Productivity

Eight Productivity Myths You Believe Are True but Actually Aren’t

And what to do instead.

This is likely not the first article you’ve read on the topic of productivity. There is a plethora of articles out there offering advice on how to be productive and giving answers to questions you never even thought to ask.

Yet, all too often, we find ourselves stuck with the same bad habits because it takes time and effort to form better habits that lead to a more productive life.

Why does this happen?

Much of the advice out there is unhelpful, and sometimes even counterproductive. There are plenty of myths surrounding productivity that are false and may confuse you and disrupt your journey to becoming more productive.

In the rest of this article, we’ll dispel some common myths about productivity and share some tips that will keep you on the right track.

Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Top Eight Productivity Myths

Here is our list of the top productivity myths most people believe are true — but aren’t!

Myth One: You Must Copy the Habits of Successful People to Achieve What You Want in Life

Many articles on productivity are based on the routines of highly successful people which the reader is encouraged to emulate. You know the kind of article we’re talking about. Here are a few examples we made up.

• Oprah Winfrey’s 5 am morning routine for a super productive day.
• Orlando Bloom’s 20-minute chanting session sets him up for the day ahead.
• Two hours of daily meditation keeps Jack Dorsey going.

But lionizing the habits of successful people is not the best way to give out productivity advice.

One problem is that statistics imply that for the few people who obtain success through cultivating productive habits, many others will not manage it, even if they develop the same habits and adopt the same routines. Feelings of inadequacy that may arise from not being able to meet the same high standards may slow your process.

Also, it gives people the idea that successful people can always operate at peak performance. But as shown by Benjamin Franklin’s…