3 Reasons Being Too Productive Can Be Toxic for Your Business

What’s the common characteristic of nearly all entrepreneurs? The ability to get things done.

 

And we wear the badge of productivity with pride because we know that being productive (getting things done) is what grows a business. 

 

But have you heard the term flailing, or better known as ‘toxic productivity’? When you try to do too much, you actually stop getting things done, and you put yourself into a state of panic. 

 

Imagine you are struggling to stay afloat in a raging sea, waving your arms frantically in the air, to no avail.

 

You know you’re drowning, and that you need to do something, but all you can manage is continuously waving and splashing every time your head comes up for air. Then you bob back down again until your exhausted legs can push you back to the surface. 

 

Not only are you struggling, but worse, you’re panicking. And, sadly, if you spend long enough struggling, you eventually lose the energy and willpower to keep going, and you drown.

 

Toxic productivity in business looks very similar to drowning in the sea. Going nowhere, in a state of panic, but downwards. 

 

And who wants their business to sink to the bottom of the ocean? As an entrepreneur, you need to avoid toxic productivity if you want growth and success in your business.

 

Here are 3 reasons why being too productive can actually sink your business. 

 

 

When you are toxically productive, you are struggling to focus long enough to choose a direction, so you choose to go in many directions or no direction at all. 

 

Being directionless can be detrimental to your business. 

 

You are either choosing no direction, therefore standing still and the growth of your business is affected, or you're frantically going about choosing many different directions, wasting time, money and precious resources. 

 

If you want a growing, successful business, you need to choose to stop being toxically productive and pause for long enough to decide on one direction.

  

 

When you're toxically productive, you're in such a frantic, confused state you can't think logically or sensibly. 

 

Avoid making any decisions in your business when you are on the toxic train. Your decisions, in this state of panic, will most likely be impulsive, emotional and responsive, leading to even greater problems in your business. At this time, choose to pause instead and prevent any further damage to the growth of your business. 

 

Avoid any kind of decision-making when in a state of toxic productivity. It’s not the time or the place. 

 

 

When in a state of toxic productivity, you’re in survival mode. All your focus and energy is going into staying alive. 

 

In your toxicness, there might actually be help being offered, but you can’t hear or respond because you’re too busy focusing on staying afloat. 

 

Imagine someone throwing you a rescue buoy to save you from drowning, but you’re so panicked that you can’t see it or grab onto it. 

 

Toxic productivity is a huge barrier to listening, and can actually be part of the reason you drown. 

 

Listening to those with the rescue buoy, aka experience, is vital to the survival, growth and success of your business.

 

Stuck in a sticky situation? Your mentor or team might have the perfect advice you need to get you out of the mess. 

 

Have a great idea and need to bounce it off, someone? Listen to the insightful tips offered by someone who has been there and done that. 

 

The benefits of listening in business are endless. 

 

Toxic productivity prevents you from listening and listening is vital for the growth and success of your business. So make a different choice, one that’s going to benefit and not harm the growth and success of your business. 

 

 

 

If you feel like you’ve been toxically productive in your business, we have just the solution you need. Join our Sticky Note Time and get clear on your goals so that you can start crushing them!  

 

If you missed the conversation between David White & Kim White (they aren't related, but relatable), you can listen to it here. 

 

To further connect with David White email him at [email protected]. 

 

To connect and find out more about Kim or how to create a sexy business for a sexy life, you can reach her and the My Sexy Business Team at mysexybusiness.com.