10 Signs You Are Sabotaging Your Own Productivity
You may not even realize it, but it may be more than likely that your productivity is starting to fall. As business and work ethic changes, productivity increases, and those who do not follow get left in the dust. It is imperative that you do not let that happen to you, and maintain a high productivity. Here’s a checklist for signs that your productivity might not be up to par.
1. You’re Resistant to Technology
Are you the person at your workplace who still prefers letters over emails? When your entire office has mostly switched to cloud sharing, are you the one still using the fax machine? Being resistant to new forms of technology can only hurt you, and keep your productivity stagnant.
How can you be more productive when you’re using the same devices as you were decades ago? Simply put, you can’t.
Taking the time to learn and familiarize yourself with anything computers may be the key step in your road to increased productivity, and perhaps the most important one.
2. You’re Poorly Organized
Perhaps you think that one folder can accommodate all of your files, or that a single drawer can keep all of your tools. Maybe, you just have poor memory. Regardless of the reason, poor organization can greatly bring down your productivity.
Effectively utilizing folders, proper sorting, and regular cleaning are all factors that contribute to good organization, and if you’re lacking in any one of those areas, it may be time to reevaluate your organization system. Again, if you need help, there are plenty of classes and courses that you can take, both in real life or online, or just simply asking a well-organized friend might be enough.
3. You’re Not a “People Person”
Some people just aren’t good with social interactions. If this is true for you, it’s not your fault, it’s just part of your personality. This may be a big problem, as for the most part, any job will require you to be able to effectively communicate with peers or clients. While poor social skills can never be entirely remedied, they can certainly be built upon.
Simply practicing conversation with those close to you is a great first step to take, but if you want to take it a step further, attending lectures or taking classes is also an option.
4. You Let your Personal Life into your Work Life
Do you sometimes stop your work to check trivial things such as fantasy football scores, or perhaps the latest celebrity gossip? Even if you do these things irregularly, it can still have a negative impact on your productivity.
When you stop your work entirely, you lose a lot of momentum, and regaining it is tough. Be sure to stay focused during your work, and keep interruptions to a minimum.
5. Your Position in Your Company
Have you ever felt frustrated seeing someone with less time in the company being elevated to a position or pay grade higher than yours? Most likely, your company is not forgetting you. Instead, you may not be on the same level of productivity as your peers.
There isn’t really any way to fix this, but be on the lookout for situations like this, as it’s good to use as a red flag.
6. Your Physical Fitness is Slipping
When was the last time that you weighed yourself? Were you pleased with the result? Slipping in physical fitness often directly correlates to slipping in productivity. As you become less driven, or just older, you’ll begin to slow down both in the office and in the gym.
Maintaining your physical fitness is a key step to success, and if you don’t already, hitting the gym regularly can be a big help.
7. You Don’t Like Your Job
This point may seem a bit unusual to you. If you don’t like your job, why should you care about being productive in it? It may be that the reason you don’t like your job is because you aren’t productive.
Your boss and company may see you as a weight, holding the company back, and don’t give you much leeway or respect because of it. Try putting in some extra effort, and start pulling your own weight, and you may start being treated better than ever before.
8. You Have a Poor Outlook on Life
If something is bringing your mood down, it might also be affecting your productivity. Whether it’s just a temporary letdown, or a more serious, long-term problem, finding a solution or way to cheer yourself up will certainly help your productivity. Working on an empty heart is not only bad for productivity, but might also make you feel even worse.
9. You Don’t Take Breaks
While this may seem to contradict the previous point of avoiding distraction, taking frequent breaks helps contribute to overall productivity. Taking a five minute break every hour or so should be enough for most. However, this doesn’t mean that you should break out your phone; just get up, walk around, and maybe listen to some music. You’ll find yourself more at ease, and better able to get through the day.
10. You Overwork Yourself
Increasing productivity doesn’t mean exceeding limits! Know your boundaries, and if you’re crossing them, it could be negatively affecting your productivity. Trying to do more than one person’s workload simply can’t be done, and if your superiors expect you to, talk to them.
Most likely, they will realize that you being overburdened is negatively affecting the company, and will most likely work to remedy your problems. Regardless of whether or not your company cares about individual workers, it does care about your output, and will try to maximize it.
Be on the lookout for these signs, and if you’re noticing a pattern among any of them, it may be time to reevaluate your workload. As overall productivity increases, so should yours. Just follow this guide, and the changes should be apparent. You have the capability within you, now, you just have to exercise it.
Photo credit: Pexels.com
