Do we really need more time or energy to be productive? In the past, I would have said yes to both. Now, I realise that productivity is less about time or energy and more about our identity.

One of my biggest struggles in life is how to get all the things I want completed. Too often, I write my list, mind map it, bullet journal it, and put it on the electronic calendar, but at the end of the day, about ten other items are still left unticked by my red pen. It can be discouraging. Sometimes, tasks from last week or even earlier still persist. I take a deep breath. It can be demoralising.

In my quest to tackle these challenges, I turned to various productivity methods, including Steven Covey’s approach to distinguishing between urgent and important tasks. However, I often find that there are too many of both tasks in a single day! Tasks that were important but not urgent suddenly become pressing priorities. Take, for instance, the school blazer that needed dry-cleaning. Last week, it was an important but non-urgent task, but now, with my daughter performing on stage tomorrow, it has become an urgent necessity. Or the work deadline I had three weeks to complete — suddenly, it’s due by 5 pm today! You know the drill. The overwhelm then sets in.

Over the years, I have immersed myself in productivity literature, experimenting with a variety of tools and strategies. I've implemented techniques such as the Pomodoro Technique, "Eat the Frog," single-tasking, and multi-tasking, among others. During a particularly challenging period of my life as a young mother of two toddlers, while launching my business and completing my PhD, I became deeply committed to mastering every productivity tool available.

From David Allen’s Getting Things Done to Cal Newport’s Deep Work, Kelly McGonigal’s The Willpower Instinct, to James Clear’s Atomic Habits, and everything in between, I have gone through my fair share of productivity books!

It was James Clear’s thesis that effective habit-changing needs to begin with who we wish to become instead of focusing on what we want to achieve that drove it home for me. He calls them identity-based habits. Clear’s idea is that to make lasting changes, we need to focus on who we want to become, rather than just what we want to achieve. He explains that behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last, so we need to grasp that real behaviour change is identity change. For example, I could only start calling myself a writer once I began writing habitually. Similarly, I considered myself a runner when I trained regularly and ran in marathons (that’s me in the 2018 Sydney marathon).

It’s on this premise of knowing thyself that really boosts productivity the most.

If we pursue goals that align with our true values, who we are, and wish to become, then we are more likely to accomplish what we set out to do. However, Clear also clarifies that instead of focusing on setting goals and the outcome, it’s better to focus on your system — the process that leads to the results. They are the methods that make an incremental difference — the atomic habits —that bring small change, gain, and improvement for you but over time compound to give you remarkable results.

What happens when you have multiple identities with competing demands? For example, trying to be a great writer, mother, daughter, worker, employer, friend, and more, all at the same time. That's when our productivity gets diluted. To address this, I now streamline my approach by asking myself: what are the most prioritised qualities I want for each identity? Then, I focus on three and, importantly, I remind myself to be kind to myself.

Darius Foroux similarly exhorts his readers to prioritise their lives by asking themselves the questions: Who am I? What do I like? What is my role? What am I trying to achieve?

With these questions in mind, my new habit is to review my system the night before, then focus on at least three most important tasks each morning that build the habits for the person I am becoming. Let’s face it, we can’t change how much time we have, but we can change our energy states to be more productive. I prioritize tasks that energize me and help develop habits aligning with my identity. For me, exercising in the morning is key. After physical exercise, I feel invigorated and ready to tackle the rest of the day’s demands.

Identity is at the heart of all we do, even our productivity. As my psychology supervisor, Marie, once told me, "Learning to be rather than having to do" is central to fulfilment. This idea resonates deeply with the concept of identity-based habits. When we focus on "being," we align our actions with our true selves, creating a more authentic and sustainable approach to productivity. Instead of just checking tasks off a list, we cultivate habits that reflect who we genuinely want to be. This also empowers us to more easily say ‘no’ to things or requests that don’t align with our values. This shift in perspective not only enhances our productivity but also brings a sense of peace and achievement.

By learning to be our true selves and prioritising our roles, we can form better habits and harness our energy to be productive every day. Living consciously, we become more aware that each decision shapes the person we are becoming. Remember, productivity isn’t about cramming more into our day — it’s about aligning our actions with who we truly are, leading to a more meaningful and balanced life.

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About the Author

Lidia Lae, Ph.D., is a writer, psychologist, and speaker, committed to empowering individuals and organisations to build healthier cultures for meaningful contribution.

Reference:

Allen, D (2015). Getting Things Done: The art of stress-free productivity. New York: Penguin Books. Gaya Chicago.

Clear, J. (2019). Atomic habits: an easy & proven way to build good habits & break bad ones. Unabridged. New York, NY, Penguin.

Compton, J. (2018). How to stop being so busy and get more done. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/how-stop-being-so-busy-get-more-done-ncna850311

Covey, S. R. (2013). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

McGonigal, K. (2012). The willpower instinct: How self-control works, why it matters, and what you can do to get more of it. Avery/Penguin Group USA.

Newport, C. (2016). Deep work: rules for focused success in a distracted world. First edition. New York, Grand Central.