ISHN logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
ISHN logo
  • NEWS
    • Today's News
    • Global Safety News
    • Government Regulations
  • PRODUCTS
    • Product Innovations
    • Featured Products
  • TOPICS
    • Environmental Health and Safety
    • Facility Safety
    • Workplace Health
    • Occupational Safety
    • PPE
    • More Topics
  • CONSTRUCTION
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • COLUMNS
    • Best Practices
    • Dave Johnson: What’s going on
    • Editorial Comments
    • Leading Safety
  • MULTIMEDIA
    • ISHN Podcast
    • Videos
    • Cold Stress Education Quiz
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • MORE
    • Buyer's Guide
    • Newsletters
    • Convention Companion
    • Polls
    • Events
    • ISHN Store
    • Sponsor Insights
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • JOIN TODAY!
Psychology in the Workplace

Ten things productive employees don’t do

Avoid the mistakes below and you will be able to increase your productivity by 200 percent

By Marwan Jamal
August 13, 2014

increaseWait till they feel motivated, they just do it

“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.” Stephen King

Your ability to do things when you don’t feel like it defines how much you get paid at the end of the week/month.

Life is not always a great experience. Many times bad moods are uncontrollable. That’s why the skill of neglecting your bad mood, and putting your feelings aside while working is an important skill if you want to be super productive and get a lot of tasks done in a short period of time.

Run without a plan

Knowing where you’re heading is half the way there. Productive people know this well and that’s why they plan almost everything.

They are clear about what they want and how they can reach it which leaves them with a sense of relaxation and confidence in their ability to achieve what they want.

Sabotage themselves

Even when they wake up late, procrastinate or feel lazy (they’re humans too), they don’t beat themselves up. They just work hard and in the end they feel good about themselves.

They are not realistic when it comes to their abilities

When it comes to your own skills and expectations; it’s better to be an illusionist than being modest or realistic. Successful people and high achievers are overconfident of their abilities. They believe that they can achieve anything and expect the very best to come. This is very important in order to be productive.

Holding such beliefs about yourself will make you (even if you are the laziest person on earth) tend to take actions in order to justify your own beliefs. It will lower your resistance against hard work.

If you feel incompetent, simply ask yourself if holding such a belief has ever helped you. If not get rid of it and get a new belief because at the end of the day a wrong belief that makes you feel good is far better than a more realistic one that makes you feel incompetent.

They don’t leave the biggest tasks till the end

Super productive people have the habit of starting with their most important/hardest task which makes their life easier for the rest of the day and gives them an extra boost of confidence.

They don’t do everything on their own (they outsource what they can)

High productive people tend to let go of being control freaks and accept the idea that they don’t have to do everything on their own. They do what nobody else can do for them but they outsource or delegate the rest to people who can manage these tasks. Thus they have extra time to focus on their life and personal growth.

Avoid all kinds of interruptions

It’s hard to be productive when you keep getting distracted. To be productive, you must avoid anything that gets you out of your mental flow and focus more on getting things done fast. Turn off your phone, close your internet browser and your bedroom/office door that’s the best way to concentrate and be more effective and productive.

Don’t start without a deadline

A deadline will make you run faster and gives you a sense of urgency. Try setting even shorter ones. This alone could double up your productivity.

Don’t change their routine

Why change a winning plan?

Don’t multitask

It has been said a lot but I don’t mind saying it again:your brain, my brain and everyone’s brain is not designed for multitasking. Focus on one thing at a time and you will get things done faster and be more effective.

KEYWORDS: motivation productivity

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • forklift safety

    Exploring the latest technologies in forklift safety

    With more staff and more stock in warehousing now more...
    Facility Safety
    By: Josh Cramer
  • welding

    All about welder’s flash or arc eye

    A flash burn is a painful inflammation of the cornea,...
    Environmental Health and Safety
  • dangerous jobs

    The 10 most dangerous jobs in the U.S.

    On-the-job deaths have been rising — hitting the highest...
    Construction Industry Safety and Health
    By: Benita Mehta
Manage My Account
  • eMagazine Subscriptions
  • ISHN Newsletter & Other Newsletter Alerts
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the ISHN audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of ISHN or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • man wearing the the Sundström SR200 Full Face Mask Respirator
    Sponsored byOHD

    5 Fit Testing Mistakes That Could Cost You

  • This image shows Magid AcuSpex polarized blue mirrored safety glasses.
    Sponsored byMagid Glove and Safety

    Construction PPE Guide: What Crews Need for Each Task

  • lone worker in confined space
    Sponsored byAlphasense Ltd.

    GET THE LEAD OUT of your Safety Oxygen Sensors!

Popular Stories

SpaceX 7 launch

OSHA Investigating Fatal Fall at SpaceX Starbase

Worker Impairment

How to Tell When a Co-Worker is Impaired? A Safety Pro’s Challenge

Automated loading dock equipment

After March 2026 Rivian Death, Safety Managers Reassess Loading Dock Systems Under OSHA's Warehouse Emphasis Program

top 10 most dangerous jobs

Poll

Seasonal Readiness

With the federal heat stress prevention rule on the horizon, which area of your safety program needs the most attention?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Surviving an OSHA Audit A Management Guide, 2nd Edition

Surviving an OSHA Audit A Management Guide, 2nd Edition

See More Products

ISHN Podcasts

Related Articles

  • Ten things successful safety professionals WON'T do

    See More
  • If you want to change the culture, focus on “must do” behaviors not “don’t do” behaviors

    See More
  • restaurant kitchen

    CDC: Restaurants don’t do enough to prevent food allergy incidents

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Top Ten Pitfalls in OSHA Recordkeeping and How to Avoid Them

See More Products
×

Become a Leader in Safety Culture

Build your knowledge with ISHN, covering key safety, health and industrial hygiene news, products, and trends.

JOIN TODAY
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Manufacturing Division
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • Newsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing