Warning Signs of a Productivity Junkie: Do You Relate to These 28 Habits?

As the world becomes more fast-paced and competitive, people strive to become more productive every day. Many of us visit Lifehack.org precisely for this reason – to get tips and tricks to boost productivity and keep up with the ever-increasing demands of our lives. However, when does our quest for productivity turn into an obsession? Here are 28 warning signs to look out for:

Organizational Habits

1. You have a shortcut created for every program on your computer.

2. You try out a new productivity tool at least once a week.

3. LifeHack.org has become your second home.

4. You get excited about crossing off one of your to-dos.

5. You organize your desk at least once a day.

PDA and Technology Obsession

6. You have your RSS feeds organized by priority and filtered by keywords.

7. Your friends think you’re in a cult called GTD.

8. You’re training your kids to become future GTD masters.

9. You argue with your friends about which GTD system is the best.

10. A few hours away from your PDA puts you into withdrawals.

11. You’ve learned every Gmail hack in the book and you now wear a t-shirt that proclaims your official title of Gmail master.

Peak Productivity Moments

12. You have performed in-depth studies to find out when your peak cycles of productivity occur throughout the day.

13. The timer has become your new best friend.

14. You know exactly which type of music puts you at the highest level of productivity.

15. An empty inbox gives you a pleasant satisfaction that you still can’t quite explain to your family.

Habits that Affect Daily Life

16. You plan on naming all of your future kids after productivity principles: Pareto, Zen, and of course, the great GTD master himself, David Allen.

17. You have read “Getting Things Done” multiple times and every page is covered with notes and references.

18. Whenever a friend or family member has a birthday, you give them a productivity gift basket composed of a planner, calendar, to-do lists, and your favorite productivity books.

19. You’ve delegated all of your lower-level tasks to your kids. They now run all of your errands while you work on your most important to-dos.

20. You reminisce about the bygone days of procrastination.

Efficiency in Daily Routines

21. You listen to educational audio books in the car to insure that you don’t miss a minute of potential productivity.

22. Your closet is organized by color and all of the most worn clothing is placed in the most convenient and reachable spots.

23. You have over clocked all of the toothbrushes in the house. Your kids are thrilled with the idea but your wife has now put all of her personal belongings under lock and key.

24. Friends and family are beginning to set up appointments for allotted times in order to fit into your schedule.

25. On your next vacation, you are planning to take the whole family to a GTD seminar.

26. You’ve started your own book club for all things related to productivity and GTD.

Reflective Habits

27. You’re now starting to wonder if your fascination with productivity is actually making you less productive.

28. You’re thinking about joining a support group to recover from this addiction.

Conclusion

Productivity can be a great asset both at work and at home. Incorporating it into our lives can lead to better time management, getting more tasks done, and having more time for ourselves. However, our quest for productivity should not become an obsession to the point where it affects our daily routines or even our mindsets. It’s crucial to remember that it’s not about accomplishing everything in record time, but about achieving a balance between productivity and priorities.