We often see lists on productivity sites giving you little ways to increase productivity.  Everything from taking lots of micro breaks through to finding the time when your energy levels are highest.

But for many people, no matter how much they follow these self help lists, things get better for only very short spaces of time.  Why is this?  Why do most people continue to struggle to maintain productivity?

There are 4 main issues that people allow to stop them being all they could be and they’re not necessarily what you expect.

Worry about a relationship

While you’re worrying about an important relationship, whether it be with a spouse, a son or daughter, a parent or a friend, you’ll never be able to give your full attention to any task you’re on.  At least, not on an ongoing basis.

Difficult as it may be, you need to deal with the issue.  it may involve forgiveness, reconciliation and even saying sorry.  You need to bite the bullet if you want to get on track.  Unfortunately, sometimes this means you have to accept some relationships end.  If that’s the case, allow yourself time to grieve before you worry too much about your productivity.  (But that doesn’t mean you allow yourself to wallow in self pity for a length of time and to a degree that you cripple yourself emotionally)

Worry about personal finances

This is an area that affects most of us at one time or another.

There are, of course, no easy answers or silver bullets to this problem.  But if you are worrying about finances then make sure you take some action.  From the point of view of your productivity during these times you need to take just a few steps:

• Don’t bury your head in the sand.  Your brain still knows there’s a problem and won’t let you forget it.  It also knows that if you do ignore it, things are getting worse as you try not to think about it!
• Do put a plan in place even if it doesn’t feel like it’ll solve the problem entirely.  You’ve got a better chance to put the worry to one side if your head knows there’s a plan.
• Put the plan in place.

Not having a purpose

Seriously, if you want to be able to be productive you need to have a purpose.  Doing stuff that you don’t really know the reason for means there’s absolutely no chance that you’ll be productive.  You’ll simply be bored!

Even if you’re in the most mundane job in the world you should have a purpose to what you do.  If your employer isn’t great, meaning the organisation has no real vision, then you need to make sure you use your initiative to put a vision in place for your area (or even just for you).

Not capturing all your to do’s into a trusted system

This is the defining aspect to David Allen and his GTD methodology.  His premise is that unless you capture everything into a truly trusted system your brain won’t let you forget that there’s something you need to remember.  So no matter how much you try and concentrate on the task at hand, your mind keeps you in two (or more) places at once.  If you haven’t caught up with this methodology get it here (Amazon affiliate link).

Deal to these issues

Because if you don’t, all those other little things that you’re doing to try and get better are pretty much going to be a waste of time.

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