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Have you ever had one of those days where you arrive at work with your to-do list already in hand, to keep you from lagging at work? But then, by the time lunch is over, your energy is clearly fading. So you sit at your desk to check your email and Instagram. You’ll only be 5 minutes. That was a bad idea… Wait, that was 45 minutes ago?!
No matter the reason or how hard you try, you just always seem to always be lagging at work! The momentum from the morning’s activities is long gone, as you attempt to find that scrap of paper you called a to-do list earlier. You’re also feeling slower, heavier… Maybe it was that heavy pasta at lunch or the 4 hours of sleep you got last night.
If only you’d at least remembered to load up your Tailwind queue full of your latest posts last night. At least you’d have some actual work being posted while pondering a nap in the break room. Let’s take a look at the five biggest reasons for your lagging at work!
What Are Some of Your
Reasons For Lagging at Work?
Your To-Do List Needs a To-Do List!
First of all, if you’re making a to-do list, this is a good sign that you’re attempting to be productive. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about making a to-do list (i.e., if your to-do list actually resembles that of a ‘scrap of paper’ as mentioned before, that’s not a good sign!)
If you’re just making a list of things you’d like to do today but have no plan for executing a single thing on the list, then there’s just no point.
You’ll end up going from top to bottom checking off whatever you happened to think of first. The key is to prioritize, know what must get done for that day., and how to get it done. Focus on the most important things first and anything after that will be a bonus!
Not Optimizing Your Morning
The morning is often the most productive time for people. Not 9 am when you arrive at the office. I’m talking somewhere around 4:30-5 am before the rest of the world is up.
It might seem ridiculous to get up so early but you’d be amazed at all that you can accomplish if you’d just alter your schedule and develop a solid routine, so you get to sleep earlier. I promise it will pay off!
You might find that you actually enjoy this time before the sun is up when the world around you is so quiet. Furthermore, if you spent some quiet, reflective time in those early hours creating your to-do list with more intention… You’ll end up surprising yourself, just you wait!
Failure To Automate & Outsource
Are you still one of those people that like to ‘keep it old school’ and do most of your planning by way of sticky notes in your day planner? While Day Planners themselves are making a huge come-back, automating all of the work that you alone execute and outsourcing all of the other work that you just can’t get to, are both very efficient ways for you to ‘keep up the good work’!
Automation and outsourcing are two key things you can do to get more done. Utilizing software to automate certain processes for you can eliminate human error and free up time.
Outsourcing things like Managed IT Services can ensure that you encounter minimal downtime and issues that slow you down. Although you can’t automate and outsource everything, there are likely quite a few processes that you are able to do that will take a load off your mind.
Lack Of Sleep
This is probably, no, definitely the most critical reason for lagging at work among so many people throughout the world. Maybe you’re one of those people who go to bed late and gets up early to get as much done as possible.
If so, let me ask you some legitimate questions; “How long does take you to get ready in the morning? Is motivation ever an issue for you and if so, when/how often? Do you notice a decline in your cognitive functioning/memory retention, regardless of your age?
Finally, do you eat a healthy diet and exercise often but still have unbalanced hormones? Are you just gaining weight for ‘no reason‘?” If you answered yes to any of those, there’s a very good chance (although not absolute) that you answered yes to all of the questions. Lack of sufficient and quality sleep is so much more serious than being ‘a surefire way to experience burnout’.
A Few ‘Study’ Materials
You may have heard Huffington Post’s Arianna Huffington, talk a lot about sleep and the way it affects people in the office, at school, anywhere really, in recent years. One of the most important books on the critical importance of sleep is her very own book, “The Sleep Revolution” and another very highly acclaimed study on the subject, “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams” by Matthew Walker, PhD.
Making sure you get a minimum of 7 hours sleep in your adult life is CRUCIAL if you’re going to get as much done and live as healthy a life as possible. You shouldn’t have to rely on coffee to simply get through your day and it’s a shame that so many people in the world do so every single day. I think you can agree that lack of sleep is the ultimate reason for lagging that most people have… Period.
Obsessively Checking Social Media & Email
You’ve probably heard this before and I’m sure you’ll hear it several more times before the end of your workweek. You need to have a set time for social media and emails and stick to those times, or else!
Experts suggest checking in for the first time in your day, some time within the first hour or two that you’re at your desk. The second and final time it’s suggested that you check your social media profiles and all of your email accounts, is about the second-to-last or last hour of work that day.
Business owners and bosses alike, have had to regulate how often their teams can check these platforms in their workday. This is because they’re such easy places to get stuck on for hours without doing anything substantial. You might have the best of intentions when you first log on, but it’s not worth it not to follow the regulations that have been put into place for the sake of your own productivity.
Jessica Rose Adams
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