Whether we mean it or not, our everyday lives are full of unproductive habits.

Such habits make us feel less efficient when trying to achieve our business goals and can cause us to miss out on opportunities.

Running your own business is fantastic. You select which clients you’re working with, and you can shape your company in a way that suits you.

However, this also means you don’t have a boss looking after you and checking on your progress. It’s all up to you, but you need to keep your productivity in top shape.

 

Managing time is a challenge, but there are things you can do and unproductive things you can stop to improve your productivity, keep reading to find out how.

 

10 Reasons Why you are so Unproductive

1. Not Setting Goals (or Setting Too Many Goals) makes You Unproductive 

Not understanding what you want to do can make things seem unclear and create a lack of direction. Setting too many aims can become daunting on the flip side.

Really think about the main goals you wish to achieve over a set period without burning yourself out.

 

2. Not Tracking Finances lead makes You Unproductive 

Commit a certain time each day, or a day in the week, to really knuckle down on your finances and plan. Let’s face it, you’re never going to be “in the mood” to hammer out your monthly budgets, so that’s more of an excuse to nip it in the bud and get on with it.

 

3. Not Writing Things Down Makes You Unproductive 

A spur-of-the-moment idea can really help you get things set in motion, but what if you can’t recall that idea an hour later?

You never know when the idea could come in handy, no matter how crazy it might sound later.

Write stuff down. Writing down thoughts also helps to rid you of the thoughts in your mind and concentrate on the job at hand.

 

4. Not Taking Breaks Makes You Unproductive 

It’s tempting to bash out plans there and then, but when you have a lot on your plate this can lead to unproductive multitasking and you’ll begin to feel restless.

Take time and partake in something relaxing, such as going for a walk or mindfulness meditation, or listening to music.

 

5. Juggling Too Many Tasks makes You Unproductive 

Although several books also speak about the idea that the best approach to completing a productive day is to split your time over many assignments. However, this is not always the case, in reality, it can lead to low quality work and increased stress.

Download a time tracker tool and focus on one task at a time. It will also give you a greater sense of satisfaction knowing that you have finished a job to a high standard.

 

6. Saying Yes to Too Many Things makes You Unproductive 

Showing keenness and being a helpful person, in general, will lead to saying yes too much, leading to too many duties that you have to take care of. Don’t be afraid to say no so you have time to focus on your priorities.

 

7. Neglecting Physical and Mental Health makes You Unproductive 

Not looking after your physical and mental health can have detrimental effects on your work, let alone your body. This can cause you to become passive at work and put off difficult tasks.

Ensure that by having enough sleep, eating nutritious meals regularly, and exercising as part of your everyday routine, you concentrate on developing healthy habits.

 

8. Avoiding Hard Tasks makes You Unproductive 

It can become easy to think of excuses not to tackle a difficult task, such as working on a piece of copy about an industry you know nothing about.

Instead, except for the toughest of all, you do every other possible job.

Effective people take on the toughest challenges head-on, but they don’t sweat the little stuff.

 

9. Not Using Time Wisely makes You Unproductive 

If you want to take your business to the next level, but need your evenings to focus on up-skilling yourself, then you may need to learn to say no more than ever.

It’s important to pick and choose between recreational activities and ones that will progress your career. Dedicate to social events one night a week and use the rest to focus on your own efforts.

 

10. Having Constant Self Doubt makes You Unproductive 

There’s nothing wrong with being a perfectionist, however, too much perfectionism can mean minor mistakes can seriously throw you off and you’ll feel less inclined to finish tasks because they aren’t your level of perfection.

Get second opinions and collaborate with others. This way you can get different viewpoints and make only the necessary changes to your work as opposed to beating yourself up on the small stuff.

If you find this information useful or have something we miss out on things that makes you unproductive, please leave us a comment below.