Sneaky Habits That Sabotage Productivity
By Sandy Schroeder
If you feel like your work production is lagging, you might want to take a closer look at some of the daily habits that trip all of us up.
Dr. Travis Bradberry, co-founder of TalentSmart, an agency that serves 75 percent of the Fortune 500 companies, came up with some bad habits that need to be shed.
Skating off on the internet - Good work establishes a productive flow, but that flow can be stopped when we take a few minutes to check our favorite sites. The time always becomes longer than expected, and definitely undermines the work flow that creates the best material.
Doing too many long meetings - Truly productive people insist on short, sweet, to-the-point meetings that cover the necessary ground and then wrap everything up.
Falling into perfectionism - When we worry that our work won't be good enough and simply freeze up, perfectionism wins and we lose. Brainstorming produces a lot of stuff that needs work, but at least there are ideas out there that can lead to more ideas. Do whatever you can to avoid this trap. As one editor said, "You can edit a bad page, but you can't edit a blank page."
Yielding to a snooze button - Establishing a regular bedtime and wake-up time will give you the morning alertness that you need. Falling back into a half-sleep for a few more minutes will only leave you feeling tired and groggy, which may last half of the morning.
Delaying tough tasks - It is so easy to push off tough tasks to the end of the day. When we do tackle them we will be tired and much more likely to do a poor job. Hitting them first thing in the morning will get them done faster and usually better.
Misusing sugar - The brain needs glucose from sugar to function. Too little can leave you groggy and slow. Too much can make you feel wired and unable to focus. How you get a sugar boost matters too. Donuts, sodas and pastries can give you a sugar boost that will last about 20 minutes. Complex carbohydrates in oats or brown rice releases the glucose boost gradually, keeping you satisfied and functional much longer.
Letting blue lights sabotage sleep - When you use phones, tablets or computers at night in your bedroom, you are exposing your brain to blue light that inhibits melatonin production that makes us sleepy and fights with the ability to fall asleep. The next day you will feel like a zombie, probably drink too much coffee, and repeat the cycle in the evening. Of course, work productivity takes a huge hit.
Make the most of your productivity as you shed the habits that are hanging you up.
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