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You go to work… and you work.

Or so you think.

Your day goes by in a flurry of activity.

But, despite your busy day, it feels like you aren’t making any progress.

You finish your day and it seems like you are further behind that when you started.

You have to wonder, “Are you getting anything done?”

Lots of Work, Not Much Done

Your day is a flurry of activity.

You work hard and go from one meeting to the next. One urgent matter to another.

However, in the never-ending sea of tasks, you feel like you aren’t keeping up.

“You end your day and your todo list is longer than when you started.”

Why are you working so hard, and not getting your work done?

What Are You Working On?

The main reason that most people don’t get their work done is that they are working on everything else.

When you finish your day, do you look at your todo list and think, “Why didn’t I get to the important stuff done today?”

Here are 8 Reasons that You Aren’t Getting Things Done:

1. Your Time Management Is Not Habit - Time management is not something that you turn on and off like a light switch. You don’t use it only when you are up against a crisis. It has to be a built into your lifestyle and habits.
2. Doing Other People’s Work – If you are doing other people’s work, when are you going to do your own? If you are always putting out other people’s fire drills, you arent’ going to get your work done. (See: How To Avoid Doing Everyone Else’s Job)
3. You Are Disorganized – By disorganized, I mean your workspace is a mess. It is hard to do that task if you can’t find it. Clean your desk and workspace so that you have room to work and know where your work is.
4. You Don’t Have Deadlines – Tasks usually get done… right before they need to be done. Tasks without deadlines aren’t urgent and don’t have to be done. If your tasks don’t have a deadline then you will justify not doing them… yet.
5. Doing Everything But Your Work - Are you checking your email, reading the news, updating Facebook, talking to coworkers, surfing the web, and checking your email again? You will never get to your work if you are doing everything else. Cut out the miscellaneous distractions, interruptions, etc. Close the email, turn off the internet if you must, and shut the door. Put your work in front of you and concentrate on that.
6. Not Making Time For Your Work – Many people say, “I never have time for my work.” You have to make time for it. Reserve time if you must. Try making appointments with your work. Put them on your calendar so other things do not take their place.
7. Putting Things Off - Procrastination is the enemy of success. When you find yourself about to put off a task, ask yourself, “Could I do this now?” Are you putting it off simply because you don’t want to do it. Instead, “Just Do It Now.“
8. You Don’t Finish Things – During your day, you probably start many things… but do you finish them? 57 Things started and nothing finished is a recipe for a never-ending todo list. Finish one task to completion before beginning another. A handful of tasks done almost always beats a bunch started.

Get Your Stuff Done

Get your work organized.

Stop the procrastination.

Focus on your work.

And of course, do things until they are done.

Do you feel like you work hard but don’t get things done?