5 Productivity-Destroying Habits That Are Costing You Money — and What To Do Instead
Written by
Kerra Bolton
Edited by
Jenna Klaverweiden
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Getting distracted at work or while doing any task is a common occurrence these days. And many common habits, such as multitasking and procrastinating, could be costing you money.
Here are five productivity-destroying habits that are costing you money — and what you can do instead.
Fragmented Focus
Craig Goodliffe, founder and CEO of Cyberbacker, a virtual assistant services provider, said some employees focus on what is urgent but not important. “It’s costing them dearly,” he said.
“Think of an airplane,” Goodliffe explained. “The first responsibility is to land that plane. If they can’t do that it, it doesn’t take off. If the snacks are good but the plane crashes, then who really cares about the snacks?”
Instead, Goodliffe suggested employees say no tasks that aren’t mission-critical to their job or the company.
“Unfortunately, you can’t do it all, and some people aren’t getting the best things they could do because they’re saying yes to everything,” he said.
Hyperconnectivity
Many employees feel that they must demonstrate their commitment to their job and the company by always being available. However, this hyperconnectivity can minimize the time employees have to spend on projects and tasks that advance their careers, thereby costing them money.
For example, constantly checking emails and messages can drain productivity because these habits provide the illusion of acting.
“Emails and messages can be a slippery slope,” said Kraig Kleeman, founder and CEO of The New Workforce. “Each notification presents an additional opportunity for distraction.”
Instead, Kleeman said he checks his emails several times a day, “usually at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.”
“Then, I refrain from checking them outside of those times,” Kleeman said. “It was challenging in the beginning, but now I find myself no longer feeling pressured to provide an immediate response. It allows me to concentrate on important tasks without being distracted by every notification.”
Busy Work
Duplicative tasks, unproductive meetings, and tasks that need to be completed as part of the workflow but don’t directly impact the company’s overarching goal can be examples of unnecessary tasks and low-impact work.
Alex Zhezherau, a productivity and project management expert at Wrike, a workflow management platform, said a company survey found that organizations waste over $15,000 per employee per year on unnecessary work.
“We also found that almost half of all work (46%) carried out by knowledge workers in 2024 is providing status updates, attending meetings, and chasing or assigning actions,” Zhezherau said. “These tasks can be easy to tick off as part of your daily or weekly to-do lists, but thinking about the bigger picture is essential.”
Zhezherau recommended questioning how to optimize productivity levels and team workflow to improve efficiencies in order to meet bigger, high-impact goals and decide whether the tasks you’re working on and assigning are creating the desired impact.
“To reduce unnecessary and low-impact work, start by eliminating redundant or ineffective meetings,” Zhezherau said. “Write out the purpose, agenda and outcome for each of your meetings to evaluate whether they’re necessary and who needs to be in the conversation.”
Zhezherau emphasized consolidation as a resolution. “It’s also important to create simplicity to see where unnecessary or low-impact work may be taking place, and this can be done by consolidating tools and workflows into one platform and applying automation where possible,” he said.
Procrastination
Some workers might concentrate on low-impact tasks and procrastinate on larger tasks because they seem overwhelming and draining, costing workers time and effort.
“Big tasks are so overwhelming that they take longer to accomplish,” said Mason Farmani, an intuitive personal and corporate life coach and founder of Farmani Coaching. “Breaking tasks into smaller steps with deadlines makes them more manageable and easier to start.”
Farmani suggested prioritizing and taking intermittent breaks to improve attention and help prevent mental fatigue.
“Prioritization models such as the Eisenhower Matrix help zone in on high-impact work,” Farmani said. “Dealing with these behaviors can increase productivity, reduce time and reduce burnout.”
Digital Distraction
Digital distractions, such as gaming and social media, can drain your productivity because they can affect your brain.
“Interacting electronically can soothe the brain temporarily, like eating ice cream,” said Bob Grant, a clinically trained coach who works with high-achieving women and the owner of Relationship Headquarters. “Engaging in gaming, social media or any emotionally distracting activity sends the brain a message that work is boring and should be more exciting or rewarding.”
Instead, set deadlines to improve focus and concentrate on the task at hand.
“Removing distraction habits leads to improved work quality, and that’s the path to creating value for your employer and potentially earning a raise,” Grant said.
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