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Many may argue about the difference between successful and unsuccessful people and, in general, what defines successful people.

And although there are several reasons for someone to enjoy success, in this article we will just focus on a simple fact: Successful people are just more productive; they achieve more with less and in less time.

So what are the things that make you really unproductive and make you waste your time?

1. Lack of sleep

Actually, that belief of sleeping less to have more time to work isn’t really accurate. A healthy sleep should be between 7-9 hour a night. Why? your energy is boosted and when you’re energized you are better focused to complete your daily duties.

2. Multitasking

Did you know studies on multitasking reveal that such actually reduces your efficiency and performance?  And that the brain can only focus on one thing at a time? When you try to do two things at once, you alter your productivity.

3. A negative mindset

Encourage yourself to possess only positive thoughts because no matter how productive you want your day to be, if you do not possess a positive mindset, nothing will seem to work.

4. Noise

Some people think that noise can make you improve and that the pressure determines how much work you can accomplish but this isn’t actually true. Noise can actually kill your productivity because it represents a distraction. Every time you hear something your mind drives the attention away from what you’re doing breaking your concentration and it can make you forget the idea you where working on. Then, trying to resume what you were doing can actually cost you a lot.

5. Being a perfectionist

Don’t give yourself a hard time. There’s a big difference between being detail oriented and a relentless perfectionist. Be aware of your limitations and try to do all the best you can. Trying to do everything perfectly actually makes you waste too much time and get you nowhere but a dead end.

6. Not prioritizing

Prioritizing means getting the most important things done first. Yet what is urgent may not be important and what is important may not be urgent. Trying to make a balance between what is important and urgent allows you to delegate tasks and pay attention to what should be done immediately.

7. Social networking

Unless you are a social media manager or a community manager, logging into your personal social profiles shouldn’t be among your daily priorities. Why? these social media sites are designed to cut down on the much work you can get done during your day. It’s not about unplugging yourself from social media but about establishing the rich hours to do so. For example, on your way to work, when you’re on the bus, while you’re getting your morning coffee or when you’re back at home at night.

8. Clutter in your workspace

Workplace clutter damages productivity and hurts your professional image. Try to clean up your workspace at least once a week to improve your productivity daily.

9. Not being able to ask for help

Rather than beating yourself in confusion, seek help and direction, and you will get more done in less time. And don’t worry, asking for help doesn’t mean you’re any less intelligent.

10. Too many goals you want to accomplish

Being productive should focus on quality over quantity. This means being realistic and more purposeful in your approach to hit goals. Set fewer goals that are attainable within the time frame allotted for them.