Are productive people born or made?

In today’s world there is an increasing demand for productivity. We are expected to have the ability to make things happen, in whatever the roles we perform in our society.

There are still people who think that, simply, productivity is not their thing. They think they do not have the personality traits needed to be a productive person. Can you learn to be productive? Can you learn to make things happen?

Of course you can. As with any other skill, there are people who have a natural tendency to be more productive because their brains understand and accept the involved concepts in a more intuitive way. According to K. Anders Ericsson, Swedish scientist and psychologist, the innate differences two people may exhibit in certain abilities can be compensated by a learning process known as deliberate practice. It involves more than simply repeating tasks. It is about defining objectives, consciously follow their progress and concentrate on both technique and outcome. According to the findings of his work, experts are made, not born. Practice makes perfect.

There are procedures and techniques to help you doing more with less effort, focus on your priorities and avoid an endless number of distractions. These procedures can be taught and can be learned. Therefore, to be truly productive you just need to learn what behaviors will facilitate you getting things done, and try to adopt them.

Indeed, one of the reasons why GTD has spread enormously around the world is that it is a method that anyone can learn, teach and share. As with any other process that can be learned, it will be easier for some than for others, but no one is exempt of possibilities.