Non-Revenue Generating Tasks that’s Killing Your Productivity
Non-revenue generating tasks are a guilty pleasure that we’ve all done and probably still do. You know this task is severely killing your productivity yet, you still do it. Today, I want to discuss the top non-revenue generating tasks that I see most people do and how to end it for good! It’s time to stop wasting your efforts and start applying them to tasks that’ll have a positive ROI (return on investment).
Scrolling Endlessly on Social Media
We’ve all fallen down this rabbit hole of social media. You log on to do one thing and 40 minutes later, you’ve completely forgotten why you logged on in the first place. Or maybe, you tell yourself that you’ll spend 10 minutes catching up and that 10 minutes instantly turns into an hour. It’s so easy to get sucked into the vortex of what we call social media.
The risk is even higher when your business requires you to log on consistently and engage with potential leads. A great way to stop yourself from falling into a non-revenue generating task, is by establishing your goals first. Take a few minutes to jot down what you wish to achieve during your time on social media. Get very specific by setting SMART goals and put a time limit on each task. This will help you to stay focused and get your work done effectively.
Binge Watching Content
I love binge watching a Netflix show as much as the next person. However, once you embark on entrepreneurship those binge sessions come far and few in between! Binge watching a TV show is not going to help you make any progress towards accomplishing your tasks and goals. I don’t care if it’s a show dedicated strictly to entrepreneurship… it’s still a non-revenue generating task!
Now I’m not saying that you’ll never be able to binge watch another show again (that’s punishment). However, you should schedule it during your true off time! For example, I like to spend my weekends working in the morning and dedicate my afternoons/evenings to do whatever I want. It’s during that “off time” where I can indulge in whatever non-revenue generating task that my heart desires!
Spying on Your “Competition”
Spying on your “competition” is a non-revenue generating task that does nothing but harm your confidence and self esteem. You’re not gaining anything positive by indulging yourself into someone else’s highlight reel. This is especially true if the accounts you’re spying on make you feel a sense of jealously. It’s important for you to mute or unfollow those accounts immediately and begin competing against yourself. You are your only competition and the main focus should be outdoing what you did yesterday!
I’ve personally found that when I used to do this, I would begin embodying that person and their creativity. I’d unconsciously mimic what they did in hopes that it’d work for me. Trust me when I tell you that this method will not keep you or your business afloat! It’s best practice to not intake anyone else’s content while you’re in a creative state. This way, your work is 110% embodying only you and has your personal touch surrounding it. Remember, people connect with people and there will never be another you! You are what makes your business unique and that’ll never ever change.
RELATED: 6 Simple Ways to Prevent Yourself from Getting Distracted
Constantly Overthinking
Constantly overthinking is something we’ve all struggled with before. The action is more likely to happen when you’re an entrepreneur making 100 different decisions a day! It’s easy to second guess ourselves, doubt our abilities and indirectly procrastinate when we aim for perfection. Overthinking is a form of procrastination and saves you from having to take imperfect messy action.
The only way for you to combat this non-revenue generating task, is to consistently execute despite feeling 100% ready. The more you quickly execute on your ideas, tasks etc. the less you will overthink them. You’ll learn through experience that everything will always be fine in the end! That even though you might’ve hit a rough patch or things didn’t go the way you envisioned; everything will still be alright.
Recklessly Spending Money
Recklessly spending your money has to be the highest non-revenue generating task ever! It’s literally like taking money from your business account and throwing it in the trash. I know recklessly spending money can be subjective, so here’s a list of some examples.
- Parties, clubs, lounges, bottle service
- Fast food, brunches, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts
- Subscriptions you don’t use (Gym memberships, music streaming, Netflix, Hulu, business programs etc.)
- New electronics you don’t need (every new generation iPhone)
- New clothes, shoes, accessories etc. that you don’t need
I highly advise that you begin to track your spending, so you can see the total costs. It might shock you to find out that you’re spending $1,000 USD every year on a cup of coffee. Even worse, think about just how much money you spend every time you go out each weekend. $100 (that’s on the low end scale) might not seem like a lot for one night out however, that adds up to $5,200 USD for the year. Keep in mind, that’s only if you’re going out once every week!
Staying in Your Comfort Zone
Nothing will ever grow in your comfort zone, we all must take leaps in order to evolve. I know staying in comfort feels good, but it’ll do nothing but hold you back from achieving greatness. You should always be looking for ways to push and challenge yourself to step outside of the box. Starting off small and doing little things that get you out of your comfort zone is the best strategy. Try going out to eat alone or attending a networking event solo! These small yet powerful strides will help you to further grow and educate yourself outside of your comfort zone.
Having the bad habit of executing on non-revenue generating tasks is so easy to do. It’s like a guilty pleasure… we know it’s harming us but we simply can’t help it! Don’t let these negative bad habits win and keep you from living the life you deserve. Stay focused on your end goals and keep reminders in place so you never forget them! Do you know of any other non-revenue generating tasks? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time ASSASSINS. . . Stay Disciplined!
Let’s be friends!
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