5 Subtle Signs That You Might Be Unproductive
Most of us know what being productive looks like but it’s equally important to recognize the subtle signs that we might be falling behind.
Have you ever felt that you could’ve done so much more?
You had plans for the day but ended up spending the entire afternoon scrolling your social media feed, discovering how others are having the time of their lives while you’re rotting away on your couch.
The next thing you know, you start to question your life and why you are being such a lazy bum for not being productive.
Since you’re feeling down, you distract yourself with even more social media and the cycle continues until you start to do something about it.
If left unattended, this will become an issue because you’ll be wasting your most precious asset — your time — on activities that are not your priority.
Here are 5 subtle signs that you might not be as productive as you want yourself to be.
Not Scheduling Your “Downtime”
This might sound counter-intuitive but yes, aside from your to-do tasks, you should schedule a time for yourself to relax in your calendar.
There are two common scenarios that play out when you don’t schedule your downtime:
- Feeling burned out from constantly working.
- Over-indulging too much social media, Netflix, or any sort of relaxation activity.
If you are already scheduling tasks for the day, you might as well take a step further by including your downtime as this will reduce the tendencies of the above happening.
“But… what if I don’t feel the need to rest?”
To answer the question, here’s a quote by Brendon Burchard, a leading high-performance coach, and bestselling author:
Race cars MUST stop by pitstops to change their tyres and get a fuel refill. They don’t do it because they need it but to PREVENT accidents or crashes from happening in the race. So you should do the same for your life. Make it a routine to take breaks.
Reluctant To Call It A Day
It’s already way past your bedtime but you’re still feeling you could do so much more?
Many of us get the feeling that the day was over before we even did anything meaningful even though we already did what we were supposed to do for the day.
Even with our eyelids feeling like a ton of bricks, we are still desperately trying to “do more” before we sleep.
This wouldn’t be a problem for a day or two but as the “sleep debt” compounds on itself, it’s only a matter of time before your body crashes.
Sleep when you are supposed to sleep. Let tomorrow take care of itself.
Neglecting Your Nutrition
Here’s another attempt to drill this into your head in case you forgot:
What you put in your body affects what you get out of it.
Studies have shown that the quality of the food we eat has a profound effect on both the body and the mind.
Having a high carbohydrate or high-fat meal is a great recipe for productivity-killing since you’ll be too sleepy to work.
The same thing will happen if you are eating too little since there won’t be enough glucose a.k.a energy for your brain to work with.
Seriously, there is no easier way to boost your productivity than paying attention to what you eat.
Read some articles or watch videos about nutrition, you’d be surprised with how much your eating habits might change just by getting educated.
Not Exercising Enough (Or At All)
Ever wonder why top performers like Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and many others make time for walking?
It has been proven that exercising is linked to better resilience and improved creativity.
An activity as simple as brisk walking for 30 minutes, 3 times a week can have numerous benefits that will help in your work and building your business.
If walking seems boring to you, here are some more ideas for you to consider:
- Plugging in your favorite podcast while you walk;
- Signing up for an aerobic class;
- Learning a new sport;
Start choosing something that you might enjoy because the point is for this to be sustainable and to make it a lifestyle.
You Stopped Learning At Some Point
Everyone eventually comes to a point in life when:
- They feel as though they are dead inside;
- They question if this is all there is to life;
If this is you, my friend, it is highly possible that your growth might have been stagnant for too long.
People need to feel that there is some sort of progress in order to feel productive.
Sometimes we’re so overwhelmed with life that we forget that we should be learning something new every day.
In Summary
There is no human being on earth that can be productive 24/7.
Even robots need a break to prevent them from overheating.
The takeaway is to remind ourselves from time to time about these signs so that we can get back on track to achieve our goals.