And how to fix them.

All the productivity hacks in the world won’t help if you don’t understand a simple truth.

The things that make you less productive have a much bigger impact than the ones that make you more productive. A traffic jam costs you more time than going ten over the speed limit can save you. But because you’re so used to having productivity roadblocks in your daily life, you don’t even notice anymore.

Here’s how to eliminate them.

Read also: How to find balance and not lose yourself while pursuing success

Let’s Talk About the Elephant in the Room

The biggest factor killing your productivity is also the hardest to accept and change.

When I studied in university, did summer jobs, or worked a 9 to 5, I took any opportunity to distract myself. I scrolled on my phone, talked to coworkers, and sat on the toilet until I had the seat imprinted on my cheeks.

But when I write, I go Michael Jordan on my phone and throw it to the other end of the room so it doesn’t distract me.

The reason is simple.

I’m excited about my work. I don’t want to be distracted. I want to make progress because I care.

If what you do bores you like a slug race, either change it or find ways to make it more exciting.

Challenge yourself to work faster. Focus on your learnings. Find new, innovative ways of solving problems. Track your progress. Create emotions by hyping yourself up.

The more excited you are, the less you’ll have to try to be productive.

Your Environment Holds You Back

Free will is a myth.

Your environment influences you heavily. If cookies are in the kitchen, you’ll eat them. If your coworker walks by, you’ll chat them up. The good news is you can shape your environment as you wish.

Look around you — how can you make your surroundings less distracting?

When I see some people’s desks, laptop screens, or browser settings, it feels like a mix between a flea market and Las Vegas Casino. Everything’s cluttered, blinks, and beeps.

This kills your productivity like an “I was just thinking about your mum” statement the bedroom mood.

My desk has nothing on it but my laptop, mouse, keyboard, and a water bottle. Clean up your workstation, turn off email notifications, download app and website blockers, and hide your phone.

Your environment shapes your behavior, but you can shape your environment.

You Prioritize Speed Over Efficiency

A friend of mine recently lived in pitch black for a whole week.

No, he’s not a caveman. He joined a darkness therapy retreat, which sounds scarier than it is. It went well, except for the one day he walked face-first into a wall.

His therapist, unimpressed by the bleeding nose, simply asked him: “Why do feel the need to move so quickly all the time?”

We often assume moving faster equals more progress.

But there’s no point speeding up if you’re headed in the wrong direction. When I started my business, I wasted weeks and months because I didn’t make a proper plan in the beginning. When you go through your day or tackle a project, it’s easy to dive in head-first, thinking the sooner you get to work, the more you’ll get done. This will make you busy, but not productive.

Ten minutes of planning can save you ten hours of work.

You’re Reactive Instead of Proactive

What’s the first thing you do in the morning?

For most people, it involves sleepily flicking through their phones. But this is the productivity equivalent of greeting your mother-in-law with “thanks for not aborting your kid else I wouldn’t have anyone to bang.” You’re not off to a good start.

Checking your phone first thing in the morning puts you in reactive mode. Messages, news, emails, and social media influence your mood and pull your resources into insignificant issues. Stay active and decide how to use your precious morning hours instead.

Every evening, I turn off my phone’s WiFi before I go to sleep. At lunchtime, I turn it back on. No distractions in between.

Take charge of your mornings and you’ll take charge of your days.

You Don’t Manage This Important Resource Well

When it comes to productivity, time is not your most valuable asset.

Ten hours are worth nothing if you spend them on your couch watching Netflix. One hour is everything if you spend it productively. So what makes the difference?

Focus and energy.

Most people spend their evenings glued to a screen, rarely move their body, and compensate for a lack of sleep with absurd amounts of caffeine.

Then they wonder why they’re constantly drained, sleeping all weekend only to repeat the cycle on Monday.

Instead, use these three approaches:

• **Regenerate properly
  **Get your sorted out. There is no better productivity booster than being well-rested.
• **Let go of emotional stress
  **Learn to switch off after work. Stop worrying about things you can’t control. Stay in the moment instead of getting lost in worries.
• **Take breaks before you need them
  **There’s a reason why Formula 1 cars do pitstops. It helps them go faster in the end. Take regular breaks before you run out of fuel — every 80–120 minutes syncs your efforts with your [natural] Basic-Rest-Activity-Cycle.
• **Ditch the poison
  **Porn, fast food, and dopamine-receptor-frying social media scrolls take a toll on your mental and physical health. They drain you of any motivation, so cut them out.

Keep your focus and energy high — your productivity will follow suit.

Read also: 9 powerful truths that will change your life forever

Summary To Help You Become More Productive

Boosting your productivity doesn’t mean following every single hack there is — quite often, you just have to drop the bad behaviors that hold you back.

1. Eliminate what doesn’t excite you and focus on what does.
2. Create an environment that favors productivity instead of killing it.
3. Plan your steps before you take them — moving faster doesn’t mean being more efficient.
4. Reclaim your mornings to do what matters because they’re the most important part of your day.
5. Do activities that increase your focus and energy so you can use your time better.

“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort.”

— Paul J. Meyer

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Contributed by Moreno Zugaro

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