You want to be more productive, so you study up on all the latest systems from the big productivity gurus–things that involve funnels, fancy timers and frogs. You research apps, planners, and To Do list formats that are more complicated than the tax code. How’s all that working?
I’ll bet you’re not seeing the results you hoped for. I believe you’re looking in the wrong places. Here are the top 5 things I see most often that impact productivity:
Notice there’s nothing that mentions a lack of the right systems and tools? Systems and tools are important, but their role is relatively small compared to these other obstacles.
Each of the 5 areas is worthy of its own blog post, so I’m just giving a brief overview, for now. I’ll discuss each area in more depth, in the coming weeks.
- Insufficient self care is the lack of meeting our body’s minimal requirements to function well. When we aren’t taking care of ourselves, we may be able to stay alive, but we can’t sustain a high level of functioning, and thriving is out of the question.
- Perfectionism is that thing that prevents us from believing in the power of “good enough.”
- All or nothing thinking is closely related to perfectionism. It’s the belief that if we can’t do something all the way, then we shouldn’t do it at all.
- Catastrophizing is our assumption that we will perform at our worst, and the worst thing will happen, and that we won’t be able to tolerate the fallout.
- Isolation refers to the notion that we shouldn’t need to ask for help.
Ask me your questions about any of these areas, and I’ll address them in upcoming posts.