10 Productivity Myths That Are Ruining Your Life In 2023 (Part-I)
Stop Falling for These Common Misconceptions and Start Maximizing Your Productivity Today!
Being productive is a crown we all want to put on our heads as it is key to a successful and more organized lifestyle. Here I am with that 10 myths that we think making us productive but not really. I know you want quick suggestions for becoming productive, so I don’t want to bother you with a long lecture. Instead, we will discuss 5 Productivity Myths in this part-I and keep the rest for part-II.
Without further ado, let’s begin!
Myth#1: Multi-tasking is a great way to work
Often we think if we are doing many tasks at the same time, we tend to finish a lot of tasks quickly. So, while mailing or attending a zoom call, we check our Instagram, take down notes, and talk to parents or a friend, and this feels like a lot of work. It’s essential to understand what exactly is happening in our minds. When we do many tasks simultaneously, our mind keeps jumping from the first to the second, to the third, to the fourth, and then it comes back to the actual task; hence it gets tired. More importantly, our mind is not attentive anymore. So, it’s a big myth that multi-tasking is very important — I would not encourage it. In my life personally, I don’t multi-task; instead, I do many tasks in a day or a week. A great way to actually get a lot of work done is.
Don’t do a lot of tasks at the same time. Instead, do a lot of tasks in a day.
By identifying your time slots, for instance, you may read a book first, then do something else, and so on. While doing a particular task, you are only doing that, nothing else.
Myth#2: Working continuously on a task is the best way to get it done
This goes entirely against every possible research out there. Research shows that our brain gets tired very quickly. When we give it a mode of rest during fatigue, it actually nourishes itself and becomes sharper and more focused. To accomplish this, there is a Pomodoro Technique.
Pomodoro Technique is an exciting technique where you work in a slab of 30 minutes — work for 25 minutes and rest for 5 minutes.
At rest, you will not do anything that will make your mind already active. So, you will not check Instagram reels or Youtube; instead, close your eyes, drink some water, listen to music, do something that soothes your brain, and start Pomodoro again. After 4–5 Pomodoros, you will take a longer break for about 15 to 20 minutes or maybe half an hour. If you adopt this method towards your work, studies, and any task, you will find yourself a lot more present in that very task.
Myth#3: If I get more time for this task, then I will do it better
A fundamental law called Parkinson’s law says that:
The more time you have, your work will take much time to complete.
This is something that we all experience. We think we can complete a task in 3 days, but if we take 5 days to complete it, it becomes big. It’s almost as if the task increases magically as time increases. So, you need to recognize.
Spending more time on a task doesn’t mean the task will be completed better.
It could be that we are fooling our mind, or our mind is fooling us. So, a great way to be productive is to take as much time as you think it will take to complete a task. The more and more time you put into it, the more that work will expand, but it won’t get better.
Myth#4: Doing more is always better
It’s not always right.
Often, if you do more because you think it will improve, you are making a mistake because you might be doing some unnecessary work. There is another effective principle in the world.
Pareto Principle: Often, 80% of the impact on our lives, tasks, and decisions is made by 20% of the work we do.
This means most of the impact in your work will be in a minimal area, and if you focus more on this tiny area and do your best, you will certainly find the best impact. That is called smart work. A donkey also works hard, but it is still a donkey. (I do not envy a donkey, but just saying)
It’s not enough to work hard. It is important to work smartly while working hard.
Especially in today’s world, there’s so much technology, opportunities, exposure, and many ways to do the same task. You must understand which task will give the maximum impact to put more energy into it instead of thinking that if you work a lot, it will get better.
Not always true!
Myth#5: Distractions are always a wrong thing
The reality is that we cannot escape from distractions.
There are distractions in the world, and our mind wanders. I get distracted, you get distracted, and every human being gets distracted. The difference is how you use that distraction. If you keep telling your mind not to get distracted, then your mind will feel like What’s wrong with getting distracted?!
So you are looking at an Instagram reel, and you think you’ll see one reel only, after a reel, a swipe, then another swipe, and that 1 minute you were supposed to spend is now an hour because the brain is enjoying being distracted.
Why?
Because you have told your mind not to be distracted. It’s like when children are told, don’t do this! Then they go and do the same. Our mind also works like this.
Here is a good way of actually distracting your mind so that it is at peace.
You should plan your distractions
Tell your mind that we will get distracted, but between this time to this time. (I’m sounding weird but try it once! you will be going to thank me) Every day from 12:30–1:00 will be my distraction time. When I will watch IG reels, Netflix, Youtube, Spotify, or whatever I want. It will excite your mind, and you will focus more on your tasks at other times.
That’s why distraction is not always a bad thing.
Thank you for reading!😊
I hope it added value to your life. If you found it helpful, please consider sharing it with your friends and family so they can benefit too. I’m excited to bring you the part-II of this post. So stay tuned!
And if you have any questions or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. You can connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter. Let’s continue to learn and grow together!
