The measure of productivity has changed over the years – while it used to be measured by physical activity, our society is now based predominantly on information exchange. So, how do we measure and optimise our days in this context? Well-known YouTuber Ali Abdaal, who is a doctor and host of the Not Overthinking podcast, has put forward a useful equation known as the productivity equation. But before we explore that, let us ponder on an interesting analogy involving an aeroplane.

The Airplane Analogy

There are three key elements for a plane to fly well, and they involve the airplane itself, its pilot, and the engineer in charge. The pilot plays an important role in ensuring that everyone travels from point A to point B, by having and acting upon a sense of direction. So, we can give a 15% weightage to the pilot for being responsible for a successful flight.

Next, coming to the aeroplane itself, besides the autopilot mode which is extremely important, its role is to follow through on whatever course of action the pilot has decided, and support the pilot in navigating the flight path. It’s safe to give it a disproportionately high weightage of 75% for this critical activity.

Now what about the remaining percentage? It is the engineer's job to put effective systems in place, and to constantly improvise (based on expertise and experience) in order to make technical improvements to the plane and its functioning.

How Does This Apply to You?

Your mind is like the pilot, your method the plane, and your tools the engineer. When you wake up in the morning, you have to first decide how your day will pan out. If the pilot had no clue about the destination, how do you think that journey would pan out? It's extremely important for you to have a clear objective and a sense of direction. So, that is 15% of your day.

The second component is related to you, the person, and your method. You can pretty much operate on autopilot because everything is sorted out. You don't need to apply your brain because you have a plan for the day. Lastly, the engineer's role is similar to your productivity systems. These could be new-age productivity apps that you integrate with your computer, or just simple tools that you use to work efficiently. It's up to you to choose your own systems.

Productivity Equation

Now coming to the productivity equation by Ali Abdaal, it basically has three components. It begins with the base of “useful output/time” which would be familiar to you, but is also expanded to include an extra ingredient – the ‘fun factor’. The equation looks like this:

Productivity = (Useful output)/time x f

It's important to look at useful outcome over a period of time. When the number of useful outcomes you do per unit time increases, this is called increasing your utility. If you're doing a lot of work and there's no usefulness derived out of it, then it's not something you want to pursue.

If you can't have fun doing what you're doing, what's the point right? The fun factor ‘f’ is an interesting element because it influences other parameters as well, such as your motivation to perform an activity, how consistent you are at it, and your willpower to see it through. If you can increase this fun constant in everything you do, you’ll find it amplifies your productivity by a significant amount.

At the end of the day, if you can train your mind to develop a sense of direction, and gather tools that let you work efficiently, you can maximise your productivity. Spend time pondering over the productivity equation, apply it to your day-to-day lives, and optimise your activities. In the next blog post, we explore and bust some common myths related to productivity. Continue reading and keep learning.