Most of us want to get more stuff done. More productivity often leads to improved results. As humans, we consciously and unconsciously want to achieve great things. We want better. Better status, better jobs, better spouses, better lives. How can we achieve that? Well, first off, we need to be productive.

And that’s how the journey toward reaching great heights of productivity begins. After just an initial thought and a spark of inspiration, most people Google questions such as “how to be more productive” or “productivity tips.” (is that how you got here?)

Honestly, the majority of tips should work in case the person who reads them actually applies them properly. However, as the competition gets more fierce, most content creators exaggerate or appeal to the reader’s poor senses. They trick you into believing that the “magic productivity pill” is out there, and they make it look very easy and appealing.

Still, there’s a lot of misinformation that flows on the web, so you need to carefully filter the advice you decide to implement into your activities. Let’s see which of the most common productivity tips are in fact not so productive.

4 Common Productivity Tips That Are Actually Wasting Your Time

1. “Have Strict To-Do Lists”

Most people advise you to hold strict to-do lists in your room, check them on a frequent basis, and stick to your objectives without missing a thing. However, there’s a noticeable problem that this strategy brings.

Life is unexpected. A strict schedule is only going to cultivate stress because if the entire list isn’t checked off at the end of the day, you will feel disappointed. You keep building up disappointment up to a point where you’re no longer capable of staying consistent with your work. You may as well end up doing nothing for a week – this being a side-effect of your failed attempt to follow that to-do list.

2. “Use Website-Blocking Software”

There are lots of digital tools nowadays that promise to improve your productivity. Some even do! Yet some of them might be also misleading. Let’s take the website-blocking tools such as Stayfocusd. These types of apps are simply stopping you from accessing “time-distracting” online environments. One example could be social media networks such as Facebook.

The entire philosophy is wrong here. You do need a break. If you cut off your relaxing channels completely, you’re likely to start acquiring lots of stress and begin procrastinating. A survey performed by Staples shows that 64% of the surveyed employees and 57% of the surveyed employers suggested that “taking adequate breaks” is key to a greater productivity.

[RELATED: Sit Up Straight and Relax! Productivity Tips For Digital Nomads]

3. “Establish Goals and Stick to Them Only”

Everyone keeps talking about goals. Make a goal and stick to it. Discover your passion and turn it into a goal…all sorts of broad tips that come from people who have never achieved great productivity throughout their lives.

In fact, productivity is most easily obtained through proper planning and great execution. For that, you should establish a system and stick to that system instead of merely looking after a goal.

For example, if I would like to become a successful big-league volley player, I would create a 24/7 system which includes everything from mindset, nutrition, practice, improvement, and I would create rules for my life. I would then follow the system until I reach my goal. Never quit, always do my best.

4. “Work Hard All The Time”

“Work harder” is already becoming a cliché. Everyone keeps saying it, yet the way people say it can barely explain what that term actually means. Each one of us is different. We have different personalities, different beliefs, and different work ethics. Most importantly, we have different standards of what work means.

Therefore, whenever you’re advised to work harder, you’re basically being told that you’re not spending enough hours working (and this can literally kill you). Still, you can achieve greater productivity by shifting your thinking.

Instead of focusing all your efforts and mental energies on working longer hours and being stricter with yourself, begin channeling that energy into smart thinking. In other words, spend your time looking for brilliant solutions to your problems and effective shortcuts for your journey.

If you want more productivity, you should improve your personal strength. For me, that means making myself uncomfortable when other people stay comfortable. It means having regular introspection in which I assess the 20% of the actions which bring me 80% of the desired results (Pareto principle). Lastly, I have finally understood – as most of you should – that success requires consistency and persistency.