5 Habits That Slow Down Our Progress

When working towards any kind of goal, sometimes it feels like our progress has halted. While it could be due to several factors, some of our habits and strategies can be major culprits too. Here are 5 habits that slow down our progress.

1. Searching for perfection

“You’d be perfect if you weren’t a perfectionist” – Frank Sonnenberg

Perfectionism can seem like an admirable trait. Not many people have the resolve or the tenacity to strive for perfection. Though we sometimes waste a lot of time trying to perfect trivialities just to avoid criticism.

According to A&E, influencer marketing agency, perfectionisam is the reason many creators on social media often fail to share some of their best content and work. “They wait until the work is exceptional according to their standard, and that moment sometimes never comes” – says Amra Beganovic, the founder of A&E.

While working towards any goal, it is important to make progress instead of lingering over minor details. We have to realize that putting the plan into motion is of prime importance. We can always iron out any flaws later.

2. Spending too long planning

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done” – Bruce Lee

Planning is an undeniably important part of any project. However, it can also take a significant chunk of our time and leave little room for other aspects of the project.

We can’t plan how each of our actions will play out. It’s sometimes better to learn as we go than to try and predict every outcome. Instead of spending time trying to plan out our whole journey, we should break it into small goals. This will reduce the time needed for planning and ensure we make some progress every day.

3. Waiting too long before executing

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage” – Dale Carnegie

Execution is when we put our ideas to work. It can be an intimidating part of our road to success but the sooner we do it the better.

The more we wait before acting, the more doubts settle in. More often than not, the fears are only in our heads and the job is easier than we imagine.

4. Working for the wrong goals

“Some goals are not going to fulfill you. Choose goals that you value and care about” – Henry Cloud

Before putting time and effort into achieving a goal, we should ask ourselves: do I really want what I’m working so hard for?

Many people work for the wrong type of goals without even realizing it. As a result, they either lose interest partway through, or they don’t get the fulfillment and closure they expected upon completion.

We should make sure the goals we have set are those that interest us. Otherwise, we run the risk of abandoning them and wasting valuable time and energy.

5. Juggling too many things at once

“Multi-tasking arises out of distraction itself” – Marilyn Vos Savant

Multitasking sounds like an efficient way to get more work done in a short time. However, humans can’t focus on multiple things at once. Studies have shown that multitasking reduces the overall performance of the brain and creates bottlenecks that disrupt decision-making.

Instead, we should prioritize our tasks based on their importance and urgency, and take care of them one by one. This will ensure each task gets enough attention and that we don’t miss anything important.