Habits are defined as tendencies that are hard to give up or break. We have good habits that we don’t need to give up and we also have bad habits that we need to break.
I myself have a fair share of bad habits that I’m constantly working on improving. Ever since diving into the world of entrepreneurship, I’ve learned a lot about business but I’ve also grown as a person.
This growth has come in many different forms. One of the best ways I’ve grown is that I’ve been able to break a lot of bad habits.
Stop doing these 7 things and you will find yourself more productive than ever before:
1. Being In Meetings All Day
When I got my first ever meeting, I was very excited. I walked into that meeting at 12 PM and walked out at 2:30 PM. Not only that, but it took me 1 hour to get there and 1 hour to get back to my house.
My first ever meeting took 4 hours and 30 minutes and led to nothing. That was one of the first lessons I learned about time management. Any time you take a meeting, make sure you let the other person know how long you want to spend. I try not to take any meetings longer than 1 hour.
2. Checking Your Phone While Someone Is Talking To You
With technology beeping all over the place, it’s really hard to stay focused on one thing or person. However, it’s extremely rude and disrespectful when someone looks at their phone or seems distracted amidst a conversation.
Unless it’s an emergency, you can live without your phone for 5 minutes. Learn the value of a good conversation and check your phone later. The other person will be grateful for your undivided attention.
3. Multitasking
I used to be a huge fan of multitasking because it felt like I was getting a lot done. I would have a huge list of things to do so I thought if I did them all simultaneously, I’d be more efficient.
Boy, was I wrong! Multitasking actually made me spend more time completing everything while I made more mistakes because I wasn’t focused. Stop multitasking and focus on each task individually, even if you have a long list of things to do.
4. Say Yes Because You Have To
How often do we get asked something by someone that we don’t really want to do? I know this happens to me very often. However, I’ve learned that you must value your own time by making the best decision for YOU.
If someone asks you to do something that you don’t want to do, don’t do it. You don’t have to be mean about it, but you can nicely tell someone that you’re not interested in what they’re offering you. Saying NO can feel really good.
5. Being Dishonest
Honesty is the best policy in every situation. As someone who used to have a knack for lying, I really understood the damage and negativity lying had on other people.
Whether you’re being dishonest for your business or yourself, stop lying to people. You’ll feel a lot better about yourself while doing the right thing for others.
6. Doing Work That Doesn’t Make You Happy
Are you stuck in a job that you really hate? In a recent survey, only 30% of employees actually liked their job. That number is extremely low to me.
When asked why they didn’t like their job, most of them said that they didn’t feel like they were adding any value to society. If you really hate the job you have, change it.
7. Hitting The Snooze Button On Your Alarm Clock
I never hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. I’m so experienced at it that I just sleep right through all the alarms in my room. However, it’s a really bad habit.
If you need to wake up at 7 AM to get work done, you NEED to wake up at 7 AM. Every precious minute you waste in the morning sleeping in bed can be used productively doing something else. Stop hitting the snooze button and start jumping right out of bed.
Conclusion
These are 7 simple things that anyone can stop doing to become a better person while increasing productivity. Share any things you recommend people to stop every day below in the comments.
