Tag: Change your life today

8 Common Habits of Unproductive People ~ Do you have any of these bad habits holding you back?

Groups of people that have similar results have similar habits. Thin people have similar habits. Overweight people have similar habits. Productive people tend to have habits of thoughts and behaviors in common. Likewise, unsuccessful people have several patterns of behavior in common, too. If you’re struggling with your productivity, this article is for you.

While we’re all capable of doing some extraordinary things from time to time, it’s the things we do each and every day that have the most significant influence on our results in life. You simply need a different set of habits if you want to be more productive.

For your best results, avoid these habits of unsuccessful people:

1. Failing to learn. People fail to become more productive if they fail to learn and develop. Try to be the best at what you do. Learn from each day. One of the ways I ensure that I go to bed a better person than the one who woke that morning is to find ways to ensure that I grow intentionally by learning something new. Additionally, learning new things triggers the brain and mind to expand its performance capacity.
   
   
   1. Read a book, research articles on the internet, or watch a video on productivity tips. You’ll likely learn something that will help you to be more productive. Even in reviewing old material, you will find something you missed the first time around.
      
      
   1. Productive people are constantly learning things that will allow them to be more productive and effective in their endeavors.
      
      
2. Giving in to distractions. We have more distractions than ever before. There are a lot of distractions that are far more interesting than anything you need to do. If it does not add measurable value, stay away from it. You have 86,400 seconds in each day. How you use those seconds will literally determine your destinty.
   
   
   1. Focus on what you’re supposed to be doing.
      
      
   1. Remove as many distractions from the area as possible—decrease clutter in your workspace and your mind.
      
      
   1. Plan time to engage in your distractions. It’s easier to avoid distractions if you know that you can engage in them later. It is about prioritizing your day to ensure what matters most gets attention first.  
      
      

3. A lack of emphasis on taking action. Unproductive people often like to plan and learn. Some people love the strategic side of things. However, these same people have a lot less interest in taking action. Planning has its place. Learning is great. Eventually, though, things have to get done if productivity is essential (and it is). You not only have to be active but proactive. Planning and strategizing mean absolutely nothing without practical and consistent application.
   
   
4. Failing to make a plan for the day. Unproductive people often don’t know what to do. They don’t have a clear vision or strategy for moving through their day. So, they become mentally bogged down and become increasingly frustrated as the day progresses. Have a plan for the day, the week, or even just the next few hours. Make a plan and follow it until you’re done! Having a solid workable plan will reduce empty motion and wasted time.
   
   
5. Majoring in minor things. Many productive people are quite busy and even look engaged to others. But, being busy and being productive isn’t the same thing.
   
   
   1. Focus on the most effective course of action.
      
      
   1. Avoid activities that don’t provide significant results for the amount of time required.
      
      

6. Giving up. You can’t be productive if you give up too soon. Productivity is about what you do, how well you do it, how fast you do it, and how much time you spend doing it. You can’t get a lot done if you don’t put in the time. Finish the task at hand as quickly as possible at the highest possible quality level.
   
   
7. Worrying. It’s okay to have concerns and then address those concerns. However, worrying is an unproductive habit. It wastes time and makes you less effective. Studies reveal that 40-60 percent of what we worry about never happens. Plus, worrying about things that you have no power to impact accomplishes nothing. If you can change it, focus on changing it and abandon the propensity to worry.
   
   
   1. Consider the positive things you’ve accomplished by worrying. Write them all down. How many did you identify? Not many, if any at all.
      
      
8. Procrastination. You can’t get anything accomplished if you never even get started. Procrastination is a productivity killer. I often tell my clients that procrastination is the thief of time. I also believe that procrastination is a form of arrogance that is disrespectful to time—putting off things you can do today while postulating that tomorrow will offer the same opportunity to complete those tasks.
   
   
   1. If you must procrastinate, at least use the time to do something else that’s productive. Going for a run is a better way of procrastinating than eating a hot fudge sundae. I personally prefer getting the tasks done—no excuses!

We all have the same amount of time each day. The most productive people are also the most successful. If you have big goals and are effective in working toward those goals, you’re going to be a highly successful person.

Eliminate the habits that reduce your productivity, and you’ll be in the best position to start getting more things done. You’ll be surprised by how much you can accomplish!

I Want to help you breakthrough the barriers that are holding you back. Enroll in the Rapid-Change Breakthrough program and let’s make it happen.