These 5 Things Are Ruining Your Productivity (And What You Can Do About It)
Increased productivity just for the sake of getting more things done can be unhealthy and lead to burn out. But productivity for the sake of having more time to rest, dealing with less stress, and being able to get more accomplished in a reasonable time frame is great.
Most of us want to be more productive, but there are any number of things that get in the way of that.
In this post, I share five things I have learned (and am still learning) that ruin productivity (and what you can do about it).
1. An open calendar
The more open my calendar is, the less I get done. This doesn't mean every second of every day needs to be allotted to something, but for me, most of my working day needs to be. This includes short breaks or "white space" to account for unexpected conversations or when things take a little bit longer than planned.
But when half of my day is not accounted for on my calendar, a lot of drifting and wasted time takes place. Of course, this will look different for different people, so you'll have to find what is most helpful for you, but I have found that not pre-planning my day means getting much less done.
So try proactively planning what you are going to do, and see how much more focused and efficient you become.
2. Notifications on your phone
There is probably no bigger of a distraction and productivity killer today than our phones. A big reason for that is our push notifications. It's hard not to pull out your phone and check what caused it to buzz. Or just seeing that you have unread email or a new notification from Facebook makes it hard to not open it and see what it is.
In reality, none of these things need to be dealt with right away (and if it does, you probably already know there is something going on and are on top of it anyway). Yet, we can't help but check it whenever we see something new pop up.
So what do we do? Turn push notifications off. Check it when you want to check it and not when your phone is telling you to check it.
I turn off all notifications on my phone except text messages and phone calls. Even then, I often have "do not disturb" turned on during my workday so I don't even know if I have a text unless I decide to use my phone for something.
Responding to every text or email right away is a huge time waster and distractor. Check these things on your time and don't let your notifications run your life. Give it a shot, turn off your notifications, and see how much you didn't need them anyway!
3. Not being proactive in setting your appointments
When you can help it, I'm a big proponent on setting appointments and meetings when it is best for you. Not because I (or you) am better than anyone else, but because it saves the most amount of time and allows me to do what I am best at when I am at my best.
Even if your boss sets a meeting with you, there is no harm in at least asking if it can be moved to a time that may work better for you.
And for things you do have a say over, don't be afraid to suggest or offer times you would prefer. I have found it makes it easier to get things scheduled (as opposed to going back and forth with "let me know when is best for you"), and people appreciate being given just a few options to choose from instead of having to randomly suggest a time and hoping it works.
4. Having too many emails in your inbox
Earlier this year I committed to inbox zero. This means that I keep my inbox at zero emails. It's one of the best decisions I have made. It forces me to stay on top of things and organize the other things that I can't get to right away. And as someone who isn't naturally the most organized, it keeps things from falling through the cracks.
If you want to know how I do it (and how you can to) click here. Suffice to say, it has made a bigger difference in my productivity and stress level than I ever realized it would and I couldn't recommend it enough.
Reduce the number of emails in your inbox, or get to zero, and I'm willing to bet you'll see an increase in what you get done.
5. Having no routine
In our culture today no one wants to be held down. No one wants to be restricted to the "9 to 5," and no one wants to be told what to do (by anyone else or even their own calendars). And I get it, flexibility and freedom do have some really good benefits.
But even in that, when there is no structure productivity plummets. If you know the time of day you are typically most efficient, guard that time as best you can and get things done.
As a pastor, I used to meet with people any time that was good for them (as opposed to at least offering some times that I would prefer). I used to do my sermon prep when it seemed like a good time instead of planning ahead of time when that would be and ensuring nothing gets planned during it. I could go on, but I operated in such a way that I knew all I had to do in a given week but had no plan of when and in what ways I would get it all done.
I certainly don't have it all figured out now, but my weeks are much more structured and predictable than they once were. At the same time, I am more productive and efficient than I once was.
Having a routine and more planned schedule has allowed me to focus more on the tasks at hand and has helped me lead better. It's not that the routine can't be flexible, but I at least know why it's changing when I have to make adjustments.
Try getting in a routine, adjust it when you find what works better, and as with all of these tips, I think you'll see an uptick in what you find yourself getting done!