5 Reasons You’re Lacking Motivation and Productivity

It happens to everyone at some point in time. No matter how hard you work or how dedicated you are to a project or idea, you can eventually become burned out. Not only will you be less productive, but your motivation also takes a hit. However, what most people don’t realize is that there may be outside forces at work — and they are things that you can actually change. Let’s take a moment to discuss five reasons that you may be lacking motivation and productivity.

Too much multitasking

Are you someone who enjoys working on more than one project at a time? Perhaps you feel as if you are getting more done and in a shorter space of time. While we have been trained to view multitasking as something that most productive people are good at, multitasking can sometimes serve as a hindrance.

In fact, some studies indicate that when you are doing too many activities at one time, it can be more of a distraction and lead to waste. Not only that, but it can also result in your becoming overwhelmed. This often leads to a decline in quality. This is why it is a good idea to focus on one task at a time — focus is the key to productivity.

Too much clutter

Sometimes it is not the amount of work or its complexity that demotivates us — sometimes it’s the environment in which we perform these tasks. Whether you know it or not, your environment can have a huge impact on how productive you are.

Researchers at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute found that objects stimulate the brain and when there are several objects within your line of vision, they compete for your brain’s attention. This affects your level of focus and how productive you are. Also, the time that you spend looking for something that has been replaced could have been better spent on finishing your project. It’s best to ensure that your environment is free from unnecessary clutter. So be careful about the way that you arrange your office furniture.

Too much work

It seems counterintuitive to suggest that the more work you do, the less productive you are. However, this is often the case when people don’t take the time to rest.

In his study, University of Illinois psychology professor Alejandro Lleras concluded that when we work for more than 50 minutes at a time without breaks, productivity slowly declines over time. We become less motivated and easily distracted. The brain essentially becomes “numb” due to all of the continuous stimulation. Working in increments helps to increase energy and focus.

Too few restrictions

Have you ever noticed that whenever you do not set a schedule or deadline for yourself, that you have no incentive to achieve your goals? Well, this is because setting deadlines and schedules encourages you to budget your time properly.

At any given moment, you know exactly what needs to be done and in how much time you have to do it. This automatically makes you more productivity and sometimes even motivates you to complete the project early. So it’s a good idea to create restrictions and parameters for yourself. In this way, you will always be ahead of schedule.

Too little attention paid to seating

Though in the grand scheme of things it may seem like an insignificant detail, the chair in which you sit while working can have a huge impact on how successful you are. When it comes to work productivity, your chair may as well be considered an equal business partner. This is because your chair can affect your back, arms, legs, neck and hips.

A great chair helps you fight fatigue and stress. More specifically, an ergonomic chair can make all the world of difference. You see, an ergonomic office chair encourages a healthy posture. It takes the pressure off of these areas so instead of worrying about pain your body or developing issues, later on, you’ll be able to concentrate on work.

As you can see, there are several things that you can do in order to improve your motivation and productivity. It’s important that you understand your environment and make the necessary changes. With a few tweaks here and there, you can experience a significant “second wind.”

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