5 Stupid Things You May Not Realize Are Killing Your Productivity

Who doesn’t want to be more productive? If you can get more done in less time, that allows you to…um…well…get more done. And that’s a good thing, because you either move towards your goals faster or have more time to spend on other things, like family, friends, and reading my blog.

Rather than passing on the same old productivity advice you’ll read everywhere (it’s good, but you can…um…well…read it anywhere) I am going to share with you a few simple things that you may not have thought of before to make your day more productive.

Here are 5 stupid things you may not realize are killing your productivity:

Cheese Fries

Ok, cheese fries is just one example of a bad food that can kill your productivity. I hate the fact that I am writing this because I have spent the last however many years eating whatever the heck I want. As I get older, I have definitely noticed how the quality and quantity of what I eat affects my productivity.

If I want a productive afternoon I have learned to not eat the “General Tso’s chicken + fried rice + egg roll combination” from my local Chinese restaurant. If I want a productive morning, I have learned that “a burger, fries, and two beers” for a late dinner the night before is a killer.

You don’t need to go vegan and start drinking fresh Juiceman Jr. juice. Just make a few changes and see if that doesn’t increase your productivity.

Motivational Speakers

What?! How can I blame motivational speakers? Aren’t I one?

Well, yes, but I am not here to blow smoke up your a@$. The great thing about motivational speakers is that they get you to believe that you can achieve anything. The bad thing about motivational speakers is that they get you to believe you can achieve anything.

I am all for big dreams, but there is a big gap between today’s motivation and tomorrow’s dream fulfillment. The bigger the dream, the easier it is to tumble into that gap. Having a dream is awesome, but if you feel depressed and unmotivated when you think about it (“it’s too big! I’ll never make it!”) then that kills your productivity. Focus on a smaller, more manageable, more achievable goal for the short term to build some momentum.

Also, the bigger your time horizon, the easier it is to put things off “just one day.” If my goal is to have a 100,000 word novel done in two years, procrastinating until tomorrow isn’t that big a deal – it’s only one of 730 days (731 if it’s leap year)! But if my goal is to write a chapter a month, or 1,000 words a week, each daily task becomes more important.

Reading or listening to a lot of motivational material can be a good thing, but only if it empowers you. If it depresses you, well then you may want to let it go.

Inertia

A body at rest tends to stay at rest, and my body likes to rest! Once I get settled into my couch with some good (or “so bad it’s good”) TV, it can be tough to get going again. Thoughts of, “I should get up and write that blog post” are quickly followed by, “That’s hard. And a lot of work. Let’s give up.”

The corollary is that a body in motion tends to stay in motion. I have found when I simply say, “ok, just get up and go sit at the computer,” or the even simpler, “just turn the TV off, even if you switch it back on again,” those things actually happen. Sometimes I’ll sit at the computer and still not be productive, and sometimes I’ll just flip the TV back on and plop back on the couch five minutes later, and that’s ok. The goal is to start managing inertia. Quite often, however, some productivity takes place.

When you’re feeling very unmotivated and unproductive, stop focusing on “getting things done” and just focus on “overcoming inertia.”

The Thermostat

Little variations on temperature can greatly affect your focus and productivity.

Let’s face it: when it gets a few degrees too cold, all you want to do is breathe on your fingers until you can feel them again. Or curl up somewhere under a blanket with a hot cup of tea. And when it’s too hot, you want to lay around like a lump, because the heat saps your energy like Shang Tsung sucking your soul in Mortal Kombat.

If you work from home or are the boss, this is an easy fix – adjust your clothing or thermostat accordingly. If you are not in charge, adjust your attire or talk the people who are in charge about setting the temperature. But couch it in terms of your productivity (something that affects the company) rather than your comfort (something they are paying you to not care about 🙂 )

If the tell you to suck it up, well, I guess you’ll have to suck it up. And maybe start looking for another job.

Your Already Awesome Productivity

Yes, at times your current ability to get things done may be hampering your overall productivity.

Productivity is not efficiency. Some people are so good at “doing” that they keep themselves busy all the time, and then are stunned when they make little progress (at least relative to the amount of work put in). There’s a big difference between activity and progress. Between doing things and doing the right things. Don’t get so caught up in “getting things done” that you forget to step back and make sure you are doing the most important and effective things to get you where you want to go.