Are Your Expectations Killing Your Productivity?
Posted on May 5, 2011 by LJ Earnest
Categories: Productivity
Productivity, in a large way, is a mental game. We know how much there is to do, and how much we can accomplish in a given time period.
However, if we are not very good at figuring out realistic goals, our expectations get out of line with what we can do. We may believe we can accomplish everything, but this may not be realistic.
You know that having a big project staring at you and no idea where to start can be paralyzing. The same thing applies to our expectations. If your perceived level of of what you can get done is too high, your list of things to do suddenly becomes huge and can overwhelm as surely as a ginormous project.
Since productivity is so much between the ears, being overwhelmed, either in actuality or perception, will kill your output.
Signs You Need to Adjust Your Expectations
- You feel overwhelmed. Each person experiences overwhelm differently. My first clue that I’m overwhelmed is that I don’t want to do anything.
- You feel like you’re working frantically. Think squirrels on caffeine.
- The monkeys start chattering. We all have inner chatter. Some call it a committee. I call mine monkeys because when I am stressed, that’s what they sound like. And like true monkeys, they like to fling poo.
How To Bring Your Expectations Back In Line
- Do you really have too much to do? Or do you think you do? Ask yourself Do You Really Need to Get More Done?
- Is what you are doing really worthwhile? Or perhaps it is important to someone else but not you? What Makes A Project Worthwhile?
- Are you really productive right now? Or are you just busy? There is a difference. Here is How To Tell If You’re Productive…Or Just Busy
- Do you need to quit what you are attempting? Some things are lost causes, and our expectations can make us determined to finish at any cost. Look at How To Know When To Quit – A Response.
- Are you really loaded down with multiple activities? It may be time to Get Rid of Commitments
Adjusting your expectations of yourself and what you are capable of in the present moment can kick-start your productivity.
Photo by roland
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