We all want to work smarter, but are we getting ahead or just spinning our wheels?
Here are some common productivity lies that we tell ourselves that hinder more than help our work.
This post originally appeared onFast Company.
“We’re always rushing from meeting to meeting and drowning in work,” she says.
“It’s not about doing more; it’s about making wiser choices.”
You’re only valuable to your organization when you are doing what you’re hired to do."
Productivity lies get in the way, says Foulkes.
“People who take work home aren’t getting any time off,” she says.
“Work isn’t from 8AM to 5PM, work is much longer.”
“The person who brings work home is less productive throughout day,” she says.
As a result, they do everything slower."
It’s the opposite, however, that makes us more efficient.
“When we fill our brains with action items, we slow down our ability totake action.
It’s like working on a slow computer.”
Quick, fast and easy tasks can wait or be delegated.
Instead, she suggestsscheduling meetings in the afternoontoconduct an effective meeting.
“Plus they don’t need to take work home with them.
This is the nature of being productive and efficient versus working hard.”
But this approach can lead to complacency.
A good example is team communications.
Then identify things that are high priority, high reward tasks and investigate options.
Image byWords+Pictures(Shutterstock).
Additional photos byKevin Dooley,Mark Rowland,Purple Slog,Wonderlane,alexkerhead(Flickr).
