Why We Don’t Get Things Done

Being (or not being) productive is one of the many things we stress over. Often at the end of the day we feel exhausted, and unsatisfied with our performance and results, even though we’ve completed many things.

Instead of simplifying our daily routine by doing our tasks and getting done what needs to be done, we prefer to worry about it, to fear the possibility of failing, to anguish over where to start, over-think the process and so on.

You know all the things you should be doing.  But do you know why you aren’t doing them?

Here are 10 reasons why, despite your efforts, you still don’t get things done:

1. You Don’t Trust Yourself.
   You’ve failed to change your habits many times, and now even you yourself don’t believe that your next attempt is going to be different. It’s time to really do it this time.
2. You Have Too Many Distractions
   A lot of things prevent you from focusing on your activities and goals. Stuff like browsing the Internet, too much information, people entering the room, problems, worries, plans, and notifications on the phone. The only solution is to eliminate them.
3. You Have No Purpose
   We can’t really achieve anything if we don’t consider it important. We need to have goals to keep us motivated. It will also give us drive, a reason to keep going and not give up in hard moments. We’ll have a vision of what we want and will know that the only way to get it is to take small steps each day.
4. You Over Think It
   It’s ridiculous how much time we waste thinking about what needs to be done, rather than actually working on it. It’s time to let go of what didn’t work out in the past or what might go wrong in the future and focus on the present moment – it’s just you and the task.
5. You Focus on Non-Essential Tasks
   Most of the things we have on our to-do lists are not important. Nothing will actually happen if you don’t complete them. So eliminate them and focus on the essential. After all, only 20% of the things you do give you 80% of your results. That’s the key to productivity.
6. You Start with the Easier Tasks
   You put off the most important tasks until the end of the day. It should be the other way round. The best you can do is complete the 3 most important things first thing in the morning. That will give you a good start on the day.
7. You Approach It Wrong
   You dread tasks, you fear them, worry about deadlines, and still procrastinate by doing everything else that will distract you even for a few minutes.
   Then when you actually start working on something, you do it slowly, with a negative attitude and no desire. Instead, you should focus on how free you’ll feel once everything is done. For best results try to have a positive attitude and think how beneficial it will be to get it done now.
8. You Keep Making Things Complicated
   Why don’t you simplify them for a change? Focus on changing your habits – get up earlier, start with the difficult tasks, eliminate the ones that are not important, and so on.
9. You Stress Over Having to Get Things Done
   Worry is absolutely pointless. Let go of stress by being okay with things. Even if you fail at something or don’t have time to finish it, there’s nothing you can do about it. So let go of that task and move on to the next one.
10. You’re Not Organized
    It’s much better to set a daily ritual of getting up early, prioritize your to-dos, and do most of your work right away.

You Know Why You Don’t. Now Do

Doing something about the items on this list will have a big impact on every area of your life. Become more productive and make these changes today.