You only have 24 hours a day. 24 short-lived hours to get everything and anything done. It’s never enough… And it always seems like your day is short and unproductive. I’ve been there too. Making the most of your 24 hours to have a successful job, career, life, family, and more is essential.
That’s why I’m excited to provide the top 3 productivity mistakes holding you back today. Thus, limiting your time, days, and progress toward your goals.
Productivity is the efficiency of the production of goods or services expressed by some measure.
That said, if you are unproductive, you’re not producing. You could be relaxing, taking it easy, and not pushing forward toward your goals.
Now that you have a clear idea of what being productive is and isn’t and the importance of your day. Let’s get right into the 3 mistakes you must avoid at all costs!
Sleeping in is detrimental to your productivity. That’s right, I said it. You must wake up early to get the most out of your day.
When you sleep in, you start your day later. You feel lazy, and tired.
This drags into the afternoon, then the evening, and before you know it, you’re watching 3 Netflix series back to back.
Waking up early (say 6:00 a.m.) will ensure you start your day on the right foot.
When you wake up, focus on important daily tasks first, such as:
Sleeping in is the killer of productivity.
No, I’m not saying you must wake up at 5:00 a.m. every day for the next decade. Keep it in balance.
But, it will be extremely powerful if you can stick to a schedule where you wake up at the same time at least 5 days a week.
Sure, you can sleep in for a couple of hours here and there. Rest is important.
Have a schedule and stick to it. Focus on what’s essential immediately, and you’ll be shocked at how much your productivity improves!
Have you ever felt like you drowning in work, family obligations, and saying yes to going out with friends all the time?
Saying yes to everything only keeps you from doing more of what YOU want.
People hate confrontation (for the most part), leading to more yes’s and more regrets.
Early in my working career, I only knew how to say yes—leading me down a dark path of 14-16 hour days, burnout, exhaustion, and the whole bit.
There is a time to say yes, but also a time to say no.
No is powerful and will free up your days like you never thought possible.
Many people say yes to obligations that they don’t want to fulfill. Filling up their calendars with other people’s priorities and not their own!
If you struggle to say no, I challenge you to figure out your priorities. This could be a short list of what matters. It could be family, work, money, health, or whatever.
Once you have a CLEAR idea of your priorities, only say YES to those things. Say no to everything else.
Watch how much time this saves you, allowing you to dedicate more of your time to what you love.
We live in a society that teaches us we must work for an hourly wage all our lives.
Trading time for money is a concept known and believed around the world.
You were taught to go to school, find a job, and work to earn an income. Right? Wrong.
You become trapped when you focus solely on trading your time for money or anything else. Why? Because you can only make more money or do that other thing when you trade time.
And time is finite. Meaning you only have so much of it. Nothing is guaranteed.
You must shift your thinking from the typical 9-5er, who believes they work 8 hours because that’s what it takes to do their job.
Begin to focus on the results and not just time.
When you focus on results, you will be shocked at what you can do in less time.
Set more aggressive timelines, shorter meetings, and bigger targets.
You should look at results when measuring your earnings and not your time.
This is where value for money comes in rather than time.
Are you focused on time and not results? If so, what is something you can do right now to change this?
If you’re currently working in a job making an hourly wage or salary (highly likely), what else can you do to be results driven?
Maybe it’s not your job but something else, savings, workouts, mindfulness, or mental health.
Focus on the results, and you’ll get more time and freedom!
Being productive is a way of life. You must do it in everything you do.
These 3 productivity mistakes could be holding you back:
If you’re doing one or all of these things, try to limit them. Make small incremental changes to eliminate them altogether, and live a productive life.
To be efficient in everything you do, you must wake up early, say no, and focus on results.
While it’s taken me years, if not decades, to make it happen, I know you can do it much faster.
If you’re sick and tired of being unproductive and waiting for the “perfect time” to take action, this is your sign. Let's talk if you’re stuck in a job you hate and want to make a change.
Here’s a free 45-minute Career Strategy Session just for you.
Chris M Wilson
Chris Wilson is a keynote speaker, CTI coach, and entrepreneur. Through his Hover to Fly framework, he aims to impact the next generation in their careers and lives.
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