Many things you do to be productive may actually cause you to be less productive. Here are the pitfalls.
Good intentions often lead us to do things that get in the way of accomplishing goals, says Getting Things Done author David Allen. These top the list of good intentions gone bad.
- Overloading to-do lists. If the list never ends, agents and leaders will feel like the work is never done. Then they’ll be overwhelmed all of the time. Instead, maintain a manageable list.
- Lumping too many things together. Sure, it feels good to cross things off the list – whether it’s on a pad of paper or a smartphone. But if the items aren’t that important to the big picture, you aren’t working effectively. Instead, keep low priority tasks separate so you focus on the important stuff.
- Getting sidetracked by too much technology. Technology offers efficiency, but it’s also a major distraction. Set aside time to use those apps and tools. Create time to turn them off and put your nose to the grindstone.
