There’s a notable distinction between being busy and being productive. Being busy doesn’t always necessarily mean you’re being productive. Despite what some might believe, being productive is less about time management and more about managing your energy.

So how can you regain control of your energy? Here are eight behaviors that you should quit in your personality and working style to become more efficient and productive while you are working remotely.

Yuliia V. — HR Specialist in Opinov8

“The more you work, the better results you get” — that’s what I was told as a child, and probably most of us as well. However, times have changed likewise the attitude to work.

It no longer matters how MUCH you work rather than what RESULTS in your work contribute. Now, when remote work is not a privilege anymore but a reality for most of us. Now the work-life balance is a must to be more efficient and productive. So, make yourself comfortable, and let’s go.

1. Working long hours

Of course, there is no big deal if it happens a couple of times. However, if it takes place systematically you don’t rest enough, stop thinking clearly and as a result become less effective. It appears a real challenge when it comes to remote work as we don’t need to spend time commuting to the office, springing out of our pajamas right to the laptop. So, to not get into that “overtime” trap, set a clear boundary between your work hours and time for rest, snooze late hours notifications in the corporate messengers and make sure to have enough sleep.

2. Say “Yes” too often

I really like one of the tips produced by Steve Jobs: “Say “No” to 1000 things”. How does it work? You focus mostly on the things/tasks that are important for your development and that bring the majority of the results. If it’s difficult to figure out what you should say “yes” or “no” in your scope of work try tracking the time you spent on each activity and then evaluate how efficient they were.

3. Do everything on your own

There’s an old good saying “If you want a thing well done, do it yourself”. Let’s say a manager running a big team sticks to this rule and avoids delegating. What might happen next? Most likely he/she will burn out quickly due to work overload. So, not to get drowned in the flow of tasks, seek help from your teammates if you fail to do it alone. Delegate tasks to your team showing trust and thus boosting their engagement. It will help save time and allocate it more productively.

4. Strive for perfection

From first sight, it seems to be merit rather than a flaw. Though if to take a closer look here’s what comes. Pursuing to get the things done perfectly they tend to spend more time on tasks, and as a result often overdue the deadlines. Perfectionists often wait for the right time to do the task, but what if it doesn't come? I guess the best way would be to do something as good as you can. Nothing is perfect just because we all have our own perspective of what actually “perfect” is. To avoid procrastination, start doing the task the moment you approach it. As soon as you kick off things will get easier.

5. Multitasking

Hopping from one task to another we tend to lose focus and thus make mistakes which eventually influences the quality. Moreover, when we switch to a new task it takes us some time to penetrate into it. As a result, we fail to complete all of them or spend too much time on them. Instead it would be more productive to prioritize them allocating time specifically for each.

6. Skip automation

Surely each of us has some repetitive tasks in the daily workflow. By doing them manually we waste not only time but energy, which could be spent on some more interesting tasks/projects.  So, a more productive approach would be to devote some time to think on which part/parts of your routine can be automated and how: by means of expert help, purchasing software, etc. The outcomes will more than offset the efforts.

7. Being too focused on something

I bet you have had the situation in which you were so focused on a challenging project or task that couldn’t think about anything else, but it still didn’t work out. When our brain is so busy concentrating on a problem it fails, so to say, “look around” and find the solution. You can help the cause by switching to another activity, a better, physical one, or take some time to reflect. Going for a walk or meditating could not only benefit in resolving the issue but also getting healthier. 

8. Being too serious

Sounds strange but now I’m serious! Most of us often tend to make the matter of things more complex than it is. As a result, the sense of engagement and satisfaction goes down. Treating a new task or a project as an interesting challenge/game will help not only to get joy from what we do but also come up with interesting insights. 

Be safe and work smart!

If you wanna join our super-friendly Team, don’t hesitate to check our open positions or send your CV to careers@opinov8.com