So you’re trying hard, you’re doing your best, and… not getting the desired result. Why is that? Well, one possible explanation is that this desired result is a bit unrealistic. Or, there may be some obstacles you aren’t noticing.

Burnout

What’s the most obvious result of working hard all the time and failing to achieve what you want? Of course, burnout. And here’s the paradox. You must work hard to be productive. You do exactly this and get exhausted. You aren’t productive because you are exhausted. But you must work hard. There should be something wrong with this reasoning, don’t you think?

The thing is that to be productive, you must, of course, work hard but also know and respect your limits. It’s thus like that

work + rest

If you do the former and neglect the latter, you’ll reach physical and emotional exhaustion real fast. So do include things that help you recharge. If you are already too stressed to relax, try natural relaxers like vapes enhanced with potent THCA liquid diamonds. These inhalable cannabis products will let you unwind fast and your brain will get the desired rest.

Multitasking

At a certain point, employers even included multitasking in job descriptions. They thought it meant you were very productive. Now, we know it’s not so. It’s vice versa. Multitasking can decrease your efficiency and the quality of your work. Sounds logical, doesn’t it? Try to juggle multiple tasks at once. It’ll slow you down, plus, you’ll likely make mistakes.

So if you’ve already developed this multitasking habit (after all, we all want to meet the employment criteria in the job market), try to replace it with a more helpful one. More specifically, try to focus on one task at a time. Just decide what you are doing now and don’t let anything distract you unless you are done. It’’s better to focus on small portions of work first because the temptation will be strong.

Decision Fatigue

Have you ever noticed that your brain protests against… deciding anything? Even if it’s something insignificant such as where to order dinner. This is not surprising at all! Every choice requires mental energy. And the latter is, of course, limited. Decision fatigue sets in when you’ve made too many decisions.

Okay, and is it at all possible to make fewer decisions? Well, it’s hard, yes, but you can, at least, try. The primary task here is to simplify your routine. For example, many of us spend tons of mental resources planning meals. So try to draft a menu for a couple of days or even an entire week (the latter is more problematic, of course). This means minus one decision a day which is already good.

Lack of Movement

Many jobs suggest that you must sit for prolonged periods. Sounds like nothing difficult but it actually saps your energy and focus. You’ve probably heard this many times, so just a quick summary: you can’t be productive unless you move enough. That’s just impossible. So if you view movement as a distraction from work, it’s not. It’s a huge contribution to it.

Overloading Your To-Do List

This one’s curious. On the face of it, a to-do list is supposed to make things simpler. But that’s only so unless it’s too long. When you have too many tasks on it, you can’t decide where to start. You stress and procrastinate. So if you use such lists, use them thoughtfully:

• Keep them realistic (calculate how much time you need to complete all those tasks, do you really have this time?)
• Sort the tasks in priority order and underline those that can be put off.
• If a task is big, write steps on how to complete it.

Perfectionism

The most productive people are perfectionists, right? Wrong. Let’s say you’re focused on making everything perfect. You spend lots of time on minor details. You miss deadlines. If you are working in a team, you are actually letting everyone down. That’s a very pessimistic scenario of course but it illustrates the point.

Productivity requires you to know when to accept “good enough.” In a way, it’s related to seeing the big picture. You must see how your actions impact the entire workflow not just the task you are now working on.

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All in all, it’s important to remember about why we want to be productive. If that’s what we need to succeed at work, then, you’ve just seen a few strategies that can help. If that’s what we try to bring to our personal lives, well… it’s worth reflecting upon the value we expect to receive. Sometimes, enjoying ourselves does more good to us than achieving new goals.