The Science Behind Productivity

It is not new that we have beaten ourselves up over the lack of productivity that seems to have taken over most of us like a plague in this lockdown. We blame ourselves for not waking up on time, sleeping late, not eating, eating too much, not reading, not studying and whatnot. But what if we told you that you are not really at fault for feeling lethargic or inefficient? There is some simple science involved behind productivity. Read on to know more.

1) The Over-estimation of Willpower
You often think that with enough willpower, anything can be done. Let’s just admit that it’s not just willpower that gets the job done. You need to be obliged to a system to get work done. Just the ‘want’ to do things will not fuel you for the long run if you do not have anything holding you down.
According to a study by Janet Polivy, our brain is scared of big projects and ends up failing to commit to long-term goals because most of us have the primary instinct of “abandoning ship” at the first subtle sign of inconvenience.
Take something as simple as a diet you gave up. You might have stocked up your cupboards and fridge with the healthiest and most organic foods ever right? Until one day you just popped a candy into your mouth calling it cheat day. Every day is susceptible to becoming a cheat day after that. As if this was not enough, a research by Kenneth McGraw showed that the greatest hurdle to success is the delay in getting started. We are prone to postpone and roll-over deadlines on large projects. Another research says that your brain will always attempt to make you think you are being productive by avoiding big tasks and wasting more time than required on small, mindless tasks.
Our willpower is truly an exhaustible resource that can be used up easily. The more you resist temptation, the energy it takes to achieve the goals. So find a way to put yourself into a system where you do not have any choice but to deliver like a timetable or a proper job where you are held accountable for not performing well.

2) Magic of habits
It all boils down to how well-adjusted you are to the grind. A person who has been sitting idle for a while will take more time than someone who has kept himself busy even if it’s with other activities. Try starting with taking up smaller commitments like taking a small walk every evening. Get into the habit of committing and living upto the commitment. If you cannot promise yourself to finish small goals you set for yourself, you will have a lot of trouble to settle into a tougher schedule where the consequences are greater.
Amazingly though, a research by Anders Ericsson shows how forming habits is not about how much time you spend on it but how productive you are in the activity even in the shortest span of time. For instance, an artist does not have to stay locked up in a room 24×7 and play for hours to become a good artist. He can spend just an hour in the room in a day but just make that hour a productive one.
This is obviously not easy. You will have to subject yourself to deliberate efforts. Spend time on the hardest tasks, and focus on becoming better at managing your energy levels. Deliberate efforts require you to spend more brain power than just busy work.
The hardest part is just getting started. According to the Zeigarnik Effect, psychologists have drawn inferences based on numerous studies. One of these studies gave participants tricky puzzles to complete, but did not allot enough time to complete them. What surprised them was that even when they asked the person to stop, nearly 90% of them went on to finish their puzzles. We often want to finish what we have started. We want to see how it ends.

3) Productivity is not the same as multitasking
‘The Myth of Multitasking’ by Christine Rosen talks about how we often have the tendency to consider multitasking as productive, when it really isn’t. However, researches show that on average, multitaskers are much less likely to be productive. On the flip side, they feel more emotionally content with their work which is really just an illusion of productivity.

Study shows that multitaskers are bad at the following three abilities:

a)Filtering provided information
b)Switching between tasks
c)Maintaining a high working memory

Which are ironically the primary characteristics for multitasking itself. The best way is to obviously mute out distractions or potential ones.
Subsequently, try something like, “Finish x task,” or, “Find the sources for x,” as a goal you can actually achieve rather than say things like, “Work on research project,” as a daily goal.

As you can see, it’s all in the head! You always have a choice to push yourself to be or not to be. All it takes is a little convincing yourself and you will achieve all your goals.

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