3 Bad Habits You Must Break to Be Productive

The truth is harsh but liberating: if you’re not getting things done, it’s because you’ve let destructive patterns run the show. This article is going to name and shame three of the worst offenders—habits that not only kill your efficiency but also rob you of the life you’re meant to live. They’re sneaky, they’re comfortable, and they feel innocent, but they are holding you hostage.

We’ll start with procrastination, the silent thief that steals your potential one excuse at a time. Then, we’ll dismantle the myth of multitasking, which promises productivity but delivers nothing but chaos and exhaustion. Finally, we’ll address the modern epidemic of sleep deprivation, a self-inflicted wound that keeps you foggy, irritable, and far from your best. Each of these habits isn’t just a bad choice—they’re barriers to living fully, as spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle would remind us, keeping you locked away from the power of the present moment.

By the end of this article, you won’t just understand why these habits are toxic—you’ll know exactly how to crush them. Whether it’s drawing from Anthony de Mello’s call to wake up from illusions or grounding yourself in the wisdom of Proverbs 6:10–11 (“A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come on you like a thief”), this is your wake-up call. No sugarcoating, no excuses—just practical strategies to help you reclaim your time and your life.

Procrastination

I used to be a master procrastinator. I’d watch the clock tick down, convincing myself that “I work best under pressure” while deadlines loomed like executioners. The rush of urgency was intoxicating, but the result? Mediocrity. Missed deadlines. Regret. Procrastination wasn’t just a bad habit; it was a betrayal—of my potential, my dreams, and the opportunities God placed in my hands. Anthony de Mello hit me like a brick when he said, “You cannot be free until you wake up to reality.” The reality is this: procrastination isn’t harmless. It’s self-sabotage disguised as comfort.

Here’s the brutal truth: procrastination doesn’t just waste your time—it poisons your soul. Every moment you delay doing what matters, you’re deepening a cycle of avoidance that breeds stress and panic. You think you’re saving yourself effort by putting things off, but what you’re really doing is compounding the pain. Like Eckhart Tolle says, “You cannot find peace by avoiding life.” Avoidance only leads to sleepless nights, rushing through tasks, and producing half-baked results that you’ll hate yourself for later. And the worst part? The time you waste doesn’t come back. It’s gone. Forever.

Think about this: the Bible warns us in Proverbs 6:9–11, “How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” This isn’t just about money. It’s about your dreams, your goals, and your legacy. Procrastination is the thief, and every day you indulge it, you’re letting it rob you blind.

The way out is simple, but not easy. First, stop waiting for motivation. It’s a lie. You don’t need to “feel ready” to start. Use the 2-Minute Rule: if a task takes less than two minutes, do it immediately. This trains your brain to act instead of delay. Next, break big projects into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Overwhelm is just procrastination’s accomplice, convincing you that starting is impossible. Take control by focusing on one small step at a time. And finally, use tools like to-do lists and apps—not as distractions, but as weapons to slay the chaos in your head.

The deeper battle is within. Procrastination thrives on fear—fear of failure, fear of success, fear of discomfort. It’s only when you confront those fears, with brutal honesty, that you’ll break free. Anthony de Mello reminds us, “The root of sorrow is attachment.” Let go of your attachment to perfection and the illusion of control. Show up, do the work, and trust the process. It’s messy, it’s uncomfortable, but it’s the only path to real growth.

So, what are you going to do? Keep waiting for the “perfect time” while your life slips away? Or are you going to wake up, face the hard truth, and take action now? Your future self is begging you to stop procrastinating. Answer the call. Choose discipline over delay, and watch how everything changes.

Multitasking

There was a time I wore multitasking like a badge of honor. I thought juggling five things at once made me look competent, efficient—even impressive. But deep down, I knew the truth: my brain was scattered, my energy drained, and my work sloppy. Deadlines were met, but the quality was crap. Worse, I felt a constant buzz of anxiety, like I was failing at everything all at once. Anthony de Mello said it best: “The mind is a lousy master.” When you let your mind jump from task to task like a caffeinated squirrel, you aren’t working—you’re surviving. And survival mode is no way to live.

Here’s the hard truth: multitasking is a scam. Your brain is not wired to handle multiple tasks at once. Every time you switch tasks, your brain burns precious energy recalibrating its focus. Studies show that multitasking drops your efficiency by up to 40%. That means almost half of your effort is wasted. What you call “multitasking” is really just rapid task-switching, and it’s killing your productivity. Worse, it’s breeding mistakes and burnout. Remember this: “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). Multitasking makes you double-minded, unstable, and ineffective.

You know why you multitask? Because focus is hard, and distractions are easy. It’s easier to check your phone than to sit with the discomfort of deep work. It’s easier to shuffle between tabs than to stare down one project and give it your all. But that easy path is a trap, leading straight to mediocrity. Eckhart Tolle teaches that “The present moment is all you ever have.” Every time you multitask, you rob yourself of the present moment and dilute the power of your focus. You scatter yourself into fragments, and fragmented people don’t build great things.

The way forward is simple, but it takes guts: stop multitasking. Practice time-blocking—carve out chunks of your day for focused, single-task work. When it’s time to work, turn off your notifications. Put your phone in another room if you have to. Train your brain to focus on one thing at a time. Yes, it’s uncomfortable at first, but discomfort is the price of progress. Remember, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).

Here’s another pro tip: prioritize deep work. This is the work that moves the needle—writing, creating, strategizing. Don’t waste your best hours on shallow tasks like answering emails or scrolling through social media. Protect your mornings, or whenever your energy is highest, for your most important work. Read “Deep Work” by Cal Newport—a life-changing book that shows how focus is your ultimate superpower.

So, stop kidding yourself. Multitasking isn’t making you more productive—it’s making you mediocre. The choice is yours: stay trapped in the cycle of chaos, or take back control by embracing focus and presence. One task at a time, one moment at a time—that’s how greatness is built.

Lack of Sleep

Let’s stop pretending that burning the midnight oil is some kind of badge of honor. I used to think I could run on four hours of sleep a night—just power through, right? After all, I had deadlines, clients, and emails piling up. But here’s what I learned the hard way: I wasn’t powering through; I was stumbling through life, disconnected from reality. My decisions were clouded, my creativity stagnant, and my performance—a joke. Anthony de Mello put it perfectly when he said, “You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.” And I was sleepwalking, waiting for some “meaningful” moment to appear while my body and mind crumbled from neglect. Lack of sleep isn’t just an inconvenience—it’s an invitation to failure.

Here’s the brutal truth that no one wants to talk about: lack of sleep is a productivity killer, pure and simple. It slashes your cognitive performance, leaving you unable to make sound decisions. Try tackling a complex task after a sleepless night—everything feels like an uphill battle. But the real danger isn’t just that your work suffers—it’s that your health deteriorates. Sleep deprivation eats away at your body, your mental clarity, and your creativity, leaving you an empty shell of your true potential. Remember the words of Proverbs 20:13: “Do not love sleep, or you will grow poor; stay awake and you will have food to spare.” It’s not just about working harder; it’s about working smarter—and that means taking rest seriously.

Why are you doing this to yourself? You’ve convinced yourself that if you just push through, you’ll get ahead. But here’s the reality: you can’t do anything well when you’re exhausted. Your productivity drops, your energy wanes, and your decision-making becomes reckless. Tired people make mistakes. Tired people burn out. Eckhart Tolle says, “Awareness is the greatest agent for change.” And you need to be aware of the damage sleep deprivation is doing to you. It’s easy to fall into the trap of working long hours and skimping on sleep, but all you’re doing is digging yourself a deeper hole. At some point, your body will say “enough,” and you won’t be able to perform at the level you think you can.

The solution? It’s simple, but it takes discipline: make sleep a priority. If you’re serious about success, you need to commit to quality rest. Aim for 7–8 hours a night. Create a bedtime routine that signals to your body it’s time to wind down—no screens, no caffeine, just pure relaxation. This isn’t negotiable. You can’t keep burning the candle at both ends and expect to thrive. “In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8). That’s what true rest feels like—safe, secure, and recharged.

But let’s not sugarcoat it: you will have to fight your own mind. We live in a world that glorifies exhaustion, that tells you you’re weak if you rest. But you need to challenge that narrative. Make your sleep a sacred ritual. Shut down your devices an hour before bed. Read. Meditate. Do anything that prepares you for a deep, uninterrupted sleep. When you take rest seriously, you give your body and mind the tools they need to perform at their peak.

Here’s the bottom line: the world doesn’t need your half-baked efforts. The best version of you only comes from a well-rested, fully present you. And if you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re robbing yourself of that. Read “Why We Sleep” by Matthew Walker—a game-changing book that proves sleep isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Stop kidding yourself. You can’t outrun the truth. Sleep is power. Respect it, or watch your potential slip away.

LAST WORDS

You’ve been caught in the trap of procrastination, multitasking, and lack of sleep, and it’s time to face the hard truth: these habits are holding you back from becoming the person you’re meant to be. Every time you put something off, you’re choosing to remain stuck. Every time you juggle tasks, you’re spreading yourself thin, getting nothing done right. And every time you sacrifice sleep, you’re crippling your ability to perform at your best. “The road to hell is paved with good intentions,” says the old saying. If you want to succeed, you have to stop making excuses and take control. These habits are weak excuses masquerading as productivity.

But don’t think you have to make drastic changes overnight. The key is to start small, to dismantle these habits one step at a time. Break your big goals into small, actionable tasks. Commit to focusing on one thing at a time, and prioritize sleep like your life depends on it—because it does. Remember, it’s not about perfection; it’s about progress. Anthony de Mello said, “The greatest freedom comes from knowing you are free to change, free to start over.” So start today, not tomorrow, and celebrate every small victory, every time you say no to procrastination, multitasking, or late nights.

Here’s the truth: if you keep clinging to these habits, you’ll keep getting the same results—burnout, regret, and mediocrity. But if you choose to break free from them, step by step, you’ll unlock your full potential. As the Bible reminds us, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin” (Zechariah 4:10). The journey to a more productive, fulfilling life doesn’t happen in a day. It happens when you make the decision to start, even in the smallest way, and keep moving forward. Now, what’s your next move?

You may want to read how to pray for Healing.

Stay well until next time

At your service,

Mani