Top 5 Productivity Myths Debunked

On a scale of 1 to 1, how would you rate your productivity? Now, ask yourself that question again, on a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your productivity according to all those myths on productivity we read on the internet? We bet, the answer in both answers are different and now you might feel a little behind the race. We have been told so many things about productivity and multitasking that instead of adding help, they make us feel overwhelmed. While there are so many talks about productivity that don’t make sense and are not applicable, here we will debunk the top 5 productivity myths.

 

Myth #1: Multitasking makes you more efficient.

On the contrary, jumping from one task to another will not get all the jobs done. You’ll end up wasting time juggling between calls, emails, meetings, and projects without much progress. You will also notice yourself getting distracted easily. Also, studies have proven that multitaskers tend to forget more, can’t pay much attention, and gather less information.

 

Myth #2: Spending longer hours means getting more done.

This couldn’t get further from the truth. While many people praise that the longer hours you spend working, the more things you get done, the truth is that longer working hours can affect you negatively. This can lead to worse performance, fatigue, and accordingly less productivity and dissatisfaction with the job and the workplace. 

 

Myth #3: Filling every minute of your day.

We all have those days when we are approaching a deadline or have a lot to finish that we power through without breaks. Non-stop grinding without stepping back from your desk for a cup of coffee or a walk around the office can result in burnout, slowing down your mental capacity for work, and will decrease your creativity and problem-solving skills.

 

Myth #4: You should copy the habits of highly successful people.

Just think of all the books on shelves telling you how to be like this and that, lessons to learn from Steve Jobs, or Oprah, so on so forth. Habits that make other people successful won’t necessarily make you successful as well. For instance, the debate between early birds and night owls. So if you, as a night owl, force yourself to wake up at 5 am because it’s claimed to make you more productive, surprise, it won’t. In short, one habit can work well with others but not with you, and vice versa.

 

Myth #5: People can’t be productive outside the office.

Prior to 2020, employers believed that working remotely will never be productive until the theory was put to the test during the lockdown. It has become evident that working from home or anywhere away from the office can be productive that many companies started to provide employees more flexibility regarding where and when to work from.