To succeed in our lives and bring reality to our dreams, we must become productive. Productivity is like the oil that keeps the engine of a successful life in motion.
However, being productive is a skill that a lot of people struggle to attain daily due to a wide variety of factors. Most of which are activities that form the bedrock of our day-to-day lives.
It is important that you know, that a whole number of activities can cripple you or make your progress faster depending on how well you can manage and harness them to your advantage. This brings us to this point. How do I identify what kills productivity?
Identifying what kills productivity is quite easy. Any activity that hinders your daily progress in getting things done, can kill your productivity as an individual. This brings us into the reality of habits.
A habit is a behavioral routine that is repeated consistently either on a subconscious plane or from an intentional perspective. A habit will most likely become a subconscious activity when it is practiced daily and consistently.
And since habits are the building blocks for our personality and behavior, a person’s attitude and character will be largely influenced by those habits either positively or negatively.
Your daily and weekly productivity are bound to be affected by your habits. It would be folly to be ignorant of how much our habits influence us daily.
Which things harm your productivity? There are a lot of factors, activities, and habits that can do serious damage to your productivity on a personal terrain.
However, I’ll be highlighting and discussing a few of them in this article. Keep reading and find out what can stop you from being productive!
1. Poor Time Management Skills
“You get to decide where your time goes. You can either spend it moving forward, or you can spend it putting out fires. You decide. And if you don’t decide, others will decide for you.”-Tony Morgan
I fell in love with this quote from the first day I saw it. Why? Because it made me seriously know how much control I had over my time. In the last few months, I have always complained of not having enough time to get things done.
But recently, I realized that I was very poor at managing my time. I spent too much time on trivial matters like social media, chatting, and even sleeping.
Time is a very valuable resource that you must learn to manage for you to become successful. Poor management skills will crash you faster than an aircraft headed for doom.
A lot of things out there all have their eyes on your time. Your business, your studies, your kids, and your family? They all want your time and if you don’t know how to use and manage it properly, you might end up making mistakes that you most definitely will regret.
Here’s a tip that will help you manage your time properly. Learn the art of decluttering. Get rid of activities, habits, and tasks that are unnecessary or better still, reduce the time allocated for it.
Let me use a personal experience as an example. I used to be a very passionate gamer and I still am. When I noticed that playing video games was a bit time-consuming for me, I had to reduce it.
I can’t remember the last time I played video games and I don’t have them on my mobile phone or laptop any longer. With video games gone, I had room for more important matters that were in line with my priorities.
For you, it might be watching movies or a hobby. If you will manage your time properly, you must learn to get rid of time-wasting activities that do not add any value to your life.
And while doing that, incorporate habits that will bring consistent improvement into your life. For me, I had to replace reading with video gaming.
I was already a lover of books but I decided to declutter. That one decision boosted my productivity by at least 40%! That reality can be the same for you too only if you begin to manage your time better!
2. Not Setting Deadlines
I realized how powerful and helpful deadlines are a few months ago while I was working on a group project. Sometimes, we tend to get a bit complacent about our tasks, goals, and responsibilities.
One way to prevent that is to set deadlines. Deadlines give you a sense of urgency and help your brain acknowledge the importance of a particular job or task.
There’s a probability that you won’t get the job done if there are no deadlines attached to it. I have seen how easily I could forget to do certain important activities because I didn’t attach a deadline to those activities. Part of what kills productivity is a complacent attitude to deadlines.
Failure in setting deadlines and meeting them will create a bad impression of your competence in the labor market and force.
Who knows? One of the reasons why you might be slacking in being productive is because of a habit of not attaching deadlines to important tasks! You’ll be doing yourself more harm than good if you don’t get rid of that habit.
So, if you want to push up your productivity, you have to learn and imbibe the habit of making deadlines and meeting them.
Ensure that when setting deadlines, the time frame should be able to place enough pressure to keep you working while giving you enough space to put in the best of your creativity and expertise.
Also, be sure to ensure that you do not create deadlines that are too time-wasting. If a job can be done in 14 hours, do not place a deadline at a 24 hours time frame.
That would be foolish. Be timely and efficient in the creation and execution of that deadlines and watch yourself grow into a more productive person.
3. Procrastination
“Procrastination is the art of keeping up with yesterday and avoiding today.” Wayne Dyer
What can destroy your future and productivity? Here’s another bad habit that can ruin your life in a jiffy. Procrastination is one habit that you should do everything and anything to avoid.
A constant and consistent procrastinator is no doubt a lazy person and a lazy person is also an unproductive person. A productive lifestyle is devoid of procrastination.
Why? Because it makes you look incompetent, unserious, and irresponsible. I have personally, lost opportunities simply because I postponed a job that could be done immediately.
Procrastination is like cancer. It damages a person from the inside out, eating every iota of productivity away until all that remains is a person who never gets the job done.
Part of the many things that fuels procrastination is giving unnecessary excuses. I recently got an opportunity to work with a very big creative firm. The pay was attractive and I got the job. Unfortunately, I almost lost that job because of procrastination.
Whenever I had the opportunity to work, I’d postpone it until the deadline elapsed. What helped me was that I was able to realize my folly quickly and then I had to adjust.
The bad thing about procrastination is that you won’t lose opportunities alone. You’ll lose your reputation at work, your self-confidence, and a whole lot of other things.
You must strive and do everything within your power to ensure that you don’t get to a point where it gets too late before you begin to make amends. Learn to avoid excuses and get the job done now! Not later.
Now! If you are currently struggling with procrastination, I have created a proper guide for people who want to overcome procrastination and start getting things done. Click here to access the guide and hope on the train of big achievers and great implementors
4. Multitasking
“It’s surprising how much free time and productivity you gain when you lose the busyness in your mind.”- Brittany Burgunder
I used to think that being an expert at multitasking was cool and a sign of being good at what you do. However, I learned soon enough, that my ideology was a very wrong one.
Multi-tasking is the act of trying to do two or more activities at the same time. You can think of it as an activity that is similar to juggling! It might look cool but trust me, the results are usually hazardous.
One of the reasons why you should stop multitasking is because you end up giving out substandard outputs. Here’s what I mean. Let’s assume I am trying to create written content while making dinner and making a call at the same time.
Doesn’t sound smart, does it? By the time you’re done with those activities, you’ll discover that your written content will be full of errors and you might even add an overdose of ingredients or get your dinner burnt!
Why? Because you were trying to concentrate on three different activities at the same time! Even God in all his magnificence never does that. So why should you?
It is easier for you to get something done perfectly when all your attention is on that one activity. Apart from the fact that your results will be very good and impressive, you’re bound to make fewer mistakes.
Whenever I get involved in any project, I ensure that I complete it before moving to another. This helps me to maintain efficiency and ensures that the products that will come from me will be very valuable and impressive.
Make efforts to avoid multitasking as much as possible especially when you are trying to meet up deadlines. It gets even messier with deadlines.
To prevent yourself from getting to that point where you might be pressured to multi-task, pick one task and deal with it completely before moving to the next one. Doing things that way will ensure that you are not just productive but also disciplined and efficient.
5. Inconsistency
At some point, I asked myself. Which habits should I destroy? Any habit that limits and hinders your overall progress and growth should be gotten rid of and that includes inconsistency.
Inconsistent people are extremely unstable. It is usually very difficult for a team to make progress where one or two of its members are inconsistent.
Why? Because inconsistent people cannot be trusted and relied upon to get a responsibility carried out. They are very unreliable and will most likely give unnecessary/ flimsy excuses for not playing out their roles.
Just like procrastination, inconsistency limits your productivity, ruins your reputation, and gives you the image of an incompetent and I’m a serious person.
You must learn to always show up at your place of responsibility. Seeing you playing your role every time will make it easier for people to trust you with their needs and jobs.
Let me give you a classic example of how bad inconsistency can affect you. Let’s paint a picture. Who would you patronize more often amongst the two grocery store owners? Mr. Bruno, who comes to work at 9 am and leaves whenever he wants or Mr. James who is prompt, handles orders and sales with efficiency, and always comes to work early?
I don’t know about you but I’d rather not buy at all than buy from Mr. Bruno. See? Anyone would buy from Mr. James because of his consistency at always being available and efficient. If the people around you cannot rely on you to get the job done then you’re most likely an inconsistent person.
Now, one of the disadvantages of being inconsistent is that it prevents you from becoming an expert in your field. Practice they say makes perfect.
You’ll only become the best in your field if you do what you do daily. Remember that habits are consistent routines of activities that are repeated every day. The same goes for beating inconsistency. If you want to overcome inconsistency, you’ll have to put intentional efforts into practicing daily.
An inconsistent approach to work and growth will cause slow progress and bring substandard results which in turn reduces the productivity of that individual. You must t begin to take steps and make efforts to avoid inconsistency at all costs.
6. Lack Of Preparation
For me, I believe that one of the highest proof of irresponsibility is lack of preparation. We all know that for an activity to be carried out successfully, some kind of preparation has to be put in place.
The subject of preparation happens to be a very wide one and involves a lot. In preparation, there is a place for planning, a place for consistent efforts in fulfilling responsibilities and playing important roles, for doing your work efficiently.
Lack of preparation births a lot of negative effects. One of such effects is that it makes it difficult to anticipate possible problems and solve them before their arrival.
Preparation makes it easier to handle foreseen and unforeseen circumstances. It always put you in a state, mentally where you can handle challenges before they even come.
Preparation also involves the creation of systems that can make your job easier or even handle them in your absence. Let’s not forget that It also makes it easier to achieve more in lesser time thus making you more productive.
The sincere truth Is that nobody takes an unprepared person seriously especially when that person has a track record of being inconsistent and complacent.
If you’ve ever wondered what can destroy your future and productivity? Then I guess you’ve just found your answer!
Lack of preparation will make it difficult to handle responsibilities. Why?
Because it causes;
- Lack of confidence in one’s skills and capacity.
- It makes an individual feel unappreciated and undervalued.
- Makes it difficult to meet up with prioritize, demands and deadlines.
Now that you know how dangerous lack of preparation is, you’ll have to make intentional efforts in ensuring that you are always prepared to handle anything at any time. Life has a way of springing up some very crazy surprises. You will only be able to handle them if you are prepared
7. Zero Or No Plans(Schedules, To-Do Lists.)
I remember being in high school and my maths teacher will say that ” a man with no plans has serious plans for failure.” I got to realize how important that statement was after a few experiences.
The biggest form of incompetence is lack of plans and when I speak of plans, I am talking of a well-drafted curriculum of steps that will help you achieve your goal or vision. A daily/weekly to-do list is a plan. A financial budget is a plan likewise a list of schedules.
Lack of plans or poor planning skills leaves you disorganized and without direction. It makes it hectic for you to channel your energy properly thereby making you also inconsistent and inefficient.
It is not possible to be fully prepared without plans. This means that a sign that you are prepared is the evidential existence of plans.
With plans, it becomes easier to put your strategies into motion thereby making it easier to crush your goals and objectives. I know what kills productivity and one of such is poor planning or a complete absence of a neat and efficient plan.
It is wise to ensure that before you embark upon any project or begin the steps in achieving an objective. It is important to have a foolproof plan, one that is effective, efficient, and flexible enough to change because, on some days, things do not always go as planned. Never begin a journey without a plan. It is folly to do so.
8. Lack Of Priorities
“Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own.”- Bruce Lee
Every other bad habit that can affect your productivity negatively all springs up from this one. None of them do as much damage as misplaced priorities and commitment.
With the wrong priorities, you are bound to make other mistakes like; poor planning, poor preparation, inconsistency, and mediocre results.
A lack of clear and understood priorities is the simplest way to know a person with no intentions for growth and improvement. It is easier for a person without priorities to make unnecessary mistakes and waste precious resources.
Why? Because without priorities, he/she will be unable to channel their resources properly. If you’re always in the habit of not having clear goals and objectives that are in line with your present and most important demands, then you are bound to be less productive.
Part of the many side effects of a habitual lack of priorities is that you can easily get distracted, lose focus, and waste more time on projects and activities that are not of utmost importance!
What can destroy your future and productivity? A consistent habit of not having priorities can!
9. Forgetfulness, Poor Memory
What kills productivity is a combination of numerous factors, one of which is forgetfulness. Now I understand that this habit is usually not intentional as this habit operates on a more subconscious plane than the others in this article.
If you have a habit of being forgetful then you will most likely find it difficult to get tasks done and handle your responsibilities properly. I am a victim of this and my life is like a big encyclopedia of how badly being forgetful can mess up your efforts at being productive.
Because of how frequently I forgot to do stuff, most folks especially my parents began to see me as an unserious and irresponsible person and I am sure that the people around you might see you in that light if you happen to be very forgetful.
Sometimes, forgetfulness is caused when there’s a long list of important things to do in your head. You are most likely to miss or forget to do some of those things!
Being forgetful sucks, I know but the damage it does to your productivity sucks more. Because it won’t just give you a bad reputation but you could lose your jobs or even life-changing opportunities because of this bad habit of forgetfulness.
So, just in case you think being forgetful can’t put you in serious trouble, then check again!
10. Wastage Of Available Resources
I happen to have a long list of what kills productivity and wastage of resources is one you should be very wary of.
The bad habit of wasting resources is a cousin of three other habits; Lack of priorities, poor planning/zero plans, and a lack of preparation.
What that means is that you can most likely find this habit where the other three are.
Inclusive in what kills productivity is a consistent habit of wasting resources. Wasting resources place you in situations where you have to invest or spend more than is necessary be it in cash, energy, time.
You end up doing more and getting less. What would have been enough to solve one problem, when wasted ends up not being sufficient enough to solve that same dilemma.
Hence an unproductive lifestyle will be filled up with unnecessary wastage. Part of the hallmarks of being a productive individual is the ability to manage available resources, to be able to accomplish more with less.
Therefore if you have a habit of wasting resources being productive might end up being a chore for you.
On a final note, you must know that becoming productive is a process that requires time and that process will make you begin to take certain steps into achieving a more productive lifestyle.
One of such simple steps is bringing positive changes to your mindset by exposing your mind to knowledge, information that will not just bring enlightenment but will also set you on a path to breaking poor habits.
You can take such bold steps by getting access to life-changing materials like the one provided in this link
Another easy step that can help you deal with negative, self-destructive habits is by exploring and exploiting the power of self-improvement apps. You can find out more by reading this article; 15 self-improvement apps that will change your life forever on the blog.
As you begin to take steps and make efforts in becoming a better person, you must also remember to be patient. Becoming a more efficient and productive person is an art that requires time for mastery to be achieved.
Placing too much pressure to achieve that in a day will only leave you discouraged and fatigued. After all, patience, they say is a virtue that is meant only for masters.
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