4 Things You Should Stop Doing to Boost Your Productivity
Identifying these red flags helped me in being more efficient at work
In this fast-paced life, most people want to accomplish more in less time. Either they are aiming to outdo others or are doing the hard work today to relax later. Wasting a single second gives them mini-heart attacks.
A few months back, I was one of them.
Working as a data processor, I was supposed to achieve the standard productivity targets of 95% every month. In the ramp-up stage, I was skeptical if I’d ever be able to achieve such giant numbers.
Also, focusing too much on my productivity was affecting the more important part of my job — quality. I was stuck between 70% and 75% of productivity and quality levels in the first few months despite giving my best.
I knew something was not right!
After months of falling behind in terms of productivity, I decided to identify the culprits behind it. I realized that my constant habit of checking my cellphone, skipping my lunch breaks, trying to do all at once, and not being able to plan ahead were taking a toll on my life overall.
While many people find it more beneficial to know what patterns can improve their productivity, others like me are more interested in knowing the behaviors that kill their productivity.
If you are willing to improve your productivity, here are a few things you should avoid for getting more done in less time. By implementing these little tweaks in my life, I not only improved my productivity levels but also enjoyed the peace of mind.
Stop being a multi-tasker
“If there are nine rabbits on the ground, if you want to catch one, just focus on one.” — Jack Ma, Chinese business magnate, investor, and philanthropist
The key to improving your productivity doesn’t lie in doing several things simultaneously. Rather, it’s about focusing on one thing at a time and giving your 100% to it.
From doing my day job to working simultaneously on my freelance projects, I wanted to get the most done in a day so that I could relax on weekends. In case, I didn’t achieve my productivity goals, I blamed myself.
I mixed my day job with freelance writing. While working at my job, I had my eyes on my cellphone constantly checking if I received any emails from my freelance clients. Needless to say, I was doing it all wrong by mixing my freelancing (side hustle) with my primary job.
After realizing that this behavior was affecting my productivity goals, I decided to concentrate on one thing at a time. That means I focused on my 9–5 job during the day, and my freelance projects post-work or on weekends.
And merely by making this small mental shift, I managed to improve my productivity levels both at work and in freelance writing.
Bob Schafer, VP of research at Lumosity says,
“Multitasking can hurt efficiency for a couple reasons: It takes time to switch between gears, and the process of switching ‘working sets’ of information can lead to errors and mistakes.”
Don’t ignore your ultradian rhythm cycles
According to Health Expert, Inc, if a person is present on the job, but is unable to function as per his/her potential, it costs a whopping $150 billion per year in lost productivity. Also, it was found that 60% of surveyed workers saw a decrease in their productivity due to stress.
It’s difficult for a person to work in full swing, with the same levels of energy and enthusiasm throughout the day. Just like a cellphone needs a battery to be charged, our body needs tiny breaks between work to feel energized and active.
And this is where ‘ultradian rhythm cycles’ come into the picture. Also known as the ‘basic rest-activity cycles’, they are biological cycles that occur throughout the day and help you reach the state of flow to keep you motivated during work.
The idea behind these cycles is simple: ‘Focus on tasks for 90–120 minutes, then make the most out of a 20-minute break, and keep repeating this cycle throughout the day.’
During these tiny breaks, you can do anything that makes you feel fresh. Some of my favorite ones are:
- Relishing your favorite meals
- Spend some time with your pets and family (in case you are working remotely)
- Reading a small article or a couple of pages from your favorite novel
- Stepping outside to have some fresh air,
- Putting on headphones and listening to some light music
Once you get back to your work desk post break, you won’t only feel more relaxed, but also, you’ll be all set to work with a fresher perspective. Also, you can make notes about how you felt before, during, and after your work and your breaks to observe how you feel. To make it easier, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the 20-minute break sufficient before you move on to the next task, or do you want to make some adjustments (increase/decrease) to it?
- Is there an improvement in your energy levels after taking the break?
- Which activity/activities help you feel more active?
Stop checking your cell phones too often
When ‘work from home’ became the new normal, my productivity started getting hampered again. The creepy habit of checking my freelance-related emails and cell phone every 10–15 minutes was messing up my ability to process more data.
To solve this issue, I decided to keep my cell phone away from my workspace for a few days. And in almost 2 days, this one simple action increased my productivity levels by over 20% and helped me focus on what needed my attention the most — my work.
If you were in my shoes keeping a smartphone by your side while working, you’d understand how tempting it might be to check your emails (not work-related), or the latest stories of your favorite models on IG or Facebook every few minutes.
But this negligible act ends up sucking oodles of your energy, and most importantly, your time that you could have instilled in your work.
If you are willing to go that extra mile at work, keep your cell phone out of your sight. You can either leave it in another room/section, or in your purse/bag, and in a day or two, you’ll notice significant improvements in your productivity and concentration.
Don’t leave the toughest task for later
“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” — Dale Carnegie, American writer
I usually spend my weekends, sometimes weekdays, working on different freelance projects. While I don’t mind spending my leisure time making some extra money, I do resist stressing myself out because of having an unplanned schedule.
And to save myself from falling into this creepy trap of poor planning, I primarily focus on two things:
- Planning my day in advance.
- Prioritizing tasks depending on the deadlines.
In the first half of the day, I feel more energized and focused which makes it the perfect time to complete the tasks that demand more brainstorming and concentration.
Rather than evaluating the importance or priority of tasks right before the deadline, it’s good to plan ahead regarding what needs to be done the next day, and in what sequence.
I avoid leaving high-priority tasks for the second half as I feel more drained and lack the motivation of checking tedious tasks off my list later.
But every person has their own way of doing things. For example, things might be different for freelancers or artists who don’t follow a specific routine. Some days, they feel more productive in the mornings, while on other days, they might prefer to work at night. So, figure out what time works for you and give your best shot accordingly.
Final Thoughts
Improving your productivity is not a matter of one day; rather, you will be taking small yet consistent steps to climb that ladder of productivity and achieve the set goals.
People, who focus on doing a few selective things each day keeping their distractions at bay, result in achieving more productive results than the ones who wish to do a lot of things at once.
It’s important to remember to take the charge of your life by planning ahead and focusing on one task at a time. Instill your energies in the tougher or time-consuming tasks first, keep your distractions aside when working, and lastly, take small breaks to break the monotony.