{"id":41128,"date":"2016-08-07T21:28:06","date_gmt":"2016-08-08T05:28:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=41128"},"modified":"2019-03-02T15:35:46","modified_gmt":"2019-03-02T23:35:46","slug":"are-your-falling-for-these-6-productivity-killing-excuses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/are-your-falling-for-these-6-productivity-killing-excuses\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Your Falling For These 6 Productivity-Killing Excuses?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

You make hundreds of pitiful excuses every day without even realizing it.<\/p>\n

You pluck things from your\u00a0external environment and use them to reinforce certain\u00a0behaviors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t go jogging;\u00a0it\u2019s raining.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI would finish writing that book but there’s construction work going on next door\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI was struck in traffic for hours, I deserve doughnuts for dinner\u201d.<\/em><\/p>\n

If you only did it now and again it wouldn’t be a big deal. But you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

These little excuses are the foundation of damaging behavioral patterns and long-lasting habits that disrupt your long-term personal\u00a0development and growth.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What’s worse, such excuses are ever-present in the workplace. And so, you go through your life working at a severely limited level of your productivity.<\/p>\n

But the good news is once you identify\u00a0what these excuses are and make and effort to control them, you can easily banish them for good.<\/p>\n

Look out for these productivity-killing excuses in your life and be sure to add any of your own in the comments below.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t have a workspace\u201d<\/h2>\n

Without a proper space dedicated to working, it\u2019s pretty much impossible to have any kind of work\/life balance as there are no clear boundaries.<\/p>\n

But not having a physical space like an office is no excuse for not having a workspace. If you\u2019re moving around from cafe to library to home to bed, your workspace can be defined by the objects\u00a0you carry with\u00a0you<\/strong>, for instance, a sticky notepad, coffee mug (with a USB mug warmer), notebook, stationary holder, and even an aquarium<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have a good internet connection\u201d<\/h2>\n

You know how it is, you get all prepared to blast out some work and suddenly the Internet goes down and your plan and enthusiasm are thrown out the window.<\/p>\n

Today, not\u00a0having a stable internet connection isn’t a valid excuse for not getting stuff done<\/strong>. If your Internet isn’t great or you travel around a lot, buy a mobile dongle or broadband plan which includes one for free. If that\u2019s not an option, seek out a few nice cafes and make a note of what times their wifi is strongest.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have the right tools\u201d<\/h2>\n

Not having the right tools is something many of us just put up with\u2014without even realizing we can change it.<\/p>\n

Aching wrists, lagging computers, a stiff neck and back, unresponsive cursors; these are all common problems that can be solved simply by investing in the right tools.<\/strong> For starters, grab yourself an ergonomic mouse<\/a>\u00a0and an indestructible external hard drive<\/a> to make life that little bit easier.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can\u2019t control unexpected distractions\u201d<\/h2>\n

No matter where you are you\u2019ll no doubt run into the same few distraction triggers.<\/p>\n

It could be people passing by or shouting, dogs barking, cats prowling, traffic honking\u00a0or friends messaging. Whatever it is, have a system in place that helps you deal with it.<\/strong> I always\u00a0sit in\u00a0a place\u00a0which little activity\u00a0in my field of view, use noise-cancelling earphones<\/a>, and have a special bass-heavy Spotify playlist to drown out any background noise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have the right lighting\u201d<\/h2>\n

Sub-par lighting can cause dull headaches, eye strain, and a chronic lack of productivity.<\/p>\n

Although it depends on the task at hand, it\u2019s usually best to find an area with adequate natural light and less direct light. This means your eyes won\u2019t have to work so hard, and the light from the sun will keep reminding you it\u2019s time to be fully awake and alert.<\/strong> If you’re working at a computer, adjust the brightness settings to suit the environment. But if you’re doing highly detailed tasks, additional direct lighting is the way to go<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know where to start\u201d<\/h2>\n

Having an effective organization system may make you think of an efficient office with every tool you need at hand. And it\u2019s true, but as the majority\u00a0of us spend our working hours at a computer or laptop, here I\u2019m referring to your machine’s desktop, folders, and workflow.<\/p>\n

So many hours are lost thinking where to start, looking for documents, navigating through folders, and searching Google for \u2018how to\u2019 guides or troubleshooting. Start by creating a system of properly titled folders and subfolders and mastering the repetitive tasks you complete every day. I recommend you check out this great resource for organizing your data.<\/a><\/p>\n

We love excuses. A good excuse is a reason to be lazy and decadent and postpone the difficult or unappealing work-related stuff. But when it comes to getting down to it and churning out what needs to be done, eliminate these six excuses from your work life\u00a0and you’ll soon see\u00a0your productivity skyrocket into the levels of the ultra-productive.<\/p>\n

Joseph Pennington is a writer, mindfulness teacher, and the founder of Bebot, the world’s first AI mindfulness coach. You can try out the\u00a0Bebot Alexa app here<\/a> and sign up to make sure you don’t miss the latest from Joseph and Bebot.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You make hundreds of pitiful excuses every day without even realizing it. You pluck things from your external environment and use them to reinforce certain behaviors. Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11063,"featured_media":42394,"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":[17,30,6,31,39,36],"tags":[1986,3092,4783,4962,5004,3662,2855,259,5350,5349,5003,66,3637,3674,4031],"yoast_head":"\nAre Your Falling For These 6 Productivity-Killing Excuses?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You make hundreds of pitiful excuses every day without even realizing it. 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