What's keeping you glued to the sofa or motivating you to get up from it?
Have you ever felt like you're struggling to achieve your productivity goals despite your best efforts?
Most of us spend countless hours researching productivity tips, hacks, and magical formulas to finally reveal this deep-buried secret (which only a few chosen know about) to ultimate, simple, effortless and sustainable productivity.
Why do you need and want to improve your time management and productivity?
The answer is simple. Most of us believe that by increasing input, we get to the desired output/ result/ goal.
If our goals did not depend on it, I think most of us would not think twice about productivity.
Who cares how productive you are if you have all you ever wanted, right?
But have you ever felt like you're struggling to achieve your productivity goals despite your best efforts?
Or a more accurate question would be, HOW MANY TIMES have you felt like you’re struggling to achieve your productivity goals despite your best efforts?
Why is that?
The answer is not that simple. Goal achievement and productivity come down to many experiments and no written rules.
Both do require some level of motivation.
You can unglue yourself off the sofa with the right kind of motivation to do so.
You can step on the treadmill with the right kind of motivation.
If you are motivated, you get yourself to work day after day, even though you HATE what you do.
So, where does the motivation come from?
On purpose, I will overlook all the motivation theories that have been around for a long time. First, they have been covered multiple times, so I’ve just been repeating what’s already been said. Second, I myself struggle with motivation (very often to the point where I think I might be lazy), and I’ll get to the point.
Values. Mine and yours. They dictate what’s important. And motivation circles around what’s important to us.
Next time you wonder why you struggle to get motivated, know this — what you are trying to do is not on your value list.
You don’t value it enough to do it.
Let me give an example here. Recently, I read Adam Grant’s book, Hidden Potential, and I came across the research he listed. I’ve learned something I did not know before, which created this buzzing feeling inside — the one I get every time I learn something new. According to Strenght’s Finder1 and Marcus Buckingham’s book, Now, discover your strengths2. One of my strengths is I am a learner.
“The process, more than the content or the results, is especially exciting for you. You are energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practise what you have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered — this is the process that entices you.”
I thrive on learning no matter what the circumstances. Learning is one of my values because it helps me improve and become a better human being.
“The outcome of the learning is less significant than the ‘getting there’”
So, sitting down in the evening to read does not require a lot of motivation for me. Learning is one of my values, so it comes naturally. In fact, whenever I am not able to read for at least 15 minutes a day and pick up some new knowledge, I feel guilty, uneasy and disappointed.
That brings me to the ultimate moral of this article:
To increase your productivity or get ‘things’ done, you need to connect them to your core values.
For that, you first need to KNOW your values.
Your personal values are shaped by your experiences, upbringing, and the culture and society you live in. So, there are no wrong or right values. They can be many things, like honesty, integrity, kindness, respect, creativity, independence, and many others.
Without getting too philosophical, it is important to know what we stand for and what we value most in life.
Let me give you a non-philosophical answer to why that is:
Firstly, by having a clear idea of your personal values, you can make better decisions and set goals that are in line with your principles and beliefs. This makes sure you stay true to yourself and live a life that’s more fulfilling, satisfying and intentional.
When you align your values with your goals, you can make sure that you're doing what you love and working towards a meaningful purpose.
Secondly, if you're looking to be more productive and manage your time better, it's a good idea to figure out what really matters to you.
By identifying your personal values, you can focus on the tasks that are most important to you and manage your time more effectively. Not only will this help you feel more motivated and engaged in your work, but it will also help you prioritize the things that truly matter.
Everyone has their own set of values and things they prioritize. For example, if you're big on creativity, you might spend more time brainstorming ideas or designing new products. But if efficiency is your thing, you might focus on finding ways to get things done faster and more accurately, like streamlining processes or delegating tasks.
This concept isn't new. In fact, many authors have explored the connection between personal values, motivation, and productivity.
"Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us" by Daniel H. Pink
Pink delves into the science of motivation, highlighting that intrinsic motivators—like autonomy, mastery, and purpose—are more effective than external rewards. He argues that when we engage in activities that resonate with our internal desires and values, we experience greater motivation and productivity.
Just as I find learning inherently motivating because it's one of my core values, Pink explains that intrinsic motivators drive sustained engagement and performance.
"Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action" by Simon Sinek
Sinek introduces the concept of the "Golden Circle," where the "Why" represents an individual's core beliefs and values. Understanding your "Why" leads to inspired action.
Your motivation soars when your actions align with your core values. Knowing your "Why" provides clarity and focus, making it easier to overcome obstacles and stay committed.
"Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less" by Greg McKeown
McKeown advocates for focusing on what truly matters by identifying and committing to your essential values and goals. He suggests eliminating non-essential tasks and concentrating on what's most important.
By prioritizing tasks that align with your values, you manage your time more effectively and enhance your productivity.
"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen R. Covey
Covey emphasizes principles like "Begin with the End in Mind" and "Put First Things First," which involve setting goals and priorities based on personal values.
Aligning actions with principles and values leads to better decision-making and goal achievement, mirroring the idea that understanding and living by one's values leads to greater effectiveness.
"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl
Frankl explores the human need for meaning and purpose as fundamental to motivation and resilience. He illustrates that even in the direst circumstances, meaning derived from personal values can drive individuals forward.
Understanding one's purpose and values is critical to overcoming challenges and staying motivated.
"The Power of Full Engagement" by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
Loehr and Schwartz discuss managing energy—not just time—by aligning activities with one's values and purpose. They argue that alignment leads to full engagement.
When you're engaged in activities aligned with your values (like my love for learning), you feel energized and productive.
"Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Csikszentmihalyi introduces the concept of "flow," a state of deep immersion and enjoyment in activities that align with one's skills and values.
Engaging in valued activities leads to optimal experiences. The "buzzing feeling" I get when learning reflects this flow state.
So I’ve built up a big enough case for personal values, now let’s take a look at how you can identify them.
How to Identify Personal Values
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to figure this out:
Reflect on life experiences.
Have you ever thought about the moments in your life that have been the most meaningful to you? Reflecting on those experiences can help you understand what's really important to you and what you value most.Consider role models.
Think about the people in your life who you look up to and respect. These role models can teach you a lot about the qualities and values that you admire and want to emulate.Use value cards3.
Did you know that there are these cool value cards online that can help you figure out what values are most important to you? All you have to do is choose the values that resonate with you from a list printed right on the card.Take a values assessment4.
You can take online assessments to figure out your values. They basically ask you to rate a list of values based on how important they are to you. I am including some of the links to value assessments for you in the footnote. Take a look.
Your personal values have a big impact on how you work. When you're doing tasks that fit with what you care about, you're more likely to be excited and motivated. That excitement and motivation help you get more done and feel better while you're doing it.
If you're working on something that doesn't align with your values, you might start to feel less motivated, disengaged, and just plain drained. And let's face it, when your heart isn't in it, productivity can take a major hit.
As Greg McKeown suggests in Essentialism, eliminating non-essential tasks allows you to focus on what's truly important. Stephen Covey's principles in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People reinforce the idea of aligning actions with personal values for greater effectiveness.
Your weekly action for this week is to identify your core values. Use the four steps listed in this article and get to the bottom of your motivation and what drives your actions, behaviours and decisions. It can make a whole lot of difference going forward.
Remember, as Simon Sinek advises, start with your "Why." Understanding your core values is the first step toward connecting your tasks with your intrinsic motivations.
By aligning your work with your personal values, you can tap into the intrinsic motivation that Daniel Pink describes in Drive, leading to sustained productivity and fulfillment.
This alignment leads to the "flow" state that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi describes, where you are fully engaged and deeply satisfied with your work.
The Personal Values Assessment is a simple survey that takes just a few minutes of your time and provides a wealth of information about why you do what you do.