Productivity vs Efficiency: How Are They Different?

When we think about productivity vs efficiency, most of us tend to think that they’re the same. 

Well, you’re wrong, your mom’s wrong, your grandma, everyone…

What you’re about to digest is going to cover what each term means, and how they work together — If the two of them were to enter the Thunderdome, which one would leave?

I’ll also be waterboarding you with a few tips on how to improve in both areas.

Here’s what’s about to go down…

• WTF Does Productivity Mean?
  • Example of Productivity
  • What Are “The Three Pillars of Productivity”?
  • Productivity Formula
• What’s Efficiency Mean? For Real.
  • Example of Efficiency
  • Efficiency Formula
• Do They Work Together, Share Candy, and Stuff?
  • The Trap of Toxic Productivity
• 10 Productivity Commandments For Business Owners
• Tips For Singular Humans
• The Oldest Productivity Trick
• So.. What Did We Learn?

Alright, gather ‘round, it’s storytime…

WTF Does Productivity Mean?

Productivity is like trying to cram as many tasks as you can into a certain amount of time, preferably without losing your mind.

It’s like playing Tetris with your to-do list, trying to fit everything in before the timer runs out.

Or you could think of it as a competition with your past self, like trying to beat your high score on a video game. Only this time, instead of points, you’re trying to see how many tasks you can cross off your list.

Example of Productivity

Let’s say you work in a factory that produces boxes, and your job is to fold the cardboard into dinosaur shapes or something – shit, I don’t know…

Your supervisor tells you that you need to fold 100 dinosaur-shaped boxes in an eight-hour shift and says you have to get it done, or you’re fired.

What a dickhead…

Anyway, to be productive in this scenario, your focus is solely on meeting the target output (100 dinosaurs) within the specified time frame (eight hours).

You may not be able to find ways to fold the boxes more quickly or with less effort, but you work your ass off throughout the shift and complete the folding of 100 dinosaurs within the allotted time frame.

In this case, you were productive because you met the output target within the time frame, didn’t get shit-canned, and lived to fight another day.

What Are “The Three Pillars of Productivity”?

The three pillars of productivity are time, energy, and attention. 

It’s like trying to balance on a three-legged bar stool, you need all three to keep you steady. If one of these legs is wobbly, you’ll be flat on your ass in no time.

Time, energy, and attention are the three pillars that hold up the temple of productivity.

So if you want to be a productivity master, you’ll need to learn to harness the power of all three.

Let’s break these down.

Time

Time is all about creating space in your life by making your systems as productive as possible. To do that, you need to focus on three key components:

Systems, strategies, and people.

Let’s start with systems – They’re like the gears in a clock, and just like a clock, our lives are made up of a series of interconnected systems. Understanding how these systems work allows you to tweak them to get your desired outcome.

Next up, strategies – These are the simple frameworks that help you navigate tough situations with ease and keep you from going off the rails. If something is always throwing you off your game, and messing with your chi (like a barrage of emails), then it’s time to implement a new strategy, like some kind of email workflow (cue ‘80s montage music).

Finally, we’ve got people – Sure, you may have your own strategies and systems down pat, but working with other people is a whole different ball game. Communication, delegation, and teamwork all come into play.

Unfortunately, as shitty as some people can be, in order to master this pillar of productivity, you need to know how to work effectively with others and have realistic expectations.

Energy

You may have all the time in the world to get your work done, but if you don’t have the energy to follow through, you’re going to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of procrastination.

So, what’s the secret to managing and increasing your energy levels? With the three key components of Energy:

Sleep, rituals, and motivation.

First up, let’s talk about sleep – It’s the foundation of all things productive. Just like a building needs a solid foundation to stand tall, your body needs adequate sleep to function at its best.

Sleep is where the magic happens – it’s where your body repairs itself and your brain processes all the information you’ve taken in during the day. Make sure you’re getting enough shut-eye, my friend!

Next on the list, we’ve got rituals – These are the things you do on a daily basis that help you get into the right mindset and pump you up.

Rituals can be as simple as a morning meditation, a quick workout, or even something as ordinary as your morning coffee routine. Whatever it is, make sure you’re doing it consistently, and watch as your energy levels soar.

Finally, we’ve got motivation. It’s that little voice inside your head that tells you to keep going, even when you’re feeling tired or overwhelmed.

Let’s be real, keeping motivation can be fickle, so it’s important to have a variety of tools in your arsenal to keep you motivated – whether it’s setting goals, visualizing your success, or surrounding yourself with positive influences.

Attention

Attention is like having a laser beam focus on your tasks, keeping you on track and getting shit done. If you find yourself easily distracted, it’s time to improve your attention skills. Three components will help you master it:

Focus, goals, and mindsets.

First, let’s talk about focus – which is all about eliminating distractions and zeroing in on the task at hand. You need to train your mind to stay focused on the task until completion.

This can be done by identifying and eliminating any potential distractions such as social media notifications, email pop-ups, or background noise. 

You can also use techniques such as time blocking or the Pomodoro method to help improve your focus.

The second component of attention is goals – You need to have a clear understanding of what you want to achieve, and how you plan on achieving it. Without goals, you may find yourself wandering aimlessly, without a sense of direction.

When setting goals, make sure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

Finally, mindsets play a crucial role in mastering attention – Your mindset is your attitude and approach to your work. A positive mindset can help you overcome obstacles and push through difficult tasks.

Adopting a growth mindset, where you see challenges as opportunities to learn and grow, can help you stay motivated and focused on your goals.

It’s also important to practice self-compassion and give yourself grace when things don’t go as planned. Remember, you’re only human and mistakes happen.

If you’re wondering… I didn’t make this up. The three pillars are part of the TEA framework for productivity.

Productivity Formula

So, you want to know the secret to measuring productivity? Get ready to crunch some numbers.

There are different ways to measure productivity, like for your employees, your organization, or even your software (yep, even your computer programs need to be productive).

Let’s say you’re trying to calculate your employee productivity. You can use a simple formula that goes a little something like this: 

Total output ÷ total input = labor productivity 

Now, imagine your company made $50,000 worth of goods in a week (output) using 1,000 labor hours (input).

To calculate your labor productivity, just divide 50,000 by 1,000, which equals 50. That means your company generates 50 bucks for each hour of work. Not too shabby.

You can also measure productivity on an individual basis. Instead of using hours, just count the number of employees as your input.

So, if your company has 20 employees and makes $50,000 worth of goods in a week, divide 50,000 by 20 to get 2,500. That means each employee produced $2,500 for your company that week.

Even if you’re a one-man band, you can still measure your own labor productivity. It’s important to keep track of these things so you can make the most of your time. 

What’s Efficiency Mean? For Real.

How do you define efficiency?

We already know that productivity is all about getting stuff done and achieving a certain level of output. But efficiency? It’s like productivity, but on illegal steroids…

Efficiency is all about getting the same amount of work done but with fewer resources.

So, if productivity is like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in five minutes, then efficiency is like making that same sandwich but with only half the amount of peanut butter and jelly.

When we talk about efficiency, we’re talking about how we can achieve our goals using the fewest amount of resources possible. You have to be smart and strategic about how you use your resources to achieve the same result.

Example of Efficiency

Let’s say you’re a college student and you have a ton of assignments due in the same week. You know you have to be efficient with your time, so you decide to combine all your tasks into one efficient, multitasking session.

You put on a moisturizing face mask to take care of your skin while reading a textbook. You do calf raises while typing out a paper. And, when you have to go to the bathroom, you bring your laptop with you so you can read an article while you do your business.

That’s efficiency at its finest. Maximizing your time and resources to get all your work done without sacrificing your self-care routine, bathroom breaks, or whatever else you’re into.

Efficiency Formula

Let’s say you own a graphic design business and you’re working on a project to create a new logo for a client.

Based on experience, you know that the standard amount of labor hours required to complete this type of project is 20 hours.

You assign the project to one of your designers, who ends up working on it for a total of 25 hours to complete it. 

To calculate the efficiency of the designer, you would use the efficiency formula:

(Standard Labor Hours / Amount of Time Worked) x 100 = Efficiency

So in this case, the efficiency would be:

(20 / 25) x 100 = 80%

This means that the designer achieved 80% efficiency on this project, which is respectable. It shows that the designer was able to complete the project within a reasonable amount of time, while still producing high-quality output.

Based on this information, you could use the efficiency rating to identify areas where the designer could improve and optimize their use of time and resources, and improve their efficiency on future projects.

Do They Work Together, Share Candy, and Stuff?

The short answer is yes. While it is possible to have one without the other, if you want to be truly successful, you’ll need to find effective solutions to utilize both.

The Trap of Toxic Productivity

If you’re a workaholic who can’t resist the urge to do more, even when you’re running on fumes, and your to-do list longer than a CVS receipt, you may have stumbled into toxic productivity territory.

Toxic productivity is like that annoying little voice in your head that says, “You’re not doing enough!” and “You need to work harder!” It’s like having a personal drill sergeant that never lets you rest, not even for a second. To be honest, that sounds like hell.

But it gets worse – The more you push yourself, the more burnt out you become. And when you finally do take a break, you feel guilty that you’re not being productive enough.

It’s a vicious cycle that can send you spiraling into anxiety, depression, and even some pretty gnarly physical health issues like diabetes and hypertension.

Here are a few signs that you may have fallen into this shit-filled trap:

1. You can’t seem to get enough of work.
2. You’re always on the go
3. You feel like there’s no such thing as the end of the day.
4. You juggle so many tasks that you can’t tell which one is a priority anymore.

Here are a few ideas to break free from this insane cycle of self-mutilation:

1. Acknowledge that this is a problem and give yourself time to find a solution.
2. Organize your tasks according to their importance, so you don’t end up overburdening yourself.
3. Make sure to include some non-work activities in your to-do list to help you relax and recharge.
4. Resist the urge to pile on more tasks once you’ve completed everything for the day. Give yourself a break.

By recognizing the signs of toxic productivity and taking action to prioritize self-care and balance, you can break free and regain control of your work-life balance and ultimately lead a healthier, happier, and more productive life. 

10 Productivity Commandments For Business Owners

There’s more to all of this than demanding that your employees complete more work in less time while consuming fewer materials — please don’t do that. 

Here are the 10 commandments of improving business productivity, or as I like to call them, the “Thou Shalts” of getting shit done:

1. Thou shalt keep it simple, stupid — No need for fancy strategies that leave you scratching your head.
2. Thou shalt set reminders, because let’s face it, we all forget stuff sometimes.
3. Thou shalt review goals daily, or at least every once in a while, so you don’t lose sight of what the hell you’re doing.
4. Thou shalt minimize time-wasting activities, like browsing through cat videos on YouTube (even though they’re hilariously stupid).
5. Thou shalt use productivity apps — because let’s be honest, who has the brain capacity to remember everything these days?
6. Thou shalt motivate thy team — because lazy co-workers are just the worst.
7. Thou shalt avoid multitasking — because trying to juggle too many things at once is like trying to herd cats.
8. Thou shalt offer a wellness program because healthy employees are happy employees (and happy employees are productive employees).
9. Thou shalt focus on focus because if minds wander like lost puppies, nothing’s getting done.
10. Thou shalt hold one-on-one meetings because sometimes it’s just nice to have a good old-fashioned chat with the boss.

10 Tips For Singular Humans

Here are the top 10 productivity tricks for successful individuals that kick ass at doing life:

1. Start by figuring out your “why.” Why are you doing what you’re doing? Is it for the money, the fame, the glory? Or just to keep your cat fed and happy?
2. Don’t let your email control your life – check it in short bursts.
3. Prioritize your to-do list like a boss. Make a list, and check it twice.
4. Make a to-don’t list! You know, all the things you should NOT be doing. Like binging on Netflix all day instead of working.
5. Use your time wisely — if you do want to use your time wisely, try using a calendar to schedule your day.
6. Find your optimal focus time. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
7. Resist the urge to multitask. Unless you have mystical powers, you can’t do 10 things at once.
8. The “Five-Minute Rule” says that if it takes less than 5 minutes, just take care of it immediately.
9. Keep track of your progress.
10. Don’t forget to take breaks — because nobody wants to be a productivity robot — except maybe Elon Musk.

The Oldest Productivity Trick

While you may not believe it, the oldest known productivity trick in the world is making lists! 

Lists have been around for thousands of years, way before smartphones and laptops. Ancient Babylonians and Egyptians were making lists before it was “cool”.

The legendary philosopher and statesman, Seneca, was all about the list life. He wrote about the importance of lists in his letters.

If making a list was good enough for Seneca, they’re good enough for us.

Lists help us organize our thoughts, prioritize our tasks, and stay focused. Plus, who doesn’t love the satisfaction of crossing something off a list?

So, while it may not be as flashy as the latest productivity app, making a list is the OG productivity hack.

So, next time you’re feeling overwhelmed just remember that the answer may be as simple as making a list.

So… What Did We Learn?

Reflecting on our journey through productivity, we explored the Three Pillars of Productivity, the nuanced differences between efficiency and productivity, and uncovered a unique formula for success.

We also shared practical tips for both business owners and individuals, emphasizing the need to avoid the trap of toxic productivity.

Ultimately, balance is crucial—take breaks, savor moments, and remember Ferris Bueller’s wise words: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

Now, after all this talk about productivity vs efficiency, I think a well-deserved nap is in order…

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