5 things that are killing your productivity
Do you have days when you feel like you’ve been working non-stop, but can’t recall what you actually accomplished?
In today’s work culture, we usually blame email, social media, and meetings for our depleted effectiveness. And to be sure, you’re not going to get a lot done if you are obsessively checking your email or Facebook feed in the midst of every task. However, I have tried numerous techniques in a never-ending quest to work faster, smarter, better. And, I’ve found that some of the main productivity killers are rooted more in my psyche than in Facebook.
The inability to make a quick decision and move on
Indecisiveness is procrastination. It’s caused by a variety of factors, although fear of failure is typically top of the list. We get anxious about making the wrong decision and so, we do whatever we can to avoid having to commit to a decision. We hold strings of meetings without coming to any kind of actionable conclusion. We research, and then research some more. After all, you can spend an infinite amount of time on Google.
But each time you hesitate on a decision, you’re simply wasting time and mental energy. And, you’ve just added one more thing to tomorrow’s to-do list.
I’m not suggesting that every decision can and should be made quickly. However, I believe that we all need to evaluate the impact that our decision-making style has on our productivity.
Over the course of my career, I’ve learned to do two things. One, when I find myself putting off a decision, I ask myself what will be so different about tomorrow that will make it easier to make a decision then. If there’s no good reason why I shouldn’t make the decision right now, then I make a decision. Second, I’ve learned to respect my inner voice. The gut is usually always right – so just make a decision and move on. You can (usually) always recover from a bad decision; it’s inertia that will get you.
Not being able to say no
In the past, I often found myself saying yes for fear of hurting people’s feelings or creating conflict. I’ve always taken it on myself to make sure that everyone else is happy. And that’s why even when my schedule was packed full, I’d always take on one more thing when someone asked. This habit was costing me dearly at work and at home.
Learning to say no has been a challenge for me, but it has been an incredibly empowering lesson. With a little practice, I realized that saying no doesn’t make me rude or unhelpful. I now have more time for those commitments and priorities that matter most.
Looking for perfection
It has taken me years to understand just how unproductive the quest for perfection is. Projects start bogging down while you get hung up on every small detail. Meanwhile, the competition runs circles around you and the market moves on.
I try to set my sights on finishing things, rather than perfecting them. Releasing something to the world that’s 80 to 90% there is far better than just sitting on something until it’s 100% right. Once you finish something, you can always go back and start refining the details.
Working too long without any breaks
If you’re like most people, your focus begins to fade after an hour or two of concentrating on the same task. I used to try to power through this mental fatigue, but then I began looking into different work styles and learned about the importance of breaks. The human mind can focus on any one task for 90-120 minutes; after that, a break is needed in order to recharge and get back to high performance.
I now make a point to step away from something when I begin losing focus. You can go outside, meditate, or chat with a friend. Julia Giffords of DeskTime says that to get the most from a break time, you should be… “completely removed from the work you’re doing—you’re entirely resting, not peeking at your email every five minutes or just “quickly checking Facebook.”
Not exercising
When you’ve got a lot to do, it’s easy to focus on your to-do list and let everything else fall by the wayside. Things like exercise or seeing friends seem counter to your productivity. But, you’re not going to be productive in the long run if you don’t take care of yourself. You may not have a lot of time, and that’s okay. Exercising for as little as 10 minutes releases a neurotransmitter that helps relax your brain and boost your mood.
I now make it a point to hit the gym for cardio and stretching each morning, no matter how full my schedule gets. I make it a priority. It’s non-negotiable…just like a client meeting. If you’re feeling pangs of guilt about taking time away from your tasks, think of it this way. Regular exercise increases your energy levels: taking time off to exercise helps you get more done.
Those are the five lessons I’ve learned to be as effective as possible in the limited amount of time I have. No doubt there are many other strategies. What have you found most effective to boosting your productivity?
Nellie Akalp is an entrepreneur, business expert, speaker, author, wife, and mother to four. She is the founder & CEO of CorpNet.com, an online legal document filing service, where she helps entrepreneurs incorporate, form LLCs, file DBAs and keep their businesses in compliance.
