A few weeks ago, I contacted Stephen Martin after reading his interesting guest post on TechCrunch. Although Stephen is not a scientist, he is a PhD student and also an entrepreneur and author. His forthcoming book, Enterprise of One, is due out later this year.

I thought that Stephen could teach us a thing or two about productivity and so I asked him to write a guest post for Koonec’s Blog on productivity.

Read on below for interesting insights on personal productivity.

From Stephen:

Sophie contacted me to write a guest post for Koonec’s Blog and generously left me considerable freedom on choosing the topic that I would write about. She mentioned that perhaps I could write something about personal productivity. I’m married with 5 children, finishing my first book, Enterprise of One, and working on my Ph.D. in Business.

At first blush, these facts might give the impression that I know something about time management and productivity. I will tell you a secret though – time management and personal productivity is probably one of my largest weaknesses. Aren’t they everyone’s? If you spent any time with me at all you would quickly realize that I am anything but a model of efficiency. However, I think that is the important point – You don’t have to be the uber-efficient to be successful.

In his book, Linchpin, Seth Godin talks about Richard Branson’s typical day. He points out that we could all do most of what Sir Richard does, perhaps better than him, most of the time. Branson spends most of his day doing things that we all do. Basically, handling administrative matters. But, for a short period of time each day, perhaps as small as 5 minutes, Branson does something that makes him special. And it is what makes him successful.

So, what is Branson’s real job? What does he do that makes him a success? According to Godin, his real job is “seeing new opportunities, making decisions that work, and understanding the connection between his audience, his brand, and his ventures.” This is something Seth calls the Law of Linchpin Leverage. The idea here is that the more value you create in your job the fewer clock-minutes of labor you actually have to spend creating the value. Specifically, Godin states that “most of the time you are not being brilliant,” but, are “doing things that ordinary people could do.”

How does this relate to personal productivity? All of the time management and productivity techniques are certainly valuable. You know the ideas – The Pareto Principle. Learn to say no. Plan your time. Parkinson’s Law. Be organized. Avoid stop loss. They are all important. But, it is just as important to keep three things in mind.

There is no One Size Fits All Approach

First, there is no one size fits all approach to time management and personal productivity. Everyone has a different approach. For example, I prefer to use Parkinson’s Law to condense the amount of time I spend on some tasks or projects. However, to do that, I have to engage in what I call “planned procrastination.” I often wait until close to the due date to ensure that I don’t waste unneeded time on the task. I work well under pressure and the results are often better anyway. However, this idea would seem crazy to some I know who prefer to get something done well before it is due. Again, there is not one way to operate. Find what works for you and run with it. What is important is that you are making a contribution or some progress that you need to make to be a success.

Keep your Eye on the Ball

The second idea to remember is that, at the end of the day, you have to keep your eye on the ball – innovation. While it is unlikely you will succeed without some of the above principles, no one makes great discoveries while planning their calendar or organizing their pencils. Being busy or working hard, doesn’t mean you are being productive. In today’s post-industrial economy there is a premium on ideas. Success comes to those that explore and recognize the opportunities. In nearly every field, true genius lies in being able to re-envision, rather than simply reinvent.

Make Incremental Adjustments

Perhaps the most important personal productivity guideline, however, is the third. Many people often try to make major changes in how they manage their work and lives. They might get fed up with things or suddenly become disillusioned and discouraged about whether they are making progress. Gut instinct is often to make a major change. But, the problem is that major changes don’t typically stick. They are typically just too much at once. They likelihood of making a lasting change is increased when you make small, incremental adjustments to your schedule, plans and habits. Remember that you are probably working against years, or even decades, of patterns in your behavior. As we all know from history, changing the course of the Titanic took a very wide turning radius. The important question is –Today, are you a little better at what you are trying to change than yesterday?

There you have it. No big secrets. Just some common sense that we all too often overlook. At the end of the day, your success probably depends more on opportunities, and your ability to recognize them, than external habits or patterns. But, working toward being more productive will certainly help your progress. Just keep your eye on the ball.

If you want to read more about entrepreneurship and the adventures of business, you can read Stephen Martin’s blog and follow him on Twitter at @sgmartin.