We often hear the common myths and end up believing them, like "if you swallow chewing gum it will stay in your throat for seven years" or the "If you go outside with wet hair on a cold day, you’ll catch a cold." These were both examples of untrue statements. But what are some examples when it comes to productivity?
#1: The longer you work, the more work you get done.
This myth is known by many companies and used to increase productivity. But does it really help? The Economist, an international source read by thousands, found data that supported how this myth is false. They said they collected data from 1990 until 2012. For instance, Germany, overall, works for about 600 hours less yearly than the Greeks. However, when comparing their productivity level statistics, their productivity is 70% higher.
#2: Starting the day earlier, keeps you more productive
Waking up at sunrise and starting work early in the morning is a great option for someone. But not for everyone.“Eating a frog” at the beginning of work increases productivity, but that doesn't necessarily mean that early morning hours are generally the best time to work. We all have our own internal clock (or circadian rhythm) that governs when arousal peaks and when it declines and becomes sleepy. Do you think you get up early or stay up late? This can change a bit throughout life, but science claims that early birds are rooted in human DNA. So the best thing you can do is organize your work days according to your internal clock as much as possible. Whether you connect early in the morning or start working later in the day, remember that the first few hours of work are most helpful in tackling complex and terrible tasks. Dealing with "frogs" first will not only give you a sense of comfort, but will also make the rest of your day more productive and efficient.
#3: Clean Workspace = Better Work Quality
The beautifully arranged tables you see in glossy magazines... yes, they don't exist in real life, nor do they make you more organized and productive.
Contrary to popular belief that clutter is less productive, as this study found, clutter on your desk can actually make you more efficient, creative, and make better decisions.
Simply put, good space organization doesn't mean that a space has to be completely messy. This means that the things you need the most should be at hand, the things you don't need should be removed, but within reach when you need them.
Additional evidence as to why dirty tables act as a factor in productivity comes from a study by University of Exeter researchers Alexander Haslam and Craig Knight. Their research shows that being able to clutter up your workspace with essentials increases your productivity by up to 30% compared to working in a perfectly tidy place.
4# Set Huge Goals
Yes, of course setting goals is important for actually trying to accomplish your tasks. But overly-daunting tasks can hurt your ability to strive for your best.
This was discovered by a research team at the University of Chicago and the Korea Graduate School of Business. Focusing on goals in a variety of activities, such as treadmill exercise, origami making, flossing, and yoga, correlates with early dropout.
In one experiment, researchers compared a group of students who were instructed to think about training as a way to lose weight with another group who were instructed to think about their training experiences. Each group was then asked to state their intentions for training. Slimming students planned to run longer on the treadmill than students instructed to focus on the experience, but the opposite happened. Target-focused students actually ran less than exercise-focused students.
The best way to achieve sustainable productivity is to create goals that are easily achievable.
“Focusing on a goal distracts the inherent pleasure of the activity in which you must strive to achieve that goal.”
#5 Rewards
Many suggest that setting goals for yourself motivates you to push yourself to be better. While that may be true, the work you end up doing becomes meaningless. All it is about is finishing it and handing it in, or getting that promotion. But none of your work quality becomes significant, none of the work is done because you like it or because you take interest.
A 2013 study of around 3,500 German students found that those who were motivated to get good grades worked hard and succeeded in the near future, but those who were interested in the subject and studied hard to master it were more I think it was handled well, long term.
Interestingly, the use of external rewards such as promotions, and perks can weaken intrinsic motivation when people already find the task interesting. When an external reward is given to someone who is already interested in a project, it replaces internal motivation, a phenomenon called "condensation theory". Even if the external reward is later removed from the image, people will have a hard time challenging their original intrinsic motivation.