Each of us has some good and some bad habits. We develop bad habits as a result of our surroundings, circumstances, and our social circle. Have you ever asked yourself why you are feeling so lazy and unproductive? You try to push yourself to concentrate, but you cannot help but feel exhausted and uninterested.
Therefore, we have compiled a list of habits that destroy your motivation.
1. Perfectionism
People often make the mistake of believing that in order to be productive, you must do everything perfectly. Perfectionism often causes more harm than good for your work. Perpetually, perfectionism stems from a sense of failure rather than a genuine interest in your work. You work extra hours to ensure every element is perfect because you’re afraid your job won’t be good enough if you leave it as is. However, all of the time and energy you spent on examining the same components over and over, could have been used to complete the project and begin working on a new one. Because of the unreasonable expectations you set for yourself, perfectionism can affect the quality of your work.
2. Comparison
Comparisons are harmful more than you think; from lowering self-esteem to destroying relationships. When it comes to motivation and efficiency, comparisons often prevent you from taking significant steps toward your aims, leaving you feeling insecure or overshadowed by everyone else who is succeeding. Don’t make the error of dismissing your ambitions simply because you don’t have the same amount of money, confidence, or authority as somebody else. If they have something you like, try and figure out how they got there, and then figure out how you could do the same.
3. Waiting to work
Because it is so simple to justify, waiting for the ideal time to work is easily one of the most common and successful types of procrastination. For instance, you have a huge project that will take you at least 3 or 4 hours to complete. You plan to sit down and finish it in one sitting, but then you notice you are feeling hungry. You decide to begin working after lunch, but then you recall that you forgot to do a bunch of tasks, so you remind yourself that you’ll start working right after you complete those. You end up repeating the same thing over and over again until there is no time left in the day to complete your tasks.
If this is you, you must develop a daily routine that forces you to start and stop working at the same time each day. Over time, your mind and body will become so accustomed to staying on time that you will no longer feel the need to procrastinate.
4. Multitasking
Multitasking appears to be a good idea in theory; after all, if you do two or more things at once, you’re not only saving time but also multiplying your efficiency, right? Each day, many people repeat the same mistake because genuinely effective multitasking is nearly impossible. Humans are designed to concentrate on one thing at a time; in reality, even when we think we’re multitasking, we are just switching our tension between a few various issues, not focusing on several things at once. So, how does this apply to efficiency and motivation? Assume you have some emails to reply to as well as a presentation to prepare. You choose to multitask because you want to finish as soon as possible. This not only consumes a lot of additional energy but also results in messy work.
5. Allowing distractions
Do you tend to leave the TV on when working, or do you prefer to do your assignments while your friends are present? While this may appear to be a fun way to get some tedious work done, it can be counterproductive to motivation and productivity. These diversions, like multitasking, push your mind to try to focus on two or more things at the same time, but they take things a step further.
If you have a habit of being lethargic or lazy, your mind would be looking for ways of avoiding work. Even when we are working at our best level, the average person’s mind wanders between 20% and 40% of the time. It can take years of training and self-discipline to focus your attention on one thing. As a result, your mind will likely wander at least a little bit. When this happens, you will be much more susceptible to distractions. The more you try to divert your attention away from these issues, the more creative and driven you will be.
6. Saying yes
You may be struggling to stay driven because you are so centred on doing what everyone else wants you to do that you are ignoring your objectives Being a yes man is a move in the correct direction if you want to be more outgoing or break out of your shell. However, don’t be surprised if you find yourself with much less time for your ventures.
So, to remain motivated, think about how and when to say no. It can be difficult to overcome social demands to assist people who ask for your assistance, but they will honour you more if you are honest and transparent about your priorities. Learning to say no has the additional advantage of promoting confidence and self-assurance, so don’t be hesitant to let people know how much you treasure your time.
7. Indecisiveness
It takes a lot of practice to be calm and decisive, so having faith in your decisions increases your motivation to work hard and live up to expectations. When you lack confidence, you often waste time because you are too consumed by what-ifs and pointless anxiety. When you ultimately make a choice, you will end up performing poorly because you are constantly wondering if you made the wrong decision to avoid becoming engulfed in this vortex of self-doubt, try putting a timeline on your decisions.
If it’s anything minor, allow yourself just a few minutes to weigh the pros and cons of it. If you somehow can’t decide because of the time constraint, go with your gut. By imposing a strict deadline on yourself, you can prevent yourself from getting in your way.