Mindful Productivity — Myths You Need to Avoid

Productivity is one of the most vital aspects that contribute to personal & professional success. However, as all practices evolve over time, Productivity also is something that has seen a great transformation over recent years with a bigger emphasis on mindful & sustainable practices.

That being said, there are also quite a lot of myths that are preventing people from actually taking charge of these lives. Some of these myths are downright stupid while some lack substance to back those up.

I am a huge supporter of the newly found school of thought, “Mindful Productivity” which is all about being realistic & honest with our limitations and create sustainable practices that actually support our busy lives instead of creating just-another-headache.

In this article, I’m talking about the Myths Plaguing Productivity and Why You need to avoid these at all costs! To read the Full Article, you can visit my website ProductivePreneur which is all about Mindful productivity for Creatives.

Myth #1: Multitasking Increases Productivity

The idea of multitasking, or handling multiple tasks simultaneously, is often seen as a way to boost productivity. I was a huge proponent of Multitasking back in the day. Something captivated me when I saw my favorite YouTubers juggling between different tabs and screens. It demonstrated how much they can accomplish by multitasking.

I realized I was compromising the quality of my work instead of improving it. Each input should have resulted in better output.

Globally, research has shown that multitasking is less effective than focusing on one task at a time. Stanford University conducted a study. It revealed that heavy multitaskers had difficulty filtering out irrelevant information. Additionally, they experienced decreased cognitive control.

I struggled to focus on multiple tasks at once during my free time. I became increasingly confused as I tried to switch between them. I used to write articles while shuffling between various training materials. Unfortunately, it didn’t lead to anything. To be honest, it was a dead end.

How did I get rid of this, then? It’s simple — I gave myself a ‘reality check’. I learned away from the task than towards it and thought to myself, “what the hell am I achieving”? I had a feeling that multi-tasking was not the best approach.

Watching videos from productivity gurus like Ali Abdaal, Thomas Frank, and Matt D’Avella reinforced that feeling. Therefore, I chose to stop multitasking and never returned to it.

Myth #2: Working Longer Hours Leads to Higher Productivity

The belief that working longer hours increases productivity is deeply ingrained in many cultures. However, research indicates that working excessive hours can lead to diminishing returns and even decrease productivity. This notion of ‘more hard work equating to more success’ was promoted a lot back in the days of ‘Hustle Culture’.

For those of you who forgot, Hustle Culture was a toxic phenomenon that once threatened the very belief in success.

Hustle culture was meant to encourage hard work. People were expected to put in long hours. The goal was to get things done. Guess what? It did the opposite.

If you want to read more about it, I already have a brief article on the ‘Threat of Hustle Culture’.

John Pencavel of Stanford University conducted a study in 2014. He discovered that productivity significantly declined after 50 hours of work per week. There was almost no improvement in productivity after 55 hours. Other studies, over the years, have resulted in eerily similar results.

So! Why do we like to subject ourselves to longer hours thinking we’d be more productive?

I believe a lot of this mentality has been promoted by gurus like Gary Vaynerchuk (no offense, Gary) who have a somewhat biased view of what success looks and feels like. For me, everyone has a different definition and hence, a different trajectory of success. To get so influenced by someone else that you risk your health and relationships is borderline toxic.

Overworking can — has resulted in burnout and negatively affects our mental and physical well-being.

If you want to get more done without stepping over your limits, emphasizing work-life balance and time management is important.

Myth #3: You don’t need to wake up at 4 am in the morning

It’s a common belief that early birds are inherently more productive than night owls. However, this notion overlooks the fact that individuals have different chronotypes, or natural sleep-wake patterns, that influence their optimal productivity times.

There hasn’t been much evidence that suggests waking up early leads to bigger growth and more success. Hence, it’s a flawed definition promoted by people who are out of touch with reality.

I’ve seen ‘so-called influencers’ making statements that waking up early gives you more time. It could not be any more incorrect.

Let me make it clear here:

• There’s no perfect morning routine
• There’s no one standard for achieving peak productivity
• Comparing yourself to those so-called gurus is only detrimental to your health

A study by Till Roenneberg and colleagues found that both morning and evening chronotypes can be equally productive when working during their preferred hours.

To keep the jargon out, a Chronotype is your ‘body’s default settings of going to sleep’. Recognizing your own chronotype and tailoring your schedule accordingly can help you optimize your productivity, regardless of whether you’re a morning or evening person.

Myth #4: Productivity Equals Busyness

There’s a widespread misconception that being constantly busy signifies high productivity. In truth, busyness and productivity are not synonymous. ‘Seriously, who’s making such kind of myths’?

I personally believe that a lot of people equate busyness to getting things done. Now, this isn’t false per se. You can definitely achieve more by putting in more hours or being busier. However, more often than not, people tend to sacrifice quality just to keep up the charade of being busy.

There’s also the aspect of ‘Social Approval’. Do you find yourself pretending to ‘look busy’ when someone walks by you? Whether it’s a loved one or a complete stranger, social approval makes us look for constant validation from others. Unfortunately, this aspect also comes into play when we’re working.

Harvard Business School conducted a study on this back in 2009 where they revealed that people who are always busy tend to overestimate their productivity and may focus on low-impact tasks.

To truly be productive, it’s essential to concentrate on results and prioritize tasks that have the most significant impact on your goals, rather than simply filling your time with endless to-do lists.