How many things do you do out of habit?
Drink coffee every morning. Bite your fingernails when you’re nervous. Check your email 100 times a day. You go through the motions without a second thought because it’s just what you do. Now, how many of those habits do you think are actually productive?
While we’d like to say all our habits make us feel great, it’s likely we also have some habits that are inhibiting our productivity. Habits are behaviors you perform on the regular, often subconsciously. If you’re trying to break a bad habit, the first step is identifying what it is. Once you pinpoint what it is you’re doing to make you unproductive, actively work not to do it. Yes, it requires work. But we promise you’ll get extra time back in your day when you cut out the distractions. Here are 10 unproductive habits you may have and how to change them.
1. Checking Your Phone
We’re stating the obvious, but it needs to be said. Checking your phone multiple times per day is not productive. Whether you’re checking your email or opening Instagram for the eighth time before noon, it’s not a good use of time. Every time you stop what you’re doing and pick up the phone, your brain has to switch off the current task, focus on your phone, and then switch back to the task at hand. Unless you’re waiting on an important phone call or email, set aside dedicated time each day to check your phone, especially during working hours so that you can stay focused.
2. Prioritizing Someone Else’s Needs
Speaking of switching tasks, how many times do you drop what you’re doing because someone asks you for something. Be it your boss or a coworker, you put your work on the back burner to take on their ask. While you may see this as being helpful and a good employee, it distracts you from the work you need to get done. Instead of immediately saying yes and jumping to the task when someone asks for your time, ask when they need it completed by and schedule time to work on it appropriately.
3. Choosing Perfection, Over Completion
Winston Churchill said it best, “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” Meticulously working on a project until it’s perfect isn’t always the best use of your time. While there are occasions that call for that level of detail, oftentimes, done is better than perfect. Spending those extra hours on minor tweaks that only you will notice, is not a great use of your time when you could be moving on to the next item on your to-do list. Know when you need to edit your work with a fine-tooth comb and know when it’s time to wrap it up.
4. Delaying Decisions
How many times have you hemmed and hawed over making a choice only to delay making the decision until a later date? Sometimes you do need a night to sleep on an important decision, but usually, you’re going to make the same decision today that you’ll make next week. Delaying your decision making in hopes of finding a better or different option only adds more to your plate and takes up valuable brain space that you could be using for other tasks. Trust your gut when making decisions. Know when to pull the trigger and know when you need to put a pin in it.
5. Working at Your Least Productive Times
You know when you do your best work. Whether you’re a morning person, a night owl, or midday is when you power through work, trying to focus and get things done during your least productive hours is not efficient. If you’re a morning person, schedule your more difficult and time-consuming tasks in the morning, and then spend your afternoon concentrating on easier or more administrative tasks. Working against your natural work patterns is counterintuitive and a huge time suck.
6. Attending Meetings That Could Have Been Emails
We’ve all been there. Walking out of a meeting or signing off a Zoom call wondering why you wasted an hour of your time for something that could have been discussed over email. Sometimes these are one-off meetings, but other times they’re recurring meetings on your calendar. If you’re finding yourself losing productivity because of unnecessary meetings, send an email beforehand to make sure there are items to be discussed. If not, propose canceling the meeting and conversing via email if something comes up. If you can’t forgo the meeting, find a way to make it more productive. Set an agenda before you meet to stay on track and make sure when you walk away you’re checking something off your to-do list or having any questions answered.
7. Comparing Yourself to Others
How much time have you spent wondering why your coworker got a promotion over you or why your old classmate seems to have their life more together than your friends? Probably more than you’d like to admit. There is no benefit of comparing yourself to others. There is not a set timeline of when you should be celebrating big life events, like promotions, marriages, or having children. Any time you spend deep diving into Instagram profiles and wondering why someone else has what you want is time wasted. Focus on what you can control to get where you want to go and take breaks from social media. You won’t be missing anything.
8. Prioritizing Work Over Health
If you’re neglecting your health, you’re not bringing your best self to work. When you don’t feel your best, you won’t perform as well, and therefore your work will be hindered. This should be apparent, but we’ve all been guilty of staying up late to finish projects or skipping the gym for a meeting. Sleep well, exercise, and fuel your body with nutrient-rich food. Make your physical, emotional, and mental health a priority. That includes sleep because working tired is the worst.
9. Reinventing the Wheel
If something’s been done before, ask for help. Don’t spend time spinning your wheels if you can gain insight from someone else. Asking for help is always an option. You won’t get bonus points for reinventing the wheel. Whether you’re trying to start your side hustle, you’re navigating a difficult situation at work, or you literally cannot solve the problem in front of you, a majority of the time there’s someone else who’s already done it, been through it, or can offer you words of wisdom.
10. Overloading on Information
Sometimes less is more, especially when it comes to information. Our worlds are constantly flooded with news, content, and knowledge. From valued resources online and on TV to the constant stream of social media posts we digest, it can be overwhelming, causing unnecessary stress and diverting our attention from what’s important. While we’re all about being informed, consume smartly. Set dedicated times of the day to watch the news, read your favorite daily or weekly emails, and scroll through your social media feeds. While you may not be in control of what is happening in the world, you are 100% in control of what and how much you consume.
