The 30-Day Productivity Boost (Vol. 1): 30 Bad Habits That Are Sabotaging Your Time Management (And How To Fix Them!)

by Damon Zahariades

Remember, you’re redoing mental programming that took years to gain a foothold in your mind. Be patient with yourself. 2. Ask yourself whether the time and effort you plan to invest will help you to achieve a specific goal. For example, will spending hours perfecting that cost-analysis report for your boss result in a raise? Will studying for hours to get an A+ on next week’s chemistry exam result in a solid job offer? Make this the litmus test. 3. Create obstacles that “short-circuit” your habit for perfectionism. For example, stand up from your desk and walk away the moment you notice yourself trying to perfect something you’re working on. Alter your behavioral pattern. Take a moment to recalibrate your focus toward completing the task at hand rather than perfecting it. Then, return to your desk and resume your work. 4. Embrace your mistakes. Instead of criticizing yourself, use mistakes as learning opportunities. Use them to expand your knowledge, improve your work habits and become a better employee (or student, professor, musician or spouse). Practice developing and reinforcing this perspective each time you discover you’ve made a mistake. 5. Identify the worst possible outcome that can occur if you make a mistake. For example, if the report you’re preparing for your boss contains a misspelled word, will you lose your job? If you receive a B+ on your chemistry exam, will you be placed on academic probation? Chances are, you’ll survive.