Activity & Progress.

Hey,

We many time knowingly or unknowingly interchange the term activity and progress and think that’s one and the same. We do a lot pf activity and think we are leading to progress. And if a lot of activity is not happening that means progress is on hold.

Lets just define the terms

 Activity – Is doing something.

 Progress – is gaining something which is beneficial and mostly measurable.

 For e.g. Studying 10 hours a day is activity. Getting a first class and passing is progress.

Activity may lead to progress but not necessarily.

 This being a very general e.g:- one can easily differentiate activity and progress. But as we get into more specific work generally we have a tough time differentiating the two and mistake one for another (and generally we mistake activity for progress).

 The second reason is that activity is in our hand whereas progress depends on factors outside which one can influence but cannot totally control. So we prefer measuring activity .

 But Pareto’s principle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pareto_principle)  applies here that 20% of our activity brings 80% of the progress and rest 80% of activity brings the rest 20% progress.

 So the most important point is to decide which is the 20% activity which brings about the 80 % progress.

 I try to increase that 20% deciding intuitively which is the 20% ( or call it experience J ) or I try to increase the 100% of activity which in turn increase the productive 20% activity which increases progress .

 How do you all decide what activities to perform and what not to ?

 Have a great day