The Affect of Worry on Productivity
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We are a society of worriers. In an odd sort of way, worrying about an impending situation makes us feel we have a certain degree of control. If you have a big presentation coming up, worrying about it seems to be the right thing to do. If I am worrying, the logic goes, then I am focusing on the task and addressing my concerns.
But how logical is this logic? I agree that it is important to focus on the task at hand, but what does worry do for us? Worry does nothing. Actually, worry does worse than nothing: it decreases our ability to do well.
Consider your attention. You can only focus on one thing at a time. If you are doing more than one thing at a time, you are switching your attention back and forth – you are actually dividing your energy amongst the tasks. If you have a project to do, and you worry about it, you are now dividing energy amongst two tasks: working, and worrying. Half or more of your energy is being wasted on worry. This severely impacts your ability to do well.
I know you are probably thinking, ‘no, when I get stressed about an assignment I work harder and get more done – I work well under pressure.' In this case, I slightly agree with you. But think about this: when the pressure is not on, how many different things are you focusing on? If you have an assignment due in two months and you are not stressed about it, how much do you focus on the assignment? I'm guessing you probably spend a little time on it and then work on ten other things at the same time. As the deadline approaches, the stress forces you to focus on the assignment. When you had lots of time, you switched your focus between ten things; your worry allowed you to whittle that down to two. Imagine how powerful you would be if you could narrow that down to one (especially before the deadline approaches) by cutting out worry!
Let go of worry, increase your focus, and watch your productivity rocket!
Avish Parashar is a dynamic professional speaker who shows organizations and individuals how to get what they want using the Art and Science of improv comedy. He weaves together humorous stories, witty observations, and interactive exercises from improvisational comedy to get people laughing, learning, and motivated! Avish is most commonly called upon to deliver programs on Motivation, Sales, and Communication
For more free articles, downloads, and resources, visit http://www.AvishParashar.com
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