In a society that puts a lot of emphasis on personal performance and efficiency, being a productive individual is a must. You may have noticed that some people seem to always be able to function at full capacity, but what you may not know is that productivity is not an innate quality; it can actually be instilled in each and every one of us.
In order to increase your productivity levels, you should first focus on what’s bringing it down. Following, we would like to present you with a list of 10 habits that can kill your productivity. Read below to find out what habits you need to get rid off in order to become more productive.
Not asking for help
Wanting to do everything on your own seldom leads to great results. So it’s high time you put your pride aside and asked for help and guidance from those around you. This will not only help you become more productive, but you’ll also gain a lot more knowledge and insight.
Getting distracted
Probably the biggest productivity killer is distraction. So, next time you have an important task on hand, turn off your notifications, put away your phone, and refrain from browsing funny pictures and cat videos online.
Not tracking results
The best way of knowing how much you’re currently achieving is by tracking your results. If you don’t keep an account of how much you do every day and of how much closer you are to your goal, you’ll never know whether your actions are enough or if you need to push the gas pedal.
Long to-do lists
You might be inclined to believe that keeping a to-do list might help you keep better track of your tasks. While, in theory, this is not a bad idea, a long to-do list might have an undesired effect. When you get up in the morning and see a never-ending list of chores, you’re not very likely to feel very motivated.
Not believing in yourself
Lack of confidence can seriously undermine someone’s productivity. If you don’t believe in yourself and constantly belittle your abilities, you’ll never be able to move further and make the efforts you need to make in order to achieve your goals.
Staying up late
How many times have you found yourself staying awake till late hours of the night to finish a certain project? While you might feel that finishing the project as rapidly as possible will leave more time to focus on other tasks, staying up late will significantly decrease your productivity. Not only will you not do a great job on the project you choose to stay up late for, but you’ll also have less stamina and energy to work efficiently the next day.
Procrastinating
By postponing tasks to the very last minute, you’ll achieve only one thing: you’ll have so many things to do and so little time that performing efficiently will be virtually impossible. So instead of delaying your assignments, you’d be better off handling them in time.
Never saying no
Are you the kind of person who always lends a helping hand? Well, if you are, you might consider dropping this seemingly innocent habit, as it may just be the one thing killing your productivity. If you always fill your schedule with other people’s issues and tasks, you’ll never have the time to focus on what you need to get done.
Bad eating habits
Our eating habits can have a profound impact on how we perform mentally and physically. Skipping meals, eating late at night, and making poor dietary choices can deplete you of the energy you need in order to perform efficiently.
Multitasking
Contrary to popular belief, multitasking doesn’t help you achieve more. When you constantly switch between tasks, your mind finds it harder to regain its focus, which will, in turn, lead to less productive work.