4. Moral Self-licensing
Whether it’s a workout routine, work schedule, or a new
diet, one of the most difficult things about forming a
new habit is the urge to cheat as a reward for sticking to
a routine for a while.
This idea that we "deserve" to splurge on fancy meal
after being thrifty for a week is called "moral licensing,"
and it undermines a lot of people's plans for
self-improvement
Instead, try making your goal part of your identity, such
that you think of yourself as the kind of person who
saves money or works out regularly, rather than as
someone who is working against their own will to do
something new.
5. Procrastinating
People often start off their day by completing easy tasks
to get themselves rolling and leave their more difficult
work for later. This is a bad idea, and one that
frequently leads to the important work not getting done
at all.
As researchers have found, people have limited amount
of will power that decreases throughout the day. That
being the case, it's best to get your hardest, most
important tasks done at the beginning of the day.
6. Taking too many meetings
Nothing disrupts the flow of productivity like an
unnecessary meeting. And with tools like email, instant
messenger, and video chat at your fingertips, it's
best to only use meetings for introductions and serious
discussions that can only be held in person.
BlueGrace Logistics founder Bobby Harris recommends
that people don’t accept meetings unless the person who
requested it has put forth a clear agenda and stated
exactly how much time they will need. And even then,
Harris recommends giving the person half of the time
they initially requested.