When pursuing your goals, do you sometimes humble-brag about how “busy” you are? It’s easy to get caught up in busy work and to feel like the days need to be longer.

Maybe you get trapped into spending disproportionate time making lists, checking off to-do items, or clearing out your email. Those activities aren’t necessarily harmful, but ask yourself: Am I getting anything done? In those instances, you’re not producing something; you’re just being active.

Instead of letting the day run out because of all the busy work, identify the most important thing to do and get to it. As for me, I can pat myself on the back for reading five informative articles on blogging, or I could get to work and write my own blog post.

Don’t just stay busy. Be productive!