WorkAlpha

Career and Job Search Tips

  • HOME
  • JOB SEARCH
    • Job Search Tips
    • Dealing with Recruiters
    • Dealing with Unemployment
    • Internships
    • Job Applications
    • Job Search Mistakes
    • Job Offer
    • FAQ About Job Search
  • NETWORKING
    • Networking Basics
    • Networking Etiquette
    • Networking Possibilities
    • Networking Tips
    • Networking Mistakes
    • FAQ About Networking
  • RESUME
    • Resume Template
    • Resume Formats
    • Resume Layout
    • Resume Tips
    • Resume Samples
    • Resume Ideas
    • Resume Mistakes
    • Resume Writers
    • FAQ About Resume Writing
  • COVER LETTER
    • Cover Letter Format
    • Cover Letter Tips
    • Cover Letter Samples
    • Cover Letter Mistakes
    • FAQ About Cover Letter Writing
  • INTERVIEW
    • Interview Attire
    • Interview Preparation
    • Interview Process
    • Interview Psychology
    • Interview Types
    • Interview Tips
    • Interview Questions and Answers
    • Interview Follow-Up
    • Interview Mistakes
    • References
    • FAQ About Interviewing
  • CAREER
    • Career Path
    • Career Advancement
    • Career Insights
    • Continuing Education
    • Career Coaching
    • Freelancing
  • WORKPLACE
    • Workplace Politics
    • Workplace Insights
    • Workplace Attire
    • Work Environment
    • Performance Evaluation
    • Human Resources
  • PRODUCTIVITY
    • Productivity Tips
    • Productivity Insights
    • Productivity Mistakes
  • LIFESTYLE
    • Healthy Habits
    • Managing Stress
    • Work Life Balance
    • Retirement
  • Home
  • Productivity
  • Productivity Mistakes
  • 4 Productivity Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making
post

4 Productivity Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

Here’s another way to look at productivity… How to become more productive by avoiding mistakes that make you less productive. This article explores some misconceptions that people have and addresses those misconceptions with actionable tips.

There are a lot of people talking about what you ought to do to be more productive, or which fancy tools and apps you should use to get more things done. However, there aren’t as many people talking about what you shouldn’t do to try and be more productive, or which activities will make you less productive (email is the only thing getting attention here). I’m changing that today by discussing four productivity mistakes people make that they don’t realize are mistakes.

1) Multitasking

Multitasking is now considered one of the most important and necessary skills in today’s society and modern workplace. With all that we have to do, and with the increasing amount of things we have to do, it sometimes feels like we need to be doing things all the time or else we’re not being productive.

What makes multitasking such a huge productivity mistake is that those that do it the most are the worst at it. Research from the University of Utah also found that the most frequent of multitaskers tend to be more impulsive, sensation-seeking, and overconfident of their multitasking abilities when compared to those who hardly ever multitask. Productivity is defined as, “having the power to produce.” By that definition, multitasking is the opposite of productivity because you are more prone to distractions and have less power to produce what you need to produce.

2) Not Getting Enough Rest

That’s the solution to being more productive! Grab that extra cup of coffee and stay up until 3 a.m. After all, you need those extra hours to make a big deadline.

It sounds much more awful than the actual way to be productive: get more out of your waking hours.

A recent Harvard study estimated that sleep deprivation costs American companies $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity. Why? When we get tired, we make mistakes, which means more time and money must be put into correcting those mistakes. When we get tired, it takes us longer to do things, costing more time and money to do something that could get done in less time if we were fully awake. Putting in 12 hours a day has been hallmarked as the way to success and productivity, but at what cost here?

3) Doing Everything Yourself

Either one of two problems is contributing to this productivity mistake: you don’t like delegating tasks, or you’re having trouble prioritizing which tasks deserve your time. If you give doing the laundry the same priority as attending that certification class or the client meeting, then you’ll easily become overwhelmed. Instead, figure out which tasks deserve your time the most (or those tasks that you do best), and outsource something that’s of low priority. You don’t actually have to do the laundry; it just needs to get done.

If you’re uncomfortable delegating because you feel you can’t trust people to do the work the way you want to do it, then your distrust is holding you back and making you less productive. You’re also robbing your colleagues of the chance to show what they can do and putting more burden on yourself. Break this barrier by delegating a smaller project (one that won’t ruin the world if it doesn’t get done right), or just have someone help you on a project so you can build trust with a specific person. This way, the next time you need to delegate a task, you’ll have someone you can trust to do the job while knowing that it’s not so bad to delegate in the first place.

4) You Don’t Have a Vision

This isn’t necessarily a big picture vision for your career or personal life, but a vision for what you actually want to accomplish. If you need to write a 10-page white paper, for example, putting “write white paper” on your task list lacks the vision of what you want to accomplish. How do you know if you were productive in getting that done, besides writing the entire thing in one sitting? You don’t. Instead, visualize what you want to get done that day or that week for some of these larger tasks. So, instead of “write white paper”, you could “outline the white paper” or “write three pages of the white paper.” Writing the entire thing in one sitting may feel productive, but it’s a very tiring way to be productive.

Author Iconby Allison Midori Reilly

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Productivity Center

  • Productivity
  • Productivity Tips
  • Productivity Insights
  • Productivity Mistakes

Search the Vast Resources on WorkAlpha About Job Search and Career Advancement

SHARE

Featured Articles About Productivity

  • Improve Your Productivity by Reducing Decision Fatigue
  • Filtering Your Tasks: You Think You Have More Going On Than You Actually Really Do
  • Productivity Starts with Having a Back Up Plan in Case Disaster Strikes
  • 10 Instant Productivity Boosters
  • The 80/20 Rule, and When You Should Ignore It
  • Don’t Mistake Activity for Achievement
  • 5 Steps to Power Nap Mastery
  • Get Rid of Your Bad Habits in 5 Simple Steps
  • How to Tell if You are Really Tired or Just Lazy
  • You Can’t Manage Time – You Manage Your Attention
  • Productivity Tips for Friday Afternoons

Interested in Becoming a Contributor?

You are a career coach, a resume writer or an HR professional looking to gain exposure and build your expertise? Become a contributor and earn your badge!

Free Job Search Ebook Featuring Contributions from Top Career Experts

Search WorkAlpha

Job Search Resources

  • Job Search Center
  • Networking Center
  • Resume Writing Center
  • Cover Letter Writing Center
  • Interview Center

Career Resources

  • Career Center
  • Workplace Center
  • Productivity Center
  • Lifestyle Center

Copyright © 2019 WorkAlpha · All Rights Reserved · About · Contributors · Contact · Privacy

WorkAlpha
  • Job Search
  • Networking
  • Resume
  • Cover Letter
  • Interview
  • Job Offer
  • Career
  • Workplace
  • Productivity
  • Lifestyle