The 3 Most Common Myths About Being Productive

 Originally published on the official Planndu blog

Many people think productivity is being busy, working more hours, or working harder physically,
but that’s not true. It’s not about having a never-ending to-do list to fill up your time.
Being productive is working smarter to get more of your goals achieved in a shorter time while achieving your highest priorities.

Managing your time and resources is crucial so you”ll have more free time to do more of the things you love & spend more quality time with your loved ones.

In this article, I”ll share the most common myths that may restrict you from maximizing your productivity.

1. Working more is equal to greater productivity.

Part of the reason people don’t like taking breaks is that the world moves so quickly. We don’t want to sit still because we may miss something. We are afraid that we may fall behind. However, we must have time to recharge.
A study from Stanford University by economics professor John Pencavel shows that productivity declines sharply when a person works more than 50 hours a week. After 55 hours, productivity drops so much that putting in any more hours would be pointless.
And, those who work up to 70 hours a week are only getting the same amount of work done as those who put in the 55 hours.

2. You need to be motivated all the time to stay productive.

Motivation might be great for productivity, but for most people, it’s not something that we”ll have all the time.
The problem is that we can’t depend on ourselves to be motivated all the time. If you wait around to feel like doing everything, then you might not get anything done.
However, you can always count on your willpower to keep you staying productive. Together with a good plan and worthy systems to keep you consistent, you could make it into a habit. If you start acting consistently with your long-term goals and values, your motivation might build after!

“Earned success is the best motivator”.

-Jay Hayden.

3. Multitasking is the key to achieving more in less time

Multitasking can make you feel productive and effective, but it turns out that our brains can’t do two things at once.
They’re simply not wired to do so. Instead, what we think of as “multitasking” is just bouncing our attention back and forth. That’s why it slows us down as found by a study conducted at Stanford University.
The study proved that people who are prone to multitasking had worse memory, were often unable to pay attention, and couldn’t filter the information according to what’s relevant for a particular goal. Therefore, they were slowed down by a bunch of unrelated information. What was even more surprising — multitaskers were quite bad at switching from one task to another as well, contrary to what one may expect.

Keeping clear of these myths is essential to ensuring a high level of productivity. Don’t let yourself be fooled by their seemingly logical advice, and watch out for their consequences. Arm yourself with knowledge, and stay safe from these productivity myths.