Productivity may seem like a simple concept, but it actually has many complex factors that tie into it. When you look further into what productivity actually is you will find many tips, wisdom, and even a few equations. But today’s objective is to understand the 3 myths of productivity that will really have the opposite effect.
These common productivity myths are known to bring ambitious people away from their productive mindset and hurt their overall work ethic. Simply knowing what these myths are might allow you to be a more productive person yourself.
Let’s take a further look into what these myths are, and debunk them to help you understand some of the ways you can be more productive.
1. The Myth “I Don’t Have Time”
Most of us don’t realize or don’t want to admit that our time is completely within our control. Yeah, you might have a job or school to attend every day, but still, your time is more in your control than you may think.
Once we really get a grip on this and apply it, we begin to feel liberated. This is because we want to believe that we don’t have the time. Essentially, we are self-sabotaging. Tricking the brain into believing there is no time to control.
When in reality, all we’re doing is making ourselves feel better about making the bad decisions rather than the more productive ones.
It’s not that you don’t have time, it’s that you are actively choosing not to make the time. It’s not that you’re limited by time, it’s that you’re limited by the choices you make with your time.
This is so crucial to set in stone if you want to be a productive person. You’ll begin to understand that saying “I don’t have time” really means “I don’t wanna do this.”
So how can you negate this? Well, most people would tell you to just stop saying it, but it’s a lot more complicated than that. First, you need to get yourself out of the rabbit hole.
Start looking at the reality of how much time you actually have in your day and how much control you really have over it. Then you can start to take action.
You start to make the time to learn the guitar, make a YouTube channel, learn a new language, or even just finally get your homework done.
It’s as simple as starting. Nine times out of ten you will actually have a blast learning that guitar, or learning to edit videos. Once you take control over what you do with your time, you begin to realize how much time you actually have.
2. The Myth of Motivation
This myth consists of three parts: thought, motivation, and action.
It all starts with a thought. Usually, a thought that we don’t really want to cross our minds in the first place, but it does anyway. For this example, we can use the thought “I should probably study.”
So then there’s the action of actually studying. We know we should study, but most of us believe in the myth that we have to feel like studying before we do it (which is why we never do it).
That myth of motivation is like a giant barrier, stopping you from taking that productive action, which in this case is to study. The ideal route would be from thought to action, taking the train of discipline. Instead, most of us take the route from thought and then stop for a detour at motivation mountains before reaching our final destination of action.
So how can we learn to take the fast route?
Well learning what discipline is would be a start. The key is understanding that motivation is just an emotion/feeling, and relying on emotions and feelings is a terrible way to go about getting things done.
When we rely on feelings we choose cartoons over studying. When we rely on emotions we would always think that studying is the worst thing in the world and then wonder why we failed the final exam.
When you realize that motivation mountains are rated one star out of five, then you lose interest in going there.
3. The Myth of Multitasking
Productivity is the idea of getting the most done in as little time as possible. So multitasking is a great method to use, right? Wrong.
I like to think of multitasking as an illusion. When you’re trying to answer emails, work on homework, and schedule next month’s work all at once, you create the illusion that you are becoming the productive person you always wanted to be. What you don’t realize is that you are being sloppy.
Being a top-notch student, or an amazing employee is not all about being productive. You also have to balance that productivity with quality work.
If you’re doing three things at once, sure you’re getting things done, but when you look at your performance, don’t be surprised to see an awful report.
You can still be productive if you choose to do one thing at a time. You know what they say: slow and steady wins the race. So instead of doing three things at once, you should be doing one thing after the other to ensure your best work.
Another benefit of focusing on one thing at a time is the flow state. The flow state is a state in which you are so focused and in your element, that time just starts to fly by.
This mental state has been scientifically proven to make you more productive, focused, and happier. This makes the process of studying, getting work done, and life as a human just that more enjoyable.