You may have noticed by now that I kind of like to put plans together, schedule things, and that I’m very detailed-oriented.
In fact, a few years ago I had an ah-ha moment that led to me realizing that these are my greatest strengths.
Because I love to focus on my strengths and delegate my weaknesses, I know I’m most productive when I’m a project manager.
When I’m a project manager, I get to put plans together, schedule things, and leverage my ability to be detail-oriented in order to make progress on the things that matter most to me and my business.
My productivity does not equal yours
Perhaps you’re a project manager, too, and you can either totally relate to what I’ve just laid out, or you at least really want to relate to it (meaning, you’re not currently focusing on your strengths, but you know you should be in order to be more productive.)
Or, perhaps you’re not a project manager, in which case the things that I’ve referenced above as being my greatest strengths – the things that help me be most productive – aren’t your greatest strengths.
This probably means that when you’re working on creating a plan, scheduling things, or your responsibility is to be detail-oriented, you’re not being as productive as you could be.
Guess what? That’s okay.
Focus on your strengths
You see the book launches, the best-selling author badges, the huge launch numbers, the thousands of downloads, the millions of page visits, the number of likes and followers… and within two seconds flat your motivation is squashed.
It’s really tough not to compare yourself to others when pretty much everything we do is online and available for others to see.
But what you see online – the book launches, the best-selling author badges and the huge launch numbers – that’s not even a quarter of the story.
Whether the source is sharing the whole story or not is irrelevant for purposes of the lesson I’m sharing; what is relevant is how you’re responding to what you see and hear.
Compare and despair
Let me guess: when you see things like that, you’re feeling like you’ve got a lot of work to do – maybe even too much work to do… Which then makes you feel like you’re SO behind, what’s the point in even trying?
Then, your motivation plummets and your productivity, discipline and focus go out the window before you’ve even had a chance to start.
It’s okay to be different and to have different strengths.
It’s okay to not be on the exact same track, reporting the exact same results as everyone else.
Chances are, the exact things that work for one person aren’t going to work for you anyway, because you, what you have to offer, and your audience are different than theirs.
Did you know it’s actually a good thing to be different?… because that’s what makes you, your story, your business and what you have to offer unique.
Feel empowered by the fact that you will be paving your own way to success, and as you learn from those who have come before you don’t be afraid to try and implement something in a different way.
Stop comparing your productive to others and start focusing on how you can become a master of your strengths, and therefore, a master of productivity on your own terms.
The Mastery Journal
If you’re ready to stop comparing your “productive” to others and start leveraging your own strengths, then head over to TheMasteryJournal.com for your own physical copy of The Mastery Journal.
The Mastery Journal is your daily guide to mastering productivity, discipline and focus in 100 days.
