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Productivity Is A Myth. Here is why You’ve Had It All Wrong

Productivity is a philosophy of life, a state of mind. Being efficient means doing, at every moment, what we consciously choose to do and not what we feel we are doing forced by circumstances. Productivity means adopting an attitude for continuous improvement.

By Deladem KumordziePublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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pro·duc·tiv·i·ty

/ˌprōˌdəkˈtivədē,ˌprädəkˈtivədē/

The effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input. Eg: “workers have boosted productivity by 30 percent”

Productivity is a philosophy of life, a state of mind. Being efficient means doing, at every moment, what we consciously choose to do and not what we feel we are doing forced by circumstances. Productivity means adopting an attitude for continuous improvement.

What if I told you it was a myth? would you still believe me? Let me prove it to you.

Being productive appears to be the focal point of most of our lives these days. Every day we’re thinking about how much we can get done, within the shortest possible time. On some days it seems 24 hours is never enough.

So here’s the paradox: Americans are working 10 percent fewer total hours than they did before the recession, due to layoffs and shortened workdays, but we are producing nearly as many goods and services as we did back in the full employment days of 2007.

What does productivity mean to you? Tasks? Getting more tasks accomplished — say writing and responding to scores of emails in between other activities — may technically represent higher productivity, but it doesn’t necessarily mean adding greater value. If you have ever questioned this then here is your answer

It is human nature to crave more productivity because it is no less than a secret to stay on top of your work and claim back-to-back success. However, being productive in itself is associated with a lot of myths and we will touch on a few of them.

Myth 1. Multitasking Can Kill Productivity

Yes, the concept of task switching — constantly jumping from one to-do to another — does have some pretty dire effects on your productivity. It’s important to note, however, that task switching isn’t as multitasking.

there are some positive manifestations of multitasking:

- Rehearsing your elevator pitch while you’re washing dishes or

- Listening to that inspirational music while you write that business plan

Multitasking actually serves to maximize your time and, in many cases, improve performance. The key is that the tasks are complementary rather than competitive, requiring the same cognitive effort or type of focus.

So, the next time someone tries to tell you that your affinity for multitasking is sending your productivity levels into a nosedive, You can easily brush them off.

MYTH 2: The early bird gets the worm

Another Myth morning people are more productive. Research suggests that there is no real difference between the early birds and the night owls.

MYTH 3: Doing All the Critical Tasks at the End of the Day

Most people think that doing small and easy tasks at the start of the day will help them deal with critical tasks more effectively because their confidence level will increase by viewing the number of tasks they have already done for the day. However, according to Psychologists, doing critical tasks first sets you up for a productive and fulfilling day.

MYTH 4: Productivity Is About Getting Everything Done

Getting a checklist done does not necessarily mean you have been productive. Productivity must yield tangible results. Being productive also means doing what you can within your designated time frame. Not bound by an obligation to finish everything but bound by the quality of results and impact your work brings.

MYTH 5: Doing All By Yourself Makes You Productive

It’s like thinking like a one-man army. It might make you feel confident about yourself and your abilities, but as far as productivity is concerned, it is on the lower side. Instead of doing a one-man show, you should focus on task delegation because it provides you some extra time which you can invest in finding more positive ways to amplify your productivity and tap the growth. Well, to be honest, task delegation is not a piece of cake because you have to trust the capabilities of someone else but with time and patience you can master how to delegate tasks.

MYTH 6: Working under Pressure Increases Productivity

The Idea of working intensely and under pressure is one of the most misguided notions when it comes to productivity. Some people have a concept that they perform better under strict conditions because it helps them become more creative and they can finish their tasks well before time. But, the reality is different because working under pressure creates more chances of errors because the extra stress brings more cognitive load and makes it difficult for your brain to perform better. While it may heighten your anxiety it may not necessarily make you productive.

MYTH 7: Assuming a work Technique should work for everyone.

Usually, working in an office, you see some people using different working techniques, and they work well for them. It can be because of the fact that they are used to it, or they have trained themselves to be more productive using that certain technique. However Copying a colleague's work style might actually be a recipe for disaster, because the fact that it is working for worker A does not mean it will work for you.

MYTH 8: Sleep Is For Lazy People and Not For Productivity Seekers

Contrary to what you might think, depriving yourself of sleep in order to be productive will just backfire over time. Sleep is incredibly essential if you want to get tangible results and be productive. Not Sleeping is “not cool” and will only make your body suffer for no reason. You will find that according to research those that actually make time to sleep have better days and are more active than their counterparts.

MYTH 9: Setting Daily Work Routine Is A Waste of Time

Well, if setting a daily work routine is that useless, then why do successful people like Jack Dorsey, Evan Williams, Barack Obama, and others give too much importance to their daily routines. The key reason for that is because they know that having a specific routine aligns with their life and keep them in a perfect flow. You might follow your daily work routine but it will at least allow you to get important work out of the way.

Did Toyota do itself or its customers any good by finding a way to accelerate production and expand sales over the past decade? As its president Akio Tayoda Acknowledged in a speech to his own leaders: “Some executives just got too big-headed and focused too excessively on profit.” What suffered was the reliability and quality of Toyota’s cars — a reputation that took years to build but only days to unravel.

So the next time you think about productivity, Do not let myths rule your efforts and make you fall way off the charts. Own your method.

Like my articles? You may also like :

https://vocal.media/journal/be-smarter-about-making-money-on-vocal-media-what-they-don-t-tell-you

https://vocal.media/lifehack/the-boomerang-effect-why-you-always-get-the-opposite-result-from-an-intended-outcome

https://vocal.media/lifehack/how-to-create-a-robust-presence-on-clubhouse-3-strategies

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About the Creator

Deladem Kumordzie

Challenging everything I know, unlearning & relearning⚡️ A rare breed of business and technology. Business Planning || Branding || Front End developer || Graphics || Entrepreneur || Interested in Venture Studios

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