Our final environmental trigger for a high level of sustainable productivity is created by proactively shaping your responsibilities at work. 

True, you cannot just freely pick and choose all your tasks. But, as you gradually build your capabilities over the years, you’ll undoubtedly win more freedom to shape your responsibilities. 

Shape them well, and you’ll find that sustained productivity comes naturally. 

Learn to say “no”

“No” is one of the most difficult words for productive people to say. But this little syllable is key to protecting you from burnout. 

So, if you often feel overwhelmed, commit to saying no to future responsibilities until you get yourself back to a good balance. 

Ironically, having too many obligations reduces your ability to meet those obligations. On the flip side, controlling your responsibilities through the “art of no” allows you to get a lot more done. 

Although this added productive power can be used to take on greater responsibility, it can also be invested in two other interesting ways: 

1. Complete your current responsibilities to a higher quality standard. This is especially valuable when applied to strategically important tasks that can open many future doors.
2. Invest this extra productive capacity in the accumulation of intangible assets. 

Both of these can pay off handsomely in the long run. 

Load up on perfect tasks

A perfect task is something you genuinely want to do and does not have a stressful deadline attached to it. 

Sadly, most tasks are the exact opposite. But perfect tasks are not unicorns. They really exist and you should do your very best to track them down and make them yours. 

If you manage to fill up most of your responsibilities with perfect tasks, sustained productivity is guaranteed.  

What makes a perfect task?

Malcolm Gladwell gives an interesting characterization of meaningful work in his book Outliers:

Meaningful work always involves complexity, autonomy and a relationship between effort and reward. All three elements must be present for work to be meaningful. 

This makes a lot of sense. Complexity makes the task stimulating. Autonomy gives you a sense of ownership. And a relationship between effort and reward gives you motivation. 

So, as you gradually gain more power to shape your responsibilities, keep this simple three part formula in mind. Filling your life with meaningful work is one of the smartest moves out there.