... and, in fact, it contributes to the problem.
Do you make appointments for yourself and find it difficult to fulfill them? Maybe you want to start working at 9 PM, but you quickly break this promise and understand that you can’t control time.
Our productivity struggles are frequently caused by a lack of motivation rather than a lack of efficiency. Time is still necessary and valuable, but it should not be the sole determinant of your personal sense of productivity. In order to be productive, you must rely on willpower to push yourself to complete a task. If you focus on why you’re excited about the project and who will benefit from it, you’ll be drawn in by intrinsic motivation.
What is the better path for productivity?
Rethink the way you approach your “to do list”
Attention management refers to a set of behaviors and habits that can help you focus on the task at hand and avoid becoming distracted. However, its purpose as a concept is to shift your understanding of, and strategy for, how you motivate yourself. Instead of focusing on trying to control time (which no one can do), you can practice controlling your attention, which is very attainable.
Four ways to improve your productivity
1. Create a conducive work environment.
Whether you work from home or in a traditional office, make every effort to create a distraction-free environment. When you need to concentrate on a specific task, turn off notifications on your computer or smartphone. There are numerous apps that can help you create a productive environment, even on your device’s screen.
2. Focus solely on one task at a time.
While some people excel at multitasking, focus on learning single-tasking first. It’s easier to enter a flow state when you can focus entirely on a single task at any given time. When it comes to completing deep work and staying focused, multitasking can easily become more distracting than empowering.
3. Daydreaming or Mind Wandering
The moments when we aren’t directing our focus anywhere particular and still resisting distractions is called Mind Wandering. In this daydreaming state, we have insight, ideas, and our creativity really comes out. Filling these in-between moments with activity or distraction (why not respond to some messages, while riding the elevator?) may appear harmless, even productive. There is a misconception that if you are not actively engaging into a task, you’re not being productive. However it’s actually the opposite and it’s critical to strike the balance of these brief moments of mind wandering.
4. Practice mindfulness and meditation
Many thoughts will arise as you practice paying attention to what is going on in your body and mind at the present moment. Your thoughts may wander to something that happened yesterday or to your to-do list, your mind will try to be somewhere other than where you are. When you meditate, you train your mind to recognize when it wanders and then simply return to the object of focus.