How To Be Super Productive Every Day

By Author: Brent Riggs
Total Articles: 22
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The most frequent question I get from people is, "How do you have time to do all that?" which is then often followed up in hushed whispers of "He must be a workaholic." The obvious implication is there's no way someone can accomplish a lot and still have a life.

WRONG! Wrong, wrong, wrong..... wrong, wrong.

The main reason that I can accomplish all that I do (with regards to how much time it takes) is I DON'T WASTE TIME! Of course, I have my lazy days. And, once in a while, I am really running low on fuel and I hit the wall, usually after something has kept me up late. Occasionally, I get a terrible migraine that ruins my whole day. And then, there are times when I do fall prey to a case of the lazy-procrastinitis disease.

For the most part though, I don't waste time. I have something to read and study at almost every point of my day. While driving, I listen to something that furthers my goals and productivity. Often, even if the TV is on, I'm still reading or working on something.

"Then it's true. You are a workaholic!" Nope, I'm not. When I choose not to work, like when I'm having family time with ...
... my wife and kids, I don't work. I disassociate myself from my work and spend time with them. Also, our family doesn't waste away our together time in front of the one-eyed-mush-maker (otherwise known as the TV for those of you who have spent more than your share of time glued to it).

When people say, "I don't have time to � (take your pick - write an article, create a product, start a business, read my Bible, spend time with family, help the needy�.), I've learned that for most of those people, it is the same problem. They have all kinds of time to waste but not enough time for anything meaningful.

It is my opinion that the main culprit or time stealer today is PES (Passive Electronic Stimulation). I am not sure if that is a real term or not, but if it isn't, it should be. Plus, I don't want to have to type it over and over again!

So, what is this PES? It comes in many forms, but the most common are: TV, movies, electronic games, internet news sites, internet pornography sites, social internet sites, email, Instant Messaging, etc.

We could probably just stop there because in today's modern world you can pretty much sum up the overwhelming majority of wasted time in two words: television and internet.

I don't find one person out of 500 who says "I don't have time" and doesn't spend an hour or two or more A DAY watching electronic entertainment in some form or another; or they "surf" the internet or engage in something casual and non-productive on the computer. And that's the "productive" people! The unproductive people spend 4-10 hours or more A DAY in these activities. UNREAL!

Now, having said that, IT'S YOUR TIME. Spend it how you want but do not whine "I don't have enough time" when your financial and personal goals lay neglected. Just say, "I choose to spend my time turning my brain to unproductive mush with passive electronic stimulation instead of doing worthwhile things for me and my family." At least have the guts and self-respect to stand up for your choices. Again, it's YOUR life. Spend your time doing what YOU want - just have the courage to be truthful about it.

Look at the truth about what is really being said (Are you saying these things?)

-I don't have the time to start a home business and work towards financial freedom because there are 20 hours a week of football and golf that must be watched.

- I just do not have the time to study and educate myself about my business. I have Instant Messaging to do, email to check, and FaceBook to keep up with.

- I wish I could, but I don't have the time to exercise or pray or go to church. I stay up until midnight every night watching movies, the news, or the latest Hollywood gossip.

From my experience, I would estimate that even disciplined people probably waste 1-3 hours a day on PES, the average person wastes 3-6 hours a day, and an alarming and growing number of people waste 5-10 hours every single day on passive electronic stimulation.

This doesn't even address what PES is doing to your brain- loss of cognitive skills, inability to think abstractly, the weakening of personal and professional communication... and probably all sorts of other fancy $12 phrases that I don't even know about. Ask any business owner who must deal with the task of finding people who can actually write and communicate well... ask that business owner if he thinks these skills are scarce today.

Now, I'm not a doctor or researcher, but my gut tells me that PES is primarily responsible for this dramatic decline in communication skills. I also believe that it has negatively impacted our country's productivity. It doesn't take a genius to observe these things because they are so evident in everyday society.

So�now what? It is my desire that you honestly evaluate the role that PES plays in your life. Take a look at how much time you actually spend on these activities. You may be surprised how much time you are wasting. Be honest with yourself.

After you've taken the time to look at it, think about what you could be accomplishing if you invested your PES time into something productive like pursing financial freedom or spiritual fulfillment. If, in the end, you still WANT to spend your time in that way, then go ahead. Do it. But, don't complain that you "don't have time" to overcome your obstacles and pursue your goals in life. The choice is up to you.

In case you were wondering�reading my blog - http://www.brentriggs.com - does not count towards PES! :)