I have realized that it has allowed for my writing to be much better and I find myself putting PR above everything else. On e-mails, I feel that they are important. I realize that the workplace will bring many more e-mails, but I will try to respond as much as possible. Hopefully, I won’t get too overloaded. Thanks, and great post. Hopefully we can all get the lumps out of our throats!

I was scrolling through old Marcom posts, and ran across this one. It is encouraging to hear that even successful professionals can unknowingly (or maybe purposefully) find ways to distract themselves while working.

Productivity must be a choice that one makes. I feel that people have to choose to make certain sacrifices, practice time management in able to perform at their best. It is tempting to waste away my day looking at someone I dont even know on the Facebook. (As a side note, Facebook might be the ultimate hinderance to time managment and productivity. I literally can spend HOURS on that thing.

However, on the whole, I feel that since coming to college, I have really begun to master time management. I’ve learned to love list-making. But, I’ve also learned that productivity also requires flexibility. I can’t even begin to recall all the numerous times that my day didn’t go according to my list. If I roll with the punches, I usually can accomplish my list, and maybe even more.

I also agree that we can handle the details, whether we think it or not. I deal with tons of details each day, from meeting locations and agendas, to homework, to extra-curricular activities, to exercising, to finding time to talk to my friends. Think about how many details are in our lives, and we can definitely deal with work-related details. We pay attention, we CAN do the details.

So, now that I’ve read the posts and comments, and now talked myself up, I think I’m ready to start finding a job….

Wow-what a pertinent post! As I end my senior year, I continually look back on everything that I have learned at Auburn. I have not only learned from all of my classes, but I have also learned from my experience on campus. I was president of my sorority this past year, and when I passed on the responsibility to the next president in December, I realized what a great learning experience I had encountered.

Your comment about emails was right on! Last year I found myself getting well into 100 emails a day as well, with most of them needing responses. In the beginning of my term, I found that all of my time was going to checking and replying to my emails instead of going toward other worthy things. It didn’t take me long to realize that I didn’t need to have my pop-up window of email up all the time. It had gotten to where I would be working on a project for school or an event for my sorority and then I would see that I had a new email, check the email, and get completely side-tracked from what I was doing earlier.

Now, I only check my email twice a day–once in the morning and once at night. I feel a lot more efficient now that my day is not ruined by replying to emails constantly.

And as far as going into the “real world” is concerned, I am more than excited! I am currently applying for internships and I look forward to the time in my life where I will get to practice my passion-public relations.