7 Habits I Avoid in Order to Be More Productive
If you're reading this, you probably have a million and a half things you want to accomplish, such as start your own business, exercise more, spend more time with friends and family, read more books, and so on.
So, how do you cram all of that into a 24-hour day that is already filled by sleeping and eating?
While most individuals try to increase their productivity by adding more things, I've realized that it's considerably simpler to begin by eliminating what kills productivity in the first place. Because when you look at extremely productive people, you'll see that they constantly avoid major mistakes that destroy everyone else, even if they're in various sectors with different processes.
Avoid these 7 behaviors if you want to boost your productivity and get more done than ever before. When you get rid of them, your productivity will skyrocket.
1. Focusing on Minor Details, Not Results
“However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.”
— Winston Churchill
Productivity isn't measured by how much busywork you can squeeze into an hour, how orderly your schedule seems, having a zero-email inbox, or using the most expensive scheduling applications – it's measured by the results you generate.
You are not growing your productivity if you are not improving your performance in the areas that count. You're simply performing more busywork in a more effective manner. Finally, the best indicator of productivity is the amount of work you produce and send.
People that are very productive distribute their labor to the rest of the world. They act despite their dread because they have the fortitude to make things happen. While it's crucial to focus on the process, don't forget about the outcomes.
What do you hope to accomplish? Check to see whether your results are progressing toward your objectives. Your productivity will explode once you start focusing on your production.
2. Checking Devices First Thing in the Morning
88 percent of individuals check their phone during the first hour of their day, and 55 percent check their email before going to work.
However, it is one of the worst things you can do to improve your attention, productivity, and motivation. Consuming meaningless information such as social media, reading email, and replying to messages to begin your day puts you in a reactive state: you're now overwhelmed with pressures and pressing chores before you've even had a chance to concentrate on your own objectives (or put on your pants).
It appears to be a harmless glimpse, but because you're not at work, you can't do anything about it; it'll only linger in your head and keep you from being present.
Instead, highly productive people take steps toward their goals before being distracted by the demands of the day. They devote their morning's prime mental, emotional, and physical energies to their top objectives, rather than checking Instagram or watching the news.
Don't merely "try harder" to avoid such distractions first thing in the morning. When you go to bed, keep your phone on Airplane Mode. Set a Do Not Disturb mode to avoid receiving alerts for the first hour of the day. Build it into your environment, and you'll swiftly break the habit.
3. Allowing Distractions During Work
Every 3 minutes and 5 seconds, we switch tasks or are distracted by emails, texts, or phone calls. However, no matter how hard you try, if you are constantly distracted, you will find it difficult to focus since we are all bad at multitasking.
Furthermore, if your workstation is cluttered or unorganized, it might have a detrimental impact on your cognition, stress, and emotions. In fact, even looking at clutter impairs your mental function and attention.
Highly productive people, on the other hand, shield themselves from distractions and continuous notifications in order to focus on the work at hand. They also don't operate in a messy, congested atmosphere, preferring to keep things (relatively) clean, orderly, and minimalist.
To avoid being inundated, consider placing your phone on airplane mode or turning off email alerts while you work. Close any unnecessary tabs, browsers, and programs. Organize your desk to reduce clutter. Instead of listening to podcasts or radio stations while working, play the same music on loop (which actually works to improve your focus).
4. Working Until Exhaustion
While working late to complete a job is sometimes necessary, it is not a long-term prescription for success. And if you work till you're fatigued all the time, those final few hours of work aren't going to be very good.
Highly productive people don't work until there's nothing left in the tank: they quit before that happens. Remember that your cognitive powers are limited—every day, we only have around three hours of optimum mental function. Use those golden hours for vital things. You can continue to work after those three hours, but if your performance begins to suffer, it's time to call it quits. (After all, you need to relax and recuperate in order to perform effectively the following day.)
Also, take frequent pauses throughout the day to recoup, re-energize, and concentrate for improved mental performance—this will allow you to deep work for longer periods of time.
5. Working Without Priorities
“What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
― Dwight D. Eisenhower
Not all of the items on your to-do list are equally important. Highly productive people devote their efforts to the most essential activities, not simply the most pressing ones, allowing them to get the most out of each day.
Before you begin working, consider prioritizing your chores in order of importance so that you may devote your most productive hours of each day to what will provide the best outcomes. And if you're not sure what your priorities are, simply ask.
You can't accomplish everything at once, and your duties have an opportunity cost. Always consider what you have on your plate, what your top one to three priorities are, and what can wait.
6. “Finding” Time to Do Things
Here’s a saying I've found to be true like nothing else:
“If you want something done, give it to a busy person.”
If you assign a task to someone who has unlimited time, they will struggle and postpone. However, if you assign it to someone who is incredibly busy, they will make it a priority.
Highly productive individuals don't create time for the things they want to accomplish; they make time for them. If it's essential to them, such as getting regular exercise or spending time with their children, they'll plan it and make sure it gets done. They understand how to arrange and manage their time so that all of their job and personal priorities are met.
What are the most important tasks that you frequently put off? Don't try to "find" time—it won't get done that way. If they're essential to you, put them in your calendar and plan your day around them.
7. Failing to Set Boundaries
Working 12-hour days is not a sign of productivity; rather, it is a symptom of weak limits. Many individuals take on undertakings that, simply, will not make a difference in their lives. When people offer them to do something they don't want to do, they feel compelled, depleting their time and energy (and creating resentment).
However, highly productive people set time limits and don't allow little details detract from what's most essential. They are not rude; rather, they garner respect by demonstrating that they are focused on the things, people, activities, and so on that are most important to them.
People that are very productive are also fiercely protective about their process. For example, if they know that mornings are optimal for creative work, they will arrange phone calls in the afternoon. They understand what motivates them and what holds them back from doing their best work.
Learn how to say "no" gracefully to requests or invites and save yourself time and frustration. Maybe it's just not a priority for you, or maybe you don't want to do it—fine. that's Find the workflow that works best for you and plan your day around it.