I used to find it extremely difficult to be
productive.
The truth is I was often lazy, unmotivated,
and didn’t want to put in the necessary
effort to complete any given task.
But over the past few years, I’ve completely
changed my life around.
I’m now incredibly focused on each task
I’m given, and always aim to complete every
project to an incredibly high standard.
And if you want to do the same, you can start
by eliminating the following bad habits that
prevent you from being productive.
Each of these insights changed my life for
the better.
I’m sure they will do the same for you,
too.
For the longest time, I found it extremely
difficult to get my work completed by the
given deadline.
The truth is that I had more than enough time
to complete each task.
However, I sucked at time management.
But one day, I started reading some books
on productivity.
They suggested really simple strategies, such
as creating a schedule and sticking to it.
Like Steven Covey once wrote:
“The key is not to prioritize what’s on
your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”
So that’s what I did.
I broke down my workday into 30-minute blocks
and allocated a specific task for each one.
For example, I currently write from 8.30am
until 11, and then go on a walk around the
local area.
Since I began pre-planning my days, I’ve
noticed that I’m getting a lot more work
done as I’m incredibly efficient with my
time.
After all, I know exactly what task I need
to complete during any given moment of the
day.
So if you want to improve your productivity,
start by scheduling the most important things
you need to do.
Even though this exercise only takes a few
minutes to do, the effect it’ll have on
your productivity is profound.
I used to be a perfectionist.
Each day, I’d give myself a list of reasons
why I should put off doing my work until tomorrow.
For example, my chair wasn’t comfy enough,
or I felt a little bit tired.
But as a result of having this bad mindset,
I rarely got any work done.
I’ve recently learned that there will never
be a perfect time to sit down and work.
After all, there will always be a reason or
excuse as to why you can put a specific task
off until tomorrow.
However, it’s important to remember that
nothing amazing will ever happen in your career
unless you sit down and do the work.
The author, Steven Pressfield, said it best:
“The most important thing about art is to
work.
Nothing else matters except sitting down every
day and trying.”
So instead of procrastinating, a better solution
is to get any important tasks completed as
quickly as possible.
Because when you make a little bit of progress
each day, the power of compound interest will
create incredible results in your career over
time.
If you’re anything like my past self, you
want to improve your productivity and get
all your work completed to an extremely high
standard.
But for one reason or another, you have a
terrible habit of getting distracted all the
time.
Don’t worry.
I know exactly how you feel.
I used to take a short break from my work
by scrolling through social media during the
middle of a task.
However, I often got distracted by posts in
my feed, and consequently, lost the motivation
to finish whatever I was supposed to do.
But since then, I’ve learned that the best
way to get rid of distractions is by identifying
them, and then doing whatever it takes to
remove them from my life.
For example, I wear noise-canceling headphones
while writing to ensure that I don’t get
distracted by other people having a conversation.
You get the idea.
When you take proactive steps towards eliminating
distractions, it’s easier to prevent them
from affecting you in the future.
In the words of Jiddu Krishnamurti:
“Follow the wandering, the distraction,
find out why the mind has wandered; pursue
it, go into it fully.
When the distraction is completely understood,
then that particular distraction is gone.
When another comes, pursue it also.”
So every day, ask yourself: “What bad habits
can I eliminate right now to improve my productivity?”
That’s all you need to do.
