Have you ever tried some of the most common productivity tips? Have you noticed that most of them don’t work? You may even get less productive when you follow them.
That’s because they are productivity myths. The moment has come. We need to expose those myths in all their ridiculousness.
Here are 15 most common misconceptions about productivity:
1. Become An Expert Multitasker And You’ll Be More Productive
When you work on multiple projects at the same time, you’ll make sure you’ll meet the deadlines on all of them.
No, no, no! Multitasking is a productivity myth. It does you more harm than you assume. When you devote your attention to multiple tasks at the same time, you’re not fully focused on either of them.
2. Focus On The Big Goals
Set big goals, then focus on them. Every single step you take has to be for the sake of the big goal.
Yes, the big goals keep you focused. However, placing all your attention on them makes you lose track of the small steps you’re taking. You’re not seeing the progress and that makes you lose motivation.
3. More Work – More Results
Don’t fall victim to distractions. Work, work, work! That’s what those articles will tell you.
Well, guess what: when you overwhelm yourself with work, you’ll easily get to a burnout. Productivity means getting better results by doing less. You should get results not by working more, but by being more productive.
4. Avoid Breaks To Be More Productive
You’re less focused after a break. That’s probably why Americans take less vacation when compared to workers from other high-income nations.
A productivity slide after a break is a myth. American workers are also the most stressed ones. It’s necessary for you to recharge your batteries, so you’ll get back to work fully energized.
5. You’re More Productive Then They Pay You More
A raise or a bonus will inspire you to be more productive, for sure.
But, that will only last for a short time. After the initial enthusiasm, you’ll get used to this pay. You can’t expect to get a raise every two months just to stay productive. Money should not be your main motivation for productivity.
6. You Do Your Best Job Under Pressure
When the deadline is approaching, you have no other choice but to do your job well.
That tip makes you think that procrastination is okay. It’s not. You do your best job when you start early and you focus on every step of the process. You don’t have time to focus on the details when chasing a deadline.
7. Busy Equals Productive
“Never waste a single second of your day,” they say. If you have free time on your hands, do something about it.
Wait; since when did free time become a bad thing? Staying busy is a productivity myth. If you have free time, it means you’ve been productive. You covered all your tasks and now you deserve the rest.
8. Create a Calm Workspace
You’ll be more focused when you work in peace and quiet.
That’s another myth. Some people don’t like working in quiet, so you’ll just have to figure out what works best for you. If you feel more focused when working at a coffee shop with all those sounds around you, do it.
9. No One Can Do Your Work Better Than You
If you outsource, you’ll have to edit and revise, so you’re still doing the work and wasting your time.
That’s not true. Outsourcing makes you really productive when you do it right. If you have a budget to delegate some of your tasks, do it. However, you have to make sure you’re hiring great remote workers.
10. Clean Up And You’ll Be More Focused
When you clear up your working environment, you also clear your mind. Yes, that might work for some people.
However, others feel stressed when you put them in an overly clean and organized place. If you like having all your books and papers on the desk and you can still find what you need, that’s okay.
11. Learn More
The more things you know, the easier you can complete your tasks. Yes, it’s important to keep learning.
However, the statement that any knowledge will make you more productive is just a myth. You need relevant knowledge. Everything else is a waste of time. You’ll benefit only from the knowledge and skills you can use.
12. Remote Jobs Don’t Let You Show Your Full Potential
You can’t be really productive when you don’t have a superior over your head.
Don’t believe that! If you organize your time well according to your personal productivity periods, you’ll do much more productive work than an average office employee.
13. Planning Makes You Inflexible
A rigid plan makes you inflexible, so the extra task will stress you out.
That’s only partially true. When you have a system, it’s important to make it flexible, so it will help you fit in unexpected tasks. When you develop a good system, it will only make you more focused and productive.
14. Procrastination is Just A Work Style
Well, no it’s not. Sometimes procrastinating could be fine, but don’t let the task wait while you’re searching for mysterious inspiration and motivation. Deadlines should be your motivation. Some things just need to be done.
15. Productivity Hacks Help You Get Better
You think there are universal productivity hacks that work for everyone? That’s the biggest myth of all.
Yes, you can find some extremely useful productivity hacks. However, you should realize that what works for most people might not work for you. I think we clarified that by busting all other myths above.
Find out what works for you. That’s the only universal productivity tip that works.
