If you’re sometimes frustrated about how little you accomplish during your work day, you’re not alone. Research indicates that only 26% of people often leave the office having accomplished the tasks they set out to do. It’s common to feel as if you’ve been busy but haven’t done anything important. Of course, life isn’t about being a productivity robot in which every second is optimized. But most of us do want to feel well-organized and efficient in pursuing key goals and solving critical problems. A good first step is to understand the mental mistakes that typically prevent us from focusing on and finishing meaningful work. Here are five common ones:
5 Mental Mistakes That Kill Your Productivity
If your to-do list isn’t getting any shorter, here’s why.
November 04, 2019
Summary.
Research indicates that only 26% of people often leave the office having accomplished the tasks they set out to. A good first step is to understand the mental mistakes that typically prevent us from focusing on and finishing meaningful work. Five common ones include underestimating the time you have for focused work, overlooking simple productivity hacks, thinking about change in an all-or-nothing way, forgetting how to do infrequent but recurring tasks, and underestimating the costs of small time or energy leaks. Recognizing these common traps is the first step in regaining productivity.
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HBR Learning
Time Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Time Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
Make smarter, more purposeful choices about how you spend your day.