{"id":39856,"date":"2016-03-21T21:14:17","date_gmt":"2016-03-22T05:14:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=39856"},"modified":"2017-03-07T13:02:23","modified_gmt":"2017-03-07T21:02:23","slug":"7-surprising-reasons-fail-productive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-surprising-reasons-fail-productive\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Surprising Reasons Why You Fail To Be Productive"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

<\/p>\n

Another day soars by and you\u2019re finding it hard to relax.<\/p>\n

Your to-do list never shrinks and you\u2019re constantly finding new things to add to it. You wish you could\u2019ve reconnected with that friend you\u2019ve been meaning to grab coffee with for weeks, but you\u2019re always behind on your tasks.<\/p>\n

You can\u2019t help but wonder if you\u2019ll ever be capable of organizing your life. Maybe one day<\/em>, you think.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all been there. The good news is you can get more done without this hopeless struggle in your mind.<\/p>\n

But you\u2019ll need to stop these 7 bad habits first. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    You Write All Your Tasks Down On A To-Do List<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Of course you write everything you have to do on a list. You need to prioritize your tasks, right?<\/p>\n

    Consider this: In his book Getting Things Done<\/em>, David Allen recommends using the \u201c2 Minute Rule\u201d to simplify our lives. He says that if a task takes less than 2 minutes to complete you should do it now instead of waiting to do it later, no matter what the task is. This reduces the possibility of getting sidetracked and forgetting about the task later.<\/p>\n

    Sometimes we\u2019re so focused on prioritizing our tasks that we forget what we could do now to check off our list, even if that means doing the dishes before calling the bank.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. \n

      You Don\u2019t Respect Your Current Task<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      If you\u2019re trying to finish a project on your to-do list, are you really giving it the attention it deserves?<\/p>\n

      Imagine writing an email to a prospective client. It\u2019s for an important business deal for your company, and you\u2019re trying to improve PR for your business.<\/p>\n

      You don\u2019t want to blow it, but the words won\u2019t come.<\/p>\n

      So you check Facebook and put on distracting music. You may even give up on something and swear you\u2019ll come back to it later.<\/p>\n

      Big mistake. The reason you have an unwieldy to-do list isn\u2019t because you lack the proper \u2018pump or song\u2019 or because you have tons to do \u2013 no, the reason you can\u2019t complete your tasks is because you\u2019re not giving your tasks that attention they deserve. And as a result you\u2019re crippling the progress you could be making by giving in to distractions.<\/p>\n

        \n
      1. \n

        You Don\u2019t Practice Mindfulness<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        It\u2019s surprising how many people don\u2019t practice daily mindfulness and then complain how the day flew by.<\/p>\n

        But is this really surprising?<\/p>\n

        If you aren\u2019t in tune with your mind you\u2019ll find your thoughts constantly wandering and you\u2019ll struggle to focus on your tasks.<\/p>\n

        You only need to grab a pen and paper right now to be mindful (no meditation required). What\u2019s stopping you from taking action? Weigh your goals against your frustrations in opposite columns and fill it in.<\/p>\n

        Then use the data to develop a strategy to ascend over your mental blocks and crush your goals.<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n

          You Don\u2019t Batch Tasks<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Batching tasks is crucial to capitalizing on your ability to focus \u2013 here\u2019s why.<\/p>\n

          If you write an email, you activate that specific part of your brain. It usually takes 10-15 minutes to break through a mental block and get focused on a task, and once you get \u201cin the zone\u201d of writing emails you\u2019ll make more and more progress.<\/p>\n

          However, if you constantly switch between tasks your brain will struggle to focus and distract itself \u2013 and you\u2019ll get distracted much easier. And instead of one completed task you\u2019ll have two half-finished ones.<\/p>\n

          Why not batch all your email-related tasks together and then free up your mind to do other chores? Your mind will thank you later as you wind-down with time you didn\u2019t even know you had.<\/p>\n

            \n
          1. \n

            You Don\u2019t Take Time Out To Exercise<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            If we don’t move around enough we lose energy – and without proper blood flow from our body our mind loses focus and becomes less efficient, which\u00a0impacts our capability to get things done.<\/p>\n

            Take this moment to stand up and shake out the tense bones in your body, and give yourself a quick break.<\/p>\n

            You can use this exercise to recharge even when your list becomes unbearable, and it\u2019s great for regaining your focus throughout the day.<\/p>\n

              \n
            1. \n

              You Take Too Many Breaks<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Breaks can be detrimental to your focus levels if you keep bringing yourself out of the \u201czone\u201d too often, although they can definitely recharge you after longer sessions of work.<\/p>\n

              Always remember to find a balance between work and rest, and adjust as you go \u2013 because in the end your goals are your goals, and only you know what works for you.<\/p>\n

                \n
              1. \n

                You Don\u2019t Use Your Own System<\/strong><\/h1>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                It\u2019s fine to rely on expert opinion, but only if it works for you.<\/em><\/p>\n

                Here\u2019s the truth: there\u2019s no \u201ccure-all\u201d to productivity. To be efficient you have to devise your own system from your experiences \u2013 because if you don\u2019t use a system that works just for you then you\u2019ll inevitably fall prey to distraction.<\/p>\n

                And are you willing to let distraction steal your time away?<\/p>\n

                Meeting Your Goals Isn\u2019t Easy<\/strong><\/p>\n

                Imagine how you\u2019ll feel after completing your to-do list in full every day.<\/p>\n

                While it won\u2019t be easy to meet your goals, it\u2019s possible to regain your focus and get more things done in life.<\/p>\n

                And if you implement these 7 tips in your life, you\u2019ll find that time isn\u2019t your worst enemy when it comes to productivity.<\/p>\n

                No, you might find that time was on your side all along.<\/p>\n

                —————-<\/p>\n

                Blake helps writers overcome the stumbling blocks that prevent them from releasing their gifts into the world. Download<\/a> his free guide “The Bulletproof Writer’s Handbook: A Proven Guide to Conquer the Blank Page Forever” to discover how to supercharge your writing today.<\/em><\/p>\n

                 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                You can\u2019t help but wonder if you\u2019ll ever be capable of organizing your life. Maybe one day, you think.<\/p>\n

                We\u2019ve all been there. The good news is you can get more done without this hopeless struggle in your mind. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11259,"featured_media":39994,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[30,6,31],"tags":[5010,2335,4634,4629],"yoast_head":"\n7 Surprising Reasons Why You Fail To Be Productive<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You can\u2019t help but wonder if you\u2019ll ever be capable of organizing your life. Maybe one day, you think. We\u2019ve all been there. 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