How to lower your productivity (without realizing it)

If you're wondering how to increase your productivity (and hopefully you do on an ongoing basis), you'll probably fall back on tactical tips like most, such as setting clear goals, avoiding distractions, and more. These tips are definitely important, but they often come to naught if some foundations are not in place. What do I mean by that?

Increase productivity - change habits

Well, the application of measures to increase productivity almost always requires a change of habits. And these habit changes are always difficult when the foundations are not strong enough. So without these foundations, you consciously or unconsciously lower your productivity.

The three "prime suspects

Here are the three typical "suspects."

1. Too little sleep. It is a simple truth, scientifically proven many times over, that we are not fully capable if we do not have 7 to 8 hours of good sleep. Anything less is an illusion. The problem is that you can get by just fine with sleep deficits, but you will always be less productive than you would be with enough sleep.
2. Wrong food. What we physically let into our bodies largely determines our physical and mental performance. It's simple: eating light and healthy increases your productivity. You can take this into account in your eating decisions or ignore it. You also need to stay hydrated. Many leaders are downright dehydrated.
3. Unfavorable environment. Everything that happens in your environment has an impact on your performance. The environment is essentially determined by people, events and things. You can and must actively shape all three categories if you want to increase your productivity. The important thing is that you are in charge.

So, here you have three fundamental levers to bring your productivity up in a sustainable way. You can ignore them, but you will make it extremely difficult for yourself.

To the author:
Volkmar Völzke is a success maximizer. Book author. Consultant. Coach. Speaker. www.volkmarvoelzke.ch