Effectiveness Vs Efficiency

Efficiency and effectiveness... two critical keys in any kind of success. Typically, businesspeople are the ones obsessed with those two concepts, because without effectiveness and efficiency, there cannot be any productivity, progress, or obviously, profit.

Let's have a brief look at what each concept actually means...

Effectiveness

Effectiveness, simply put, is knowing what's the right thing to do and actually doing it. For instance, you want to carry out a certain task which needs some tools, which you don't currently have, to get done. Furthermore, this task can be successfully completed with any kind of the various tools available in store. Each kind of those tools however, has some additional functions and features that make it a little bit different from the other, and of course, has its own price.

Now, it's your own job to decide which kind of those tools is the RIGHT one for your own task. And you'll be actually considering different things like, features and cost. So the key point here is to get something that's right, and that can help you achieve your goal.

Efficiency

Efficiency, on the other hand, is doing the right thing right. In other words, efficiency is being able to do what you want to do in a way that's considered good and more than satisfactory. Usually efficiency is referred to as the best use of the resources available to achieve a specific goal.

Back to the tools example above, after you decide which kind of tools is the more effective for your task, how you actually use the tool is going to determine your efficiency. That will be based on things like, how easy it is to get the task done with the tool, how much time does it take you to complete the task using the tool, how good is the outcome of your work, etc.

So basically, determining the kind of tools that is right for your mission is EFFECTIVE. On the other hand, using the tool right to successfully achieve the mission is EFFICIENT.

Personal Use

Obviously, effectiveness and efficiency should not be exclusively held by businesspeople, they must be applied by anyone who wants to make his/her life better and be successful, not only in business, but in every other area of life.

You should be seriously concerned with those two concepts because the degree of your decisions' effectiveness can deeply and profoundly affect your life even in the early years.

For example, what are your plans for the future and how effective are they? How much is it effective to go to university and get a degree in engineering when all you want is to become an Internet entrepreneur who sells sports gear online? How much effective is it for you to hang out with friends that don't support your own goals and vision, let alone believe in them as possible and attainable? How effective are your habits and daily actions? And how are they assisting you in achieving your personal and career goals?

Likewise, what are your working habits, and how efficient are they? How quickly can you achieve simple tasks, like, creating a short to-do list, or deciding what to wear for a meeting? How efficiently are you exploiting your available resources? And are you taking advantage of all the legitimate resources within your reach? How efficient is it to study for a major college exam while watching your favourite TV show at the same time?

When you start to assess various aspects of your life and view them from a effectiveness/efficiency standpoint, you'll get to become more aware of all the garbage that's keeping you away from what you truly want to reach in life. You will see things differently, and you'll start dumping a lot of the stuff that's been with you for years, draining your time, and energy, and making your dreams just another bunch of hopes and romantic fantasies.

Try to make those two concepts: effectiveness & efficiency, two critical keys in your personal and professional life. Make a list of the important things in your day-to-day life and that take up most of your time, like, your eating habits, Internet habits, studying strategies and techniques, large projects and commitments, etc. And view each one of these elements in the light of your big dreams and goals. Asking yourself those two critical questions: Is this right for me? Am I doing this the right way?

Make this simple criteria your assessment tool for adjusting and enhancing a lot of the key aspects of your life, in order to tailor it towards and make it in tune with your dreams and goals.