You work hard to get your work done.
However, you can’t help but feel that you are being held back.
Missed deadlines, misplaced items, and a cluttered workspace disrupt your ability to get things done.
Are your bad productivity habits holding you back?
Bad Habits Lead to Bad Productivity
You are smart and hard-working.
But, you can’t seem to get ahead.
For each step forward, you seem to take two back.
Worse yet, yet realize that you are the one taking the steps. Your bad productivity habits are holding you back from getting work done and moving forward.
“For every step you take forward, your bad productivity habits are taking you two back.” (Tweet this Quote)
In today’s business world, you often hear the mantra to “concentrate on your strengths.” Yet, your bad habits will hold you down like an anchor if you let them.
Here are 10 Bad Productivity Habits That Are Holding You Back:
- Multitasking – Multitasking only leads to more work started, not completed. It’s not about how many tasks you start, but rather how many you finish. Make sure you cross that task off your list before beginning another.
- Not Taking Deadlines Seriously – If you don’t take deadlines seriously, you will consistently deliver late work. You will experience unneeded stress, lost opportunities, and rework. Allow extra time to finish work ahead of deadlines.
- Not Putting Things Away – “I’ll clean this up later,” you tell yourself. Before you know it, your desk is piled high and at home there are dishes in the sink from days ago. Take a few minutes to clean up now or else you will spend hours doing it later.
- Not Capturing Ideas – How many great ideas do you have but then forget? Or tasks that you don’t remember to complete? When you think of it, capture information immediately to your notebook, contact list, or todo list. (Bonus Tip: Make sure you review your notes later. Many people take notes, but never look at them again.)
- Having Multiple Tools – Do you have duplicate tools in your time management toolkit? Multiple calendars, notebooks, and todo lists lead to confusion and duplication. Which calendar did you write that appointment on? Which contact book did you capture that phone number to? Adhere to the Power of One and stick to one of each type of productivity tool.
- Using Your Inbox as Your Todo List – Your inbox is not your todo list. Or your filing cabinet for that matter. Get todos out of your inbox and onto your todo list where they belong.
- Using the Wrong Form of Communication – Using the wrong communication medium can cost you time and effort. Consider the situation before choosing between Phone vs. Text vs. Email. And of course, know when to go see the individual in person.
- Being Too Available – If you are always available, then people will continue to take up your time. If you give all of your time away, you won’t have any left to get to your priorities. When you need to get work done, make sure you isolate yourself, go to a private space, or yes, close your door.
- Saying Yes to everything – As David Allen says, “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” Saying “No” when appropriate is an important productivity skill.
- Putting Things Off Until Tomorrow – Tomorrow makes many promises. But, today is the only day that gets them done. If that task needs to get done, then do it today.
Don’t Be Held Back by Your Bad Habits
Which of these productivity habits are you guilty of practicing?
Don’t hold yourself back with bad productivity habits.
Pick one today and replace it with a good habit.
Question: What bad productivity habit do you need to overcome? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
I have been guilty of all of this. But I think my funniest mistake, is that I have made at least 3 separate messy notepad files full of ideas that have grown so huge and random that they lost all worth. If I had taken the 3 extra seconds to categorize each idea I wouldn’t have to waste minutes every time I try to go back and pick one out to expand on. I’ve always been the kind of guy that cuts corners and pays for it later… but I’m trying hard to change that!
Love this example.
I wonder how many wonderful ideas have been lost in old notebooks. 🙂
Have you ever considered going digital with your ideas either via mindmaps or perhaps, Evernote?
I started using Evernote recently, and it’s been really useful so far. I just need to remind myself to keep categorizing little by little so it doesn’t get out of hand!
Great list. Regarding number 4–I could probably fill a book with the good ideas I lost before got an app on my phone that records a quick voice message and mails it to Evernote. Now I just need to remember to listen to them and act.
I still use Drafts to capture ideas. And I often send them to Evernote. 🙂
I’ve definitely been guilty of all of these, but I think the most important (and the ones I’m currently working on the most) are #1 and #2. If you don’t take deadlines seriously, you’re going to have a hard time getting anything done. But if you do, you will be able to ensure anything gets done by setting a deadline for it. Urgency creates progress… but if deadlines have no weight, then all urgency is gone, as is all progress.
Agreed!
Here is one of my post on deadlines:
http://timemanagementninja.com/2011/10/the-power-of-tight-deadlines/
I like it. I’m FBing that one to my own crowd.
I’m trying to be less liberal in my note taking. If it’s written down, it needs to be executed within a reasonable timely matter. Otherwise, I have to spend whole days combine to-do lists and wading through note pile limbo. Before new list is started, before 1 more note is taken, go cross off and knock out. Too many notes is a close cousin to multitasking and procrastinating.
..always appreciate your posts, Craig, thanks.
Craig, thanks.
But I think about #1. We often have a lot of projects. And we often switch from one project to another. Is it multitasking too? How often do I switch? One task per day, and two or else?
I think 10 is my biggest downfall, coupled with multi tasking. But often times the multi tasking is not intentional, but could be prevented if I put my phone out of sight and turned off email completely.
I regularly use my inbox as my todo list. I work at a printing company, and often the actual files to be printed are in my inbox. Do you have a post specifically on this topic?
Thank you for mentioning MULTITASKING I am so tired of employers talking about multitasking as time management. How much paper. And time has been. Wasted trying to rush and do 5 things at once to discover. It did not print correctly, you sent something missing an attachment etc only to have to redo it all and reprint 20 copies.
I agree the taking 2 minutes to put something away now rather than later has dramatically increased my happiness and organization.
Alia
The one I am most guilty of is not putting things away. I have paper everywhere. Stacks and stacks of paper reminders of things I need to do or file away. I really need to get back on my David Allen program of Getting Things Done. I just sort of stopped using it over time and it really worked.
I’m with you Keith! Gosh…in reading this, I am not a very good time manager all around. I could be so much more effective by just taking a little time each day to organize and not being so scattered!
Suggestion for capuring ideas. I have a small whiteboard near my desk and when I have an idea that I know I will forget, I write it down on there. This works well for agenda items that you want to cover later.
Angie the white board will not be useful when you are away from your desk. Having something mobile will enable capture stuff anywhere before you forget.
I love the whiteboard too helps to visualize just has the risk noted above.
I use the app Rescue Time. It keeps track of how much time that I spend being productive vs time wasting online, then i can see daily how I can increase my productivity. I also use Producteev as a great way for my to do list! Cuts down on so much!!
No wonder I’m so unproductive. I have all those on the lists. Thank you.
I need to avoid multitasking. Prioritise, finish one task before starting the other.
So many of them are on my list that I need to work on 2 or 3 everyday! Tomorrow will start with not being available always and stopping saying yes to every one. Thanx a billion
Love your list. A big yes for avoiding multitasking. As an entrepreneur, I usually make sure my hours are always productive and no time is wasted.
I am so guilty of number 3 and number 10. I never put things away or clean up and than something that should have took 2 minutes takes 1 hour 🙁 also i put things off untill tomorrow and than my tom9rrow starts with stress and overwhelming feeling. . GREAT POST, NOW WHAT TO CONCENTRATE ON AND WHAT SHOULD I TRY AND GHANGE. Yor posts are like a mirror reflecting my productivity problems. Thanks!
Great list. Morning rush is another bad habit that harm your productivity. How often do you have those mornings when you are rushing it to the office, barely having time to do breakfast. This morning rush can bring a negative impact on your overall productivity. https://blog.proofhub.com/break-up-with-these-6-bad-habits-for-being-more-productive-70c4f5f90d83
Nice tips for improving workplace productivity. I’d also like to share some tips, which i follow and it really help in improving productivity.
1. Track and limit how much time you’re spending on tasks.
2. Take regular breaks.
3. Set self-imposed deadlines.
4. Follow the “two-minute rule.”
5. Just say no to meetings.
6. Hold standing meetings.
7. Quit multitasking.
8. Take advantage of your commute.
9. Give up on the illusion of perfection.
10.Take exercise breaks.
11. Turn off notifications.
12. Work in 90-minute intervals.
13. Minimize interruptions (to the best of your ability).
14. Organize your tasks, create a list in the morning . You can also use IndyDesk. Indydesk is an project management tool helps in managing all the work and in imporving the productivity of the workplace.
Thanks
Definitely guilty of more than one of these! Multitasking is my vice. Thanks for the insights!