Here in the Morning Coach community, we focus heavily on getting our minds right every day. We work hard to remove the conditioning instilled in us by society. Things like the media, people’s opinions, and other outside sources that blast us with ideals and try to place us into some convoluted definition the “norm.” It’s challenging to resist every aspect of this conditioning, and even more challenging to identify all of the ways it affects our lives. You know as well as I do that no two people are alike. The word individual exists for a reason. We are all wonderfully unique with different talents, personalities, and specific styles of learning, organizing, and producing.

We all have varying levels of productivity as well as different tools and resources that we use to help us get things done. Over the past ten years, technology has made things even easier by taking a grand step toward personalization and convenience. The development of impressively adaptable products and services certainly help us organize and complete things faster and smarter. But, there is still a generalization. The things that work for some of us, don’t work for others. Technology and systems are wonderful tools and we all need systems and tools to help us be productive and accomplish our tasks. But, these resources can only help us at a maximum level after we understand how we function best and what works for us, as individuals.

Satisfaction with our own levels of productivity begin with an understanding of who we are and how we learn, from the inside. That means stepping outside of the “norm,” ignoring outside expectations, and accepting how we naturally perform. When it comes to producing effectively, we need to identify where we personally fit into this dynamic world versus how it wants to fit us. Productivity is essential. It’s the action and moves us forward towards our goals and dreams. We are all striving to accomplish great things and succeed by our own definitions. But, are we doing so in a way that works for us? Are we taking the time to understand how we as individuals function, learn, absorb, and best produce an end result? Or, are we conforming society’s definition of how we should work and learn?

I invite you to ask yourself a few questions:
What kind of learner are you? What time of day are you at your best? Maybe you are a night owl. There’s nothing wrong with that. But, are you fighting your nature? Are you forcing yourself to work best in the morning even though you work better at night, because the world tells you that morning people are more productive? We often beat ourselves up because we didn’t get enough done or we didn’t accomplish all of the daily tasks we set out to do. Is this level of satisfaction affected by us, or the expectations of others? This needs to be identified. We have great systems and tools at our disposal, and they do work. But they key is, do they work with us? You are you and naturally require a different set up than anyone else to be productive. We can try all of the great systems in the world, but unless we take the time to contemplate our individual style, figure out the times of day when we work best, and understand the ways we retain information and the best way we function—we are fighting our maximum productivity potential.

Take a look at a typical day or week in your life. Reflect on the way that you get things done and the time you are doing them. Is it working for you? Are you comfortable, satisfied, or frustrated? Begin to investigate the ways in which you learn and focus. Think about the times of day or night where your focus is at its max. Are you shifting priorities and using that peak time to get those top-ranking tasks done? Are you working with yourself, or against yourself? And when you recognize this, do you truly accept the way you function—as an individual? When you really dig deep to understand your personal style, you can then seek out the systems, tools, and timing that work best to help you get things done by your standards, not society’s. Do not fear judgment. Remember that this is your life, these are your goals, and time is yours to do what you wish when you wish. Be flexible. Work with yourself. Make an effort to recognize and honor your natural abilities. Accept and love the differentiation between you and everyone else. Working with your personal capabilities, learning style, and unique focus time is working smarter. With just a little investigation, you are truly on your way to accomplishing even more!

Rachel Aubrey is an award-winning graphic designer, creative visionary, and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in business, branding, and marketing. Her personal experiences and ongoing commitment to self-growth and personal development have led her to find her passion—helping others unlock their true potential and achieve personal success with her support as a professional coach. Rachel is currently pursuing her professional coaching credentials through the Morning Coach – Academy of Coaching. Her coaching practice will launch in the Fall of 2011. Connect with Rachel online!