These Bad Habits Are Killing Your Productivity

Are You Guilty Of These Productivity Killers?

 
All the effort we make to boost our productivity is all for nothing if bad habits are constantly counteracting us. Here are common behaviors that can derail your time:
 

You’re an “Of Course” Person

Getting comfortable pushing back on non-mission-critical requests is crucial to maintaining your productivity. Of course, you’ll have to use discretion and common sense—you’re obviously not going to give a flat “no” to any and all who come knocking, especially not requests from customers.

But what you can do is ask customers to be precise by sharing as much information as possible so that you can prioritize their requests against what’s currently on your plate. Prioritizing work will help keep you productive.

You’re a Stickler for Perfection

Being available to customers and producing quality work is what got you to where you are, but you must be strategic about what tasks need to be an A+ and which will be fine at a B. Of course, you shouldn’t cut corners or get sloppy, but nitpicking over inconsequential details in minor initiatives (especially if it requires lots back and forth with clients) is a waste of time.

You’re in (Way) Too Many Meetings

If your calendar constantly looks like one never-ending block of meetings, it’s time to re-examine things. Again, this is where being comfortable saying “no” comes into play. Only accept showings that are absolutely necessary to your bottom line. If something can be done with a quick conversation or an instant message exchange, do that instead.

You’re a Social Media Junkie

This is a notorious one. It’s all too easy to get sucked into social media at 8 a.m., so dedicate certain times of the day to plowing through your social feed. And unless it’s critical for you to closely monitor social media, restrict your time there to only certain slots.

There are a few apps to help you distill the most important news from social media. Frontdoor Business Edition, for example, has a feature that allows you to set up automatic alerts when a professional contact is in the news.

You Don’t Automate Processes

Take a look at your daily workflow, both personal and business. What could be automated? Setting up filters is a good place to start. In Gmail, that means flags for VIPs and filters for customers who are “ready to move.”

On the personal side of things, make sure all of your bills are set to auto-pay and look to where else you could streamline; consider grocery delivery apps and ride-share services to help you save time if you’re finding yourself overextended.

You Neglect Your Sleep

It’s the simplest formula, but oftentimes the easiest one to neglect: Everyone is different in terms of how much sleep they need, but a solid seven to eight hours of quality Z’s is what’s recommended for maintaining focus, energy, and overall well-being.

Take a look at your workday. If you’re guilty of any of the above, working to correct the issue will do wonders for your output (and overall happiness).