Are you the one who wants to be productive? Who doesn’t want! Get to know a list of things that can make you unproductive.
1. Check email first in the morning
This is an addiction, you can simply lose half a day at the blink of the eye. You will never realize how much time each task regarding email like reading, replying, scheduling, flagging and chatting by the side.
2. Not having a to-do list
When you don’t know the list of things that you need to complete in a day, then you won’t do them for sure. Even when you have a to-do list, you won’t accomplish all tasks unless your list is an effective one.
3. Having a to-do list and being obsessed with it
Your to-do list is the one which is meant to make you productive. If your list is making you unproductive then either your list is not effective or you are being obsessed with it. An obsession with a to-do list may mean that you either cannot have a day without a to-do list (even under exceptional circumstances) or you are not flexible about your working pattern and just blindly follow the tasks in your to-do list.
4. Not taking breaks
Breaks are essential part of being productive. When you continuously work, you lose your efficiency. Your mind needs a diversion to think and act fresh. Moreover you body needs some stretches too!
5. Cluttered workspace
A cluttered workspace can take years of your productive time and make you unproductive. You may simply spend hours looking for a file, everyday. If the files or documents or any other tools cannot be accessed easily and it is lost in the clutter of your workspace, you will sure be unproductive.
6. Starting a day without a plan
While everyone is thinking about how to be productive, even the day before, if you sit at your office desk knowing what to do next, never dream about being productive.
7. Cluttered inbox
Is your email box cluttered? You will have to spend hours for finding emails, even if you are smart enough to use the ‘search mail’ option.
8. Stuck with a PC or a Laptop
Is your PC or Laptop is in a proper working condition? Is it bug free so that it does not freeze or shut down when you are doing something important? Do you have the right software and tools to get things done fast?
9. Stuck with online social sites
Are you distracted by a new tweet when you are typing your dissertation? Just turn off all the social site distractions when you are working. Allocate specific times of the day when you are tired and need a break; this time is suitable for spending on social sites.
10. No healthy eating
Yes you read it right. Your productivity depends on your diet. If you don’t have a well-balanced diet, you won’t have the stamina, fresh mind, good eye sight or whatever needed to get things done. I am not scaring you, but even if things seem to be right now, a well-balanced diet is necessary to keep things moving in the long run.
11. Not having enough sleep
Again, you don’t want to sleep at your office desk or sit in front of your computer with blurry eyes; rather you want to be productive.
12. Not encouraging ideas
Did one of your team members give out an excellent idea? And didn’t you encourage it because you think that he/she is ‘just’ a member of the team but you are the team leader and all excellent ideas should be yours? You should change your perspective.
13. Not being creative
If you can’t produce new and fresh ideas you cannot be productive.
14. Hesitation to delegate
Do you do everything literally by yourself? Do you hesitate to divide the work among other members of the team or do you hesitate to get help from your family members? There is nothing wrong in delegating. Delegation improves your productivity. You can do what you are good at and delegate those things in which you are not an expert.
15. Not saying “NO”
You don’t have to accept every task that comes to you. See how much time you have and accept tasks accordingly.
16. Going on an information hunt
It is easy to end up in a movie website when you have started to search for an academic ebook. It is as easy as 1-2-3, or may be much easier than that!
17. Not having clear goals
Is your goal post blurry? Are you not clear about what you want out of this job, or life? Then make yourself your goals clear and precise.
18. Not having proper technological gadgets
Don’t be ignorant or orthodox. Just make use of the technological advances and tools at your hand.
19. Having no priorities or unable to spot a task’s priority
You have a to-do list. But have you tagged the tasks according to their priorities? Even more, are you able to identify the most important and the most urgent task?
20. Not developing necessary skills (for example, if you work fully on a computer, you need to improve typing speed, know to use basic applications and so on)
Are you equipped with all the necessary skills needed for your kind of job? If not, have you taken any measures to learn the skills?
21. Laziness
Are you lazy? If so, you can only dream about productivity.
22. Unable to manage your team
Can you manage your team effectively? Can you make them productive?
23. Having no or less determination
Are you determined to carry on amidst failures, distractions, negative feedback and obstacles?
24. Not having the attitude to learn from mistakes
Are you the one who just forgets every mistake of the past and do it over again? Remember your mistakes and learn from.
25. Not making good use of constructive criticism
Did you get a negative feedback or a constructive criticism. Make good use of it. Make use of the suggestions and ideas to improve things.
26. Trying to do everything
You don’t need to do everything. Unnecessary tasks on your way hinder your productivity and keep you from doing the necessary and important tasks.
27. Trying to do everything right now
It is true that anything might happen the next moment. But don’t panic. Don’t think that you have to deal with everything right now. Allocate the right time for the right task.
28. Obsessed with being perfect
No one is perfect. Don’t waste your time on being an ideal person, rather start doing your task with passion and involvement, and put your best to give the best possible outcome. That’s all you can do.
29. Trying to please everyone
You can’t. So just keep doing your job.
30. Worrying too much about tasks/things that doesn’t matter
Yes, when you have to decide on the title of your project presentation don’t think about the colour of your lip gloss on the day of your presentation.
31. Too much thinking with no action
You think, plan, set a goal, think about the outcome, think about what if you succeed and then what if you fail, what will others think, will your parents be pleased and so on. You will get to nowhere.
Did I miss this one?
32. Procrastination
I don’t think that I have to say much on this. If you procrastinate, you declare that you don’t want to be productive at all.
Article by JaneSheeba
+Jane is the founder of Problogging Success. She is an expert blogger, consultant, freelance writer and blog designer. Don't forget to get your hands on two FREE Ebooks she offers.
Jane has written 253 awesome posts for Problogging Success.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
great…you almost covered everything
..most of us knew these problems but unless otherwise someone tells in front we will never realize and react…
I feel the few below are also matters
1) If you don’t love/like your job then you will end up unproductive…better change the job
2) If one happen to work in the same office for long time….change the workstation/cabin once in a yr…you will definitely going to be bored sitting in the same place for yrs..
3) Maintaining personal relationships, ofcourse romance, might be ideal or thrilling but it will lead to distraction and thus unproductivity…
I might have few more but I don’t want to be unproductive today, after all reading this post
.. keep it up..you have given so much thought into this…good article I wud say…
Great adds. Nice that you practice what you read (by being conscious about today’s productivity)
nice compilation..one more to add..
having hatred in mind..it loses half of your energy
Bhavia recently posted..TO DO before I am 40
Yes, it is always good to find some vent for these kind of accumulated feelings
That was an interesting list. However, sometimes it’s necessary to do what we enjoy than being productive.
I liked the 31st point the most.
Nethra recently posted..Not for sale
I agree completely with you Nethra. The amount of time we spend in enjoying what we do really matters though. I enjoy hanging around at Facebook or Twitter but my boss wants me to complete my project. After all it is my job and I have to do it, and that is what I am paid for. So spending time on things we enjoy is fine as long as it does not affect our productivity.
Above all if we enjoy doing our job there won’t be any problems
Great list! Distractions (like facebook) and not loving one’s job are 2 most common reasons for less productivity
Shrinidhi Hande recently posted..Trip advice- Advantages of starting early
Yup, the sad fact is that distractions are all around. Especially they are dominant in the online world, and most people have to be online for their job or business. It all depends on how we are conscious about our own productivity!
I tried avoiding some of the things on the list and it really worked!!
Thanks for the post.
Amropali recently posted..Unfolded
Thanks for resonating with me Amropali.
Jane Sheeba recently posted..4 Ways to Have a Decluttered House
Phew! What a list!…Oh yes, most of them are cultivable habits…My mantra is ‘change if it helps’…so I reinvent myself ever too often… many people comment that I even look different!
The comment by other people that you look different is indeed a compliment. Willingness to change is a blessing and many people lack that stuff. Poor souls!
Jane Sheeba recently posted..Should You Be Organized In Order To Be Productive
This list is awesome and most of the people can relate to a few of the things you have mentioned that make them unproductive. Planning is the number one key to being productive you need to have a good plan and follow it strictly so that you do not deviate.
Ryan Ward recently posted..The Luxury Market - Where it’s Hot and Where it’s Not
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