How to Produce

There's a scene in one of my favorite 70s flicks "A Piece of the Action" with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poiter, where Sidney is schooling a group of troubled high school students. I can't recall all of the details but I do remember this line "it's like masturbation - it feels good for the moment but produces nothing." He then goes into this deep spill on life, producing to survive, producing to live....real talk. I thought about the time I spent complaining about my job, my life, my finances...you name it. Living for the weekend so I could 'feel good for the moment' and before I knew it, Monday rolled back around. I was trapped in a vicious cycle. I wasn't producing anything just wasting time.....time, the only thing I could never get back. It was time for me to make moves, to make something count, to get a piece of the action! If you're jacking off, wasting time and producing nothing, here are four practical tips to help you get on the fast track to production.

List - What exactly are you doing when you 'waste time'? Are you listening to other people's problems all day? Are you worrying about things you have no control over? Do you spend too much time chatting online, talking on the phone or watching television? Are you whining or complaining about life? What exactly are you doing that gets in the way of production? Whatever it maybe, put it on paper.

Examine - Take a good look at your list. You will soon discover how much time you wasted. The minutes become hours, the hours become years and before you know it, you've gotten older and you're still in the same place - nowhere. That thought alone was enough to make me want to change, to do a new thing. Examining will help you put things into perspective and help you get on with production.

Innovate- Select three items from your list and transform them into something productive. For example, if your list includes hours of chatting online, set a time limit and check out per post forums. Pay per post forums will pay you to respond to discussions. You won't get rich but you will learn quite a bit and make some new friends in the process. I have personally learned a lot from these forums. You can't put a price on knowledge. Whatever is on your list, you can make it worth your while. This will take some time but trust me, it's an investment.

Focus - Monitor your progress and stay committed. You may find a new hobby or passion that can lead to a generous profit. There's nothing greater than doing what you love and getting paid for it.

Make the most of your time. Be productive in all that you do. Payment isn't always in the form of money. Sometimes the best things in life are free. It could be peace of mind, or simply knowing you're doing something that strengthens you mentally, spiritually and physically. Use your time wisely. Time is valuable and it's promised to no one.