9 Toxic Habits That Are Killing Your Productivity

In this post, I’d like to share 9 toxic habits that are killing your productivity.

Do you want to get things done?

We all have the same 24 hours a day, so working smarter, not harder, is the key to getting things done.

To get the most out of each day, it’s more important to manage ourselves than to manage our time.

It all comes down to our everyday routines and the patterns we unconsciously follow. It’s possible that your habits are getting in the way of your work and you don’t even know it.

Here are 9 bad habits you should give up if you want to get more done.

No Set Work Schedule

Having no plan for how to do your work is the same as setting yourself up to fail.

Everyone needs a work routine, whether they are the CEO of a large company or a manager at Target.

Having a set routine for work helps you get ready for work. It’s kind of like changing your mode into one that helps you do your job better.

If you don’t have a set work schedule yet and do your work whenever you feel like it, start making one by working at set times.

Also, get your work area in order and only do your work while sitting at your desk.

This will teach your brain to switch to “work mode” whenever you sit down at your desk.

Perfectionism

When something goes wrong, being a perfectionist can throw you off.

Also, perfectionists tend to set goals for themselves that are too high, which leads them to either overwork themselves or feel bad when they don’t reach their goals.

Further Reading: How To Overcome Perfectionism And Get Your Work Done

Huge list of tasks

If you have a lot to do, you probably know how it feels to have a long list of things to do.

To-do lists can have dozens of things on them that you need to do in one day, like getting a new coat or going to a business meeting.

That can be a lot to handle.

Use a task management app like Todoist to make smaller lists of up to five tasks so you don’t feel that way.

If you have a shortlist of things to do, you can check them off much faster than if you had a long list.

Further Reading: How To Write a To-Do List For Maximum Productivity

Multitasking

You might think that being able to do more than one thing at once is the best habit. You would be wrong, though.

This is a very common habit, but the problem is that it gives you the impression that you are getting things done and working hard.

In reality, you spend more time and energy switching between tasks than you would if you worked on both at the same time.

Further Reading: How To Stop Multitasking And Become More Focused

Too much information

In this age of technology, having too much information is one of the biggest problems.

We get lost in all the choices and solutions we have, or we get too much information about something and can’t decide what to do.

To deal with too much information, start getting rid of things that aren’t necessary. Pick one thing to keep and get rid of the rest.

Also, to recharge, you might want to go on vacation and get away from the world.

Not Automating Things

Many of the things you have to do can be done automatically and faster if you just let them.

These are the daily tasks you do over and over again (especially the ones that are the cause of your boredom at work).

Look for ways to do these things more quickly or automatically. Set timers for when you want your coffee to be ready and make templates for the emails you send. You can make your life easier in so many ways.

Not making plans ahead

Not everyone is someone who plans. Some people really like to be spontaneous and just go with the flow. If this sounds like you, you might need to break this bad habit.

When it comes to getting things done, it’s not always best not to plan ahead. If you don’t have a clear plan, you might think you have more time to do certain things than you do.

If you haven’t planned ahead and you’re getting close to a deadline, you might miss it. It can also make you fall behind, making it impossible to catch up.

Try to get things done faster and give yourself extra time when you can. Then you can check it off and move on to the next thing.

Further Reading: 4 Easy Steps To Plan Your Day Effectively

Putting off difficult Tasks

Most of the time, people start with the easiest tasks to get going. Even though it might be nice to cross those things off the list, it’s not really a good idea.

You see, we all only have a certain amount of willpower, and it goes down as the day goes on, so when it comes to doing hard things, they usually don’t get done.

From what I’ve seen, the tasks that are hard or scary are often the ones that help us grow the most and move us forward…

so be sure to finish them first.

Further Reading: How To Stop Procrastination and Laziness: The Ultimate Guide

Trying to handle everything on your own

It’s fine to be self-reliant and do a lot by yourself. Still, some people are too independent.

You don’t have to be on your own for everything. It’s fine to be independent, but it’s also fine to ask for help sometimes. It will help you feel less stressed and get along better with other people.

When you work with another person, you can get more done in less time. This is especially true if they are better at the task at hand than you are.

So, don’t get into the bad habit of trying to do everything on your own.

Instead, if you need help, ask family, friends, coworkers, or employees. That’s the reason they’re there.

In fact, if you ask, many of them would be happy to help.