Focus More on Quality than Speed

Increasing Productivity

I remember a saying from some time ago, “No one remembers how long it took you to do something; they remember how well you did it.”

Are there exceptions to that rule? Of course. But I’ve found that the focus on being productive should be quality over speed.

I work in a fast-paced environment where people want things done and want them done quickly.

The pressure to get things done faster leads to more stress, anxiety, and dissatisfaction at work. The best recourse is to quit that type of work and do things that make you happy and not under pressure. But if you don’t have that option, you should focus on quality. Concentrating on the task allows all your energy to go to the job. Balancing attention between the task and the clock divides your concentration, limiting your effectiveness.

While working yesterday, I focused solely on the task at hand and finishing it. I did not concern myself with the timeframe of the job; I just focused and did it.

And another exciting thing happened, time slowed down. I was working on an email to a client, and once I finished, I glanced at the clock, and it was much sooner than I thought. I read books that theorized time was a mental construct, which is somewhat valid, but it was interesting to see it play out.

The 3rd observation was the quality of the work was better. I made fewer errors because I focused on the job rather than on how long it would take.

When the focus was on the work, the time expanded to allow completion, and the job got done. And the result was of a higher quality.

When you focus on the quality, the speed takes care of itself.