Are you struggling to stay productive and achieve your goals? We all seek efficiency in different aspects of our lives. Right now, your biggest goals could be to reach a target at work, to improve your parenting, to gain a health objective, a combination of those things, or more. Or you could be a manager trying to improve the productivity level of your team. However, as you may have noticed, working does not equal productivity. Motivational productivity quotes can inspire us to make the most of our time.
Optimum productivity requires a holistic approach. People struggle to stay productive when they are grappling with one or more aspects of their lives. For example, research by the Gallon Organization shows that happy people with a positive attitude are more resilient at work, likely to be productive and last longer.
Daily reminders are important to keep us aware of the several practices that culminate into a happy productive individual. You can also consider how to get the best start in the morning or even take the 100 days of productivity challenge. There’s also loads of productivity tools out there to help you too. Meanwhile, here are 47 productivity quotes that could serve as great reminders.
The only recipe is hard work, persistence, and belief.
Former Spanish football national and Manager, Julen Lopetegui Argote is the current head coach and senior manager at Sevilla FC. He won several tournaments and awards as a player and a manager. As a player, Lopetegui won the 1989/90 La Liga trophy and Super Copa trophy in 1994 and 1996. Awards he won as a manager include the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2012 and UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2013.
Lopetegui’s motivation to his team is always to put in the extra effort. As this productivity quote says, with persistence, hard work and belief combined, everything is possible.
Smart vacations lead to greater happiness and energy at work and, therefore, greater productivity, intelligence, and resilience.
American speaker and author, Shawn Achor is renowned for his advocacy for positive psychology. He has written several positive thought-provoking books like “The Happiness Advantage" (amazon). He is an advocate for workplace productivity via employee satisfaction and happiness.
In one of his books, Shawn suggested that happy employees are less likely to quit. They are also more likely to satisfy external customers; they feel safer and more likely to engage in positive citizenship behaviour. Shawn admonishes entrepreneurs and CEOs to focus on employee happiness. With this approach, they are more likely to keep their customers happy.
No matter how good you are at planning, the pressure never goes away. So I don't fight it. I feed off it. I turn pressure into motivation to do my best.
Benjamin Solomon Carson Sr is a world-renowned neurosurgeon and author turned politician and public servant. Carson is an author of several motivational books centred on his career as a surgeon including Think Big and Gifted Hands (both on amazon). He is renowned for his precise planning before his surgeries.
However, in Carson’s book, we get to see the internal monologue that goes on before these surgeries. With this productivity quote, Carson notes that he recognizes the pressure to deliver. But instead of avoiding this pressure, he uses it as a tool for motivation.
The cautious seldom err.
Many regard Confucius as the greatest Chinese philosopher, teacher, and political figure who ever lived. His popularity made a Chinese sect worship him via his Confucianism philosophy. Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, the correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness, and sincerity.
Confucius admonished people to always be cautious, as that is how you can rarely make errors. The advice from this productivity quote is essential in modern times when people burn through resources on as many trials and errors as possible. Rather than careful research and planning to get the answers they need. Confucius also adopted the well-known principle "Do unto others what you want them to do to you". We can adopt this principle in many areas of life for ethical living.
As a tech optimist, I believe productivity woes can be solved through cleverly imagined and implemented technology.
American businesswoman, Caroline Ghosn is the first child of Carlos Ghosn. She is also the CEO and chairman of Levo, a professional network created to help youths adapt to the modern workplace. Ghosn is passionate about workplace creativity and productivity. Based on this, in 2013, Fast Company recognized her as one of the Most Creative Businesspersons.
Ghosn has shared several top tips, such as this productivity quote, on narrowing the productivity gap. In one of her speeches, she noted that we do not have to complicate the productivity process. We can boost performance through a manageable combination of the right tools, resources, and habits to make the most of your time.
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.
American lecturer, author, and political activist, Helen Adams Keller, was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. Pennsylvania celebrates her birthday anually on June 27th as Helen Keller Day. Keller was a prolific US writer renowned for her assertive nature. She campaigned for women's suffrage, labour rights, socialism, antimilitarism, and other similar causes.
Keller was a message of optimism, of hope, of good cheer, and loving service to people around her. She also established a foundation with a vision to completely eradicate malnutrition, preventable loss of vision as well as drastically improve the well-being of vulnerable families and children.
Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.
Paul J. Meyer was one of the pioneers of the self-improvement industry. He wrote several bestselling books on productivity and has sold well over $2B worldwide, more than any other author in this field, living or deceased.
Meyer attributed much of his success to his passion for productivity, a product of excellence. His performance in his field has outweighed his predecessors which he attributed to resilience and commitment to excellence.
Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.
Many know Alan Alexander Milne best for his books about the teddy bear, Winnie-the-Pooh (amazon), amongst various poems. He was a member of the British Army where he served for a stint. Milne was a notable writer before the remarkable success of Winnie-the-Pooh outshone all other work he had ever done.
As a former military man and writer, Milne recognized the importance of being organized. He noted in one of his books, Peace with Honour, how planning is important before going to war. Such precise planning also helped to create a fictional character that many would love over several generations.
Email is familiar. It's comfortable. It's easy to use. But it might just be the biggest killer of time and productivity in the office today.
Ryan Holmes is a Canadian entrepreneur and computer programmer. He started the popular business social media management tool, Hootsuite, which businesses use worldwide. Holmes was able to develop this program via his agency, Invoke Media, in 2008.
Holmes speaks publicly against the use of emails as a form of communication in the workplace. He once attempted to ban email in his workplace. On Holmes’ Medium page, he shares several informal methods, but virtually and in-person, which he employs to keep his team communicating and productive.
Either move or be moved.
Ezra Weston Loomis Pound was a major poet personality in the early 20th century who made several contributions to poetry. His work started the development of a faction carved out from classical Japanese and Chinese poetry. This concept, imagism, the favour of precision of imagery and clear, sharp language in poetry.
Pound was vocal about proactivity and making change. We can interpret this productivity quote to mean that even if you choose to not be part of a change, it will eventually affect you. For the people who want to create change, we need to make things happen and not just sit around hoping things will happen.
Procrastinating is a vice when it comes to productivity, but it can be a virtue for creativity.
American author and psychologist Adam M. Grant (amazon) is an organizational psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the youngest tenured professor at the Wharton School.
A lot of people see procrastination as the thief of time; however, Adam's opinion seems to have a different opinion. He sees procrastination as a virtue for creativity as against being a vice for productivity. Adam believes that when people procrastinate, it gives them time to come up with more creative responses compared to what they may have earlier done.
The three ordinary things that we often don't pay enough attention to, but which I believe are the drivers of all success, are hard work, perseverance, and basic honesty.
Azim Hashim Premji is the current chairman of Wipro Limited. He is an Indian businessman, engineer, tycoon, and philanthropist. Premji was responsible for guiding Wipro through over 30 years of business and growth to finally become one of the global leaders in manufacturing.
Premji outlines hard work, perseverance, and honesty as three drivers of success. It’s important to create a process for the results you want to achieve. Productivity requires intentional and dedicated work.
You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do.
American automobile manufacturer, Henry Ford, was the creator of Ford Motor Company. The brand launched its first vehicle, the Ford Model T, in 1908. Henry Ford identified the challenge with the American automotive industry, and he fixed it through innovation.
Many recognize Ford as the man who reinvented productivity in manufacturing. Ford Motors was the first car manufacturing company to use an assembly line. This process improved their productivity, reduced costs, and placed the company as the top car manufacturer in the country.
Early rising will enhance your productivity, improve your mental outlook, and give you time to exercise, catch up on email, or just have breakfast with your family. In short, if you want to become more successful, it's a good idea to jump out of bed earlier.
John Rampton is an entrepreneur, start-up enthusiast, online marketing genius, influencer and an investor. Rampton founded the online company Due, and Entrepreneur's magazine ranked him as number two of the top 50 online influencers in the World.
Rampton's quote suggests that "early rising will enhance your productivity", as this gives you time to do more. Practice waking up early. Exercise. Meditate, become mindful ready for the day. Crossing some tasks off your to-do list before the sun rises may even push you towards better productivity.
Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.
Many people in the industry consider Paul J. Meyer as the founder of the self-improvement industry. Meyer founded the Success Motivation Institute Inc. in 1966. His ideas and books have raked-in over 2 billion dollars in sales in more than 60 countries and 23 languages, making him the best selling self-improvement author ever!
If you tie your level of productivity to chances, then chances are you'll make no headway when things don’t fall in your favour. Like Meyer's productivity quote states, "productivity is never an accident". It is a deliberate effort. So, quit expecting productivity to come easily.
Each minute is a little thing, and yet, with respect to our personal productivity, to manage the minute is the secret of success.
Born in Salt Lake, Utah, Wirthlin was an American businessman and religious leader. He was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and many admired him for his kindness.
Maybe you've heard this before: every minute counts. Frankly, it does. The most productive and efficient people understand the value of time and doing the most they can at the moment. Procrastination and lazing around will reduce the quality of your work, and your long-term ability to reach your goals.
The ability to immediately deduct the costs of capital investments will help employers improve worker productivity and output - which grows Main Street jobs. And with these savings, businesses across the country will have more freedom to grow, hire new workers, and increase wages.
Vermillion-born Kevin Brady is an influential figure in US politics. Many regard Brady as the author of the "sunset law" that inspects the validity of law after an extensive period. Brady has received numerous awards, including the Guardian of Small Business Award.
Employees are crucial for business growth and development. As a founder or business owner, the fate of your company depends on the quality of the team you manage to build. And for a great team, you need to allocate enough resources to attract and retain talent. One study revealed strong links between capital investments, productivity and efficiency. And as it turns out, Brady's quote highlights them.
Profitability comes from loyalty, productivity, and having a character base from which to work.
Hillary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar was an acclaimed American salesman, author and motivational speaker. Ziglar was a chartered member of the American Salesmaster.
One primary purpose of most businesses is to make a profit. And Ziglar's productivity quote explains how a lack of productivity and refusal to do the work can affect profit. To avoid this, develop a good work culture within your team and keep aiming to do better.
As a tech optimist, I believe productivity woes can be solved through cleverly imagined and implemented technology.
Caroline Ghosn is a businesswoman and eldest child of former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. Ghosn founded the professional network, Levo, to help millennials in the workplace. Ghosn is an active member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers community.
In today’s work environment, we expect every individual to equip themselves with diverse sets of skills. Most people juggle different tasks across different departments, making it difficult to keep track of things. Ghosn, however, suggests that we can solve this problem using "cleverly imagined and implemented technology". For example, many companies now use project and task management apps to keep track of their team’s progress.
From a productivity perspective, prioritization is key. And it's very easy to focus on clearing the decks of minutia, especially when one's very busy.
Ivanka Trump is an American businesswoman and a senior advisor to the President, her father Donald Trump. Trump is an advocate for women and Israel.
Prioritization is crucial for productivity and efficiency. It is when you decide which tasks are the most important. If you categorize everything as ‘most important’, then it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the simple question of, “where do I start?”
Like Ivanka Trump advises in her productivity quote, 'prioritize.' At the start of your day, make a list of the three most essential things you want to accomplish. Those are your priorities for the day. Everything else can come after you’ve checked these three boxes.
Make no mistake about it. Bad habits are called 'bad' for a reason. They kill our productivity and creativity. They slow us down. They hold us back from achieving our goals. And they're detrimental to our health.
John Rampton is an entrepreneur, start-up enthusiast, online marketing genius, influencer and an investor. Rampton founded the online company Due.
Bad habits are what they're. Bad. They rob your productivity and kill your efficiency. If unchecked, bad habits can spread through all aspects of your work life and damage your chances at success. Since "they're detrimental to our health," as Rampton warns, we should cut them off completely. Rather we should focus on having a positive attitude and foster a creative mindset. We can change our habits for better ones.
Don't worry about breaks every 20 minutes ruining your focus on a task. Contrary to what I might have guessed, taking regular breaks from mental tasks actually improves your creativity and productivity. Skipping breaks, on the other hand, leads to stress and fatigue.
Tom Rath is a wellbeing and health expert, as well as an employee engagement consultant. Rath is one of the best-selling authors on health and well-being. His most well-known book, StrengthsFinder (amazon), emerged as the top worldwide business bestseller by The Economist in 2011.
Too much work will eventually become overwhelming. Consistent late hours, overworking yourself on a task without catching a break will drain you completely and push you into burnout. Thus, it is important to take needed breaks. Allow yourself time to worry about nothing, to recharge and feel excited about the work all over again.
Employees who report receiving recognition and praise within the last seven days show increased productivity, get higher scores from customers, and have better safety records. They're just more engaged at work.
Tom Rath is a wellbeing and health expert, as well as an employee engagement consultant. Rath is one of the best-selling authors on health and well-being. His books have sold more than 5 million copies and publishers have translated them into sixteen languages.
Never underestimate the power of recognition. Your team wants to feel appreciated when their work brings good results. Doing this opens doors for improvement. Not only is this a vital tool for sustaining your team, but also the general productivity and efficiency of your businesses.
You are one-third as productive in open-plan offices as in quiet rooms. I have a tip for you: if you work in spaces like that, carry headphones with you, with a soothing sound like birdsong. Put them on, and your productivity goes back up to triple what it would be.
Julian Treasure is a public speaker and sound consultant. He heads the Sound Agency, a firm that advises worldwide business on how to design the sound in workplaces.
While open-plan offices are more economical and inviting, they're noisier and can sometimes be chaotic. As a result, this creates unnecessary distractions that are productivity and efficiency killers. Treasure's quote thus advises anyone working from an open plan space to listen to soothing sounds on their headphones to improve productivity.
The productivity of a work group seems to depend on how the group members see their own goals in relation to the goals of the organization.
Ken Blanchard is a highly respected American author with over 60 published books. Blanchard is Chief Spiritual Officer and co-founder of international management training and consulting firm The Ken Blanchard Companies.
Setting goals is important for the growth of any organization. But if those goals do align with those of your employees, the organization will struggle. Your team should be improving themselves towards the requirements of your company. As an employer or team lead, encourage your people towards self-improvement. When they see your commitment to their personal growth, the good ones will start to align with your organizational goals.
Productivity requires more than putting in work. You should be creative, good at planning but flexible, focused and constantly learning. Both from your errors and the experiences of others.
Finally, do not overlook yourself in favour of work. If you’re not investing in you- knowledge bank, health, happiness- this loss will reflect in the quality of your work.
Laziness in my biggest pet peeve of all time. Get up, make a plan, do the work, and love yourself, people!
There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.
Beethoven, Wagner, Bach, and Mozart settled down day after day to the job in hand. They didn't waste time waiting for inspiration.
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