People desire productivity because it brings them closer to their goals and dreams. It’s like having a roadmap that leads to personal growth and success. Unfortunately, becoming a productive person isn’t exactly easy. Procrastination, lack of clarity, fear of failure, and even burnout all stand in the way of success.
Studies show that 20 % to 25% of people suffer chronically from procrastination. 50% of people have engaged in procrastination at least once in their lives. The impact of becoming a more productive and organized person is massive.
Many people miss out on growth in their professional and personal lives because they don’t feel up to the task. The truth is that you have immense potential within yourself.
If you could discipline your mind, you would be shocked at just how much can be achieved. Many people are aware of their potential and seek to unlock it, but still find it difficult. In this article, we will seek to understand the steps that make a productive life more attainable.
Rethink The Role of Social Media in Your Life
In many ways, social media has had a terrible impact on the world. Even the supposed good that it offers such as “Increased connectivity” has become corrupted. It’s like the genie in the lamp that twists your wishes into something you didn’t want.
One could argue that social media in its early days was worth it due to its more organic nature. However, with its current algorithmic mess, it is simply one of the biggest time wasters on the planet. The worst part is that it doesn’t just stop at ruining your productivity. It affects your mental health significantly.
Studies after studies have shown the harm that excessive social media use has on people. You might think,
“Oh, you just have to use social media in moderation.”
It’s not that easy. Companies like Meta have been known to design their platforms in such a way as to maximize user engagement. Moreover, the content on these platforms can trigger negative feelings and emotions in many people.
TorHoerman Law notes that people who have experienced depression, eating disorders, and other issues are starting to take legal action.
There have been a number of people thinking about filing Instagram lawsuit cases and trying to hold big tech accountable. To what extent such efforts will help is unclear.
However, any action is better than letting social media platforms shape the paths of our lives. Its impact on productivity is one of the biggest issues that the world faces.
Get Out of Your Head And Start Acting
A major factor that stops people from becoming productive is that they keep planning things out.
“Hmm, I need to make a checklist”
“Should I start working out or focus on meditation?”
“Do I need to focus on short bursts of focus or set aside a few hours in one go?”
It is incredibly easy to browse Reddit and waste time reading debates on these and other topics.
What is the end result? Nothing.
Absolutely nothing changes when you get stuck in the planning and thinking stage.
Yes, you want to have a clear idea about how to start changing your life around but don’t overcomplicate things. Start small with your goals.
Very small.
You want to avoid extensive planning or making elaborate daily schedules and detailed timetables. This rarely works when you are in a chronic state of low productivity. Instead, the best thing you can do is to start setting and acting on the simplest of goals.
The goal can be as simple as
“Do one push-up every morning after waking up.”
That’s it.
This is how you start creating change in your life. Of course, it doesn’t have to be a push-up. It could be any task that will move you toward your goal, while still being ridiculously easy to complete. The key is to do it consistently.
Soon, you will find yourself doing two push-ups.
Your success compounds on itself, and soon you will find yourself doing twenty push-ups though you started with just one.
Don’t Get Sucked into the Productivity Influencer Rabbit Hole
It would be naive to believe that every online figure that talks about productivity does so genuinely. Many of them realize that this topic generates views and shares, and they decide to capitalize on this.
You have probably come across such accounts already. They typically post content that sounds deep but doesn’t really guide you toward practical steps. More often than not, the only thing they guide you to is their newsletter, course, or merchandise.
Just like we discussed in the first point, you don’t want to get stuck in this sort of stage. Remember, productivity content creators can be as manipulative as the social media platforms you are trying to escape from. It doesn’t help that the culture can often veer into an unhealthy and toxic way of living.
Conclusion
Turning your life around doesn’t happen overnight. If this is your first time trying to be more productive, it is completely normal to fail.
Most people will need multiple attempts before they find success. This is fine. However, do not normalize laxness. At some point, you will need to be a little harsh on yourself to progress. To many, this David Goggins-inspired hard work becomes the beauty of a productive life.
