Do you want to be a more productive person? Most of us strive to be more productive both at home and at work but struggle to do so. However, many people have bad habits that they don’t even realize are draining their productivity. Check out these dumb habits you should drop if you are looking to boost your productivity.
1. Making Up Plans As You Go
When you were younger, it was probably easier for you to pass tests and exams without studying, but this attitude is much harder to pull off as an adult. Cramming won’t cut it anymore if you want to be productive, so it’s time to start planning in advance.
Plan out your week and your day before they start, so you already know what you need to do and how long it will take. You will notice that you are accomplishing more each day, without much extra effort, simply because you don’t have to plan as you go — the plan has already been made.
2. Working Longer Hours To Make Up For Yesterday
There will be days and nights where you have a heavier workload and need to work longer hours. However, if you find yourself working longer to make up for putting off work yesterday, you may find that you’re struggling to be productive.
Your mind produces it’s best work when you first start — the more you work, the more tired your mind will become. You will produce better work in two sets of 6 hours rather than in one 12-hour session. Try to break your work up, and don’t put it off if you want to be more productive.
3. Writing A To-Do List And Deciding All Of Your Tasks Are Equally Important
Every day there are different tasks for you to complete, but no doubt they vary in importance. Finishing a project at work is more important than buying tomato sauce, and if you class them as equally important, you are more likely to do the easier tasks and put off the important ones.
Decide which task is your most important every day and work on completing that task first. This means your day will definitely be productive. You will be motivated by finishing the most important job, spurring you on to complete the rest of your tasks.
4. Saying Yes To Unreasonable Demands
Lazy people and productive people both have 24 hours in their day – it is how they spend these hours that makes the difference. Doing favors for others isn’t always a bad thing, but if it gets in the way of your own work, it may not be a good idea. If you worry about seeming rude, just remember that every time you say yes to one activity, you also automatically say no to another.
5. Being Distracted Easily
The single most important part of being productive is being able to focus. If you are easily distracted, it is important to take away all of the distractions so that you can focus on your work. If you struggle with social media, download an app that allows you to block Facebook during the hours that you are at work. If you’re distracted by talking to your friend on the phone, put your phone on silent mode while you work. The best way to stop getting distracted is to remove all of the possible distractions so that you can focus 100 per cent on your work.
What do you think? Do you struggle with distractions or saying yes to others? What else might you add to this list? Share it with your productive friends to see what they think!
Featured photo credit: Stokpic via stokpic.com
