Productivity existed since 1800 but it was largely limited to agriculture. Fast forward to now, productivity is incorporated in almost everything. Although productivity is great in obtaining the desired results but there are loads of productivity mistakes out there that can bring negative effect especially to your career.
Below I have listed 5 worst mistakes that can kill your productivity at work.
Multitasking is the most common productivity mistake
Are you in good multitasking? Well, think again. Because multitasking could be stealing your precious time in completing your task. According to research, it takes us at least 20 minutes to get back our focus when switching between tasks. You might be thinking that you are accomplishing more with multitasking but the truth is, you would have completed each tasks much faster if it has been done separately.
While that being said, you can multitask on tasks that does not require much concentration. Great example will be, when you are listening to podcast while driving. So, next time you want to multitask, choose wisely.
Are you trying everything yourself?
Trying to do everything on your own is another major productivity mistakes. Irrespective of how talented you are, there is no point in trying to do all by yourself. This is the reason, why a good planning is needed. Break down the project, pick the tasks that is relevant to you and delegate tasks to suitable team members based on expertise.
This will ensure that the project is complete within the time frame and you will be able to take on more project. More projects more Ka-Ching for your company and promotion for you and bonus for your team!!
Do you spend time overthinking?
Overthinking slows down your productivity and results in mental fatigue. Never try to get access to a lot of resources as you may not be able to make the right decision. Pick a few ideas or resources and make sure you make the best out of it. This way, you will be spending more time on working on the project, than thinking too much.
To avoid overthinking, set a Gantt Chart. 20% of timeframe is for thinking aka ideas and 80% should be on doing the work.
Having a Long To Do List
Some individuals mistakes a full list of todos means they are productive. In actual fact, it is the opposite because you don’t even know whether the tasks are important or relevant to your goal. Careful analysis of the task list will enable you to realise whether or not those tasks are worth spending some time on.
Shaving away unnessary tasks by delegating or getting rid of it will make room to other things that are relevant to you.
Hitting the snooze button
Ok, I admit. You can but snoozing in the office right. But hitting the snooze button is detrimental to your productivity because you will end up waking up groggy due to the little sleep you have taken which is pointless anyway.
So, how to avoid hitting the snooze button? You need to start thinking what makes you to snooze in the first place. Maybe the warmth of wrapping yourself under the blanket is cozy or you slept last night because you worked late.
A few solutions that worked for me well is to have an auto off for my air-cond an hour early before my alarm goes off. This way, my body temperature would already be rising and it was easier to wake up. Next, I placed my phone (alarm clock) far from my bed which requires me to walk. This way, I am already alert and I shut my phone and walk straight to the bathroom to freshen up.
How to maximize the use of time?
To become productive and refrain from productivity mistakes,try to make the most of the available time. Make a list of your routine and you want to accomplish your project at hand. This can help to save time and therefore, you have the proper time to complete your tasks. Some of the tips to use time productively is given as follows.
- Have printed activity list
- Make an actionable plan so that you can have more than from your busy schedule
- Use suitable time management technique to complete everything in time
With better time management skills, you are sure to get more time than you could think of. This shall help you complete your task by focusing on it and keeping away from productivity mistakes. Do not let unnecessary thinking and tasks ruin your productive level and end up offering poor quality tasks. This is something you should also suggest to your team members so that you can deliver quality tasks within the given time frame.
Final Words
It’s okay to make mistakes once in a while but making the mistakes without knowing that it is a mistake will take away your precious time. Also, associating your productivity with your goals will help you to differentiate between what matters and what don’t. Elevating the top productivity mistakes will give you way to other important things that matters to you.
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