Most people struggle with actually getting work done, but some of us—who may be just slightly Type A—have the opposite problem: we’re so productive that we don’t know when to stop.
Super productive people are the type who accidentally read ahead in high school and college because they just became so engrossed in what they were reading.
Or they are those people who plan everything to a T just because they just can’t stop! Woohoo! But it’s not all meeting deadlines early and being overzealous all the time. Here are six struggles of being a productive person.
1. You Take On Too Many Projects At Once
Because you can get so much done in so little time, you often overestimate your productivity. You take on more projects than you actually have time for because you just love whatever you do. But, unfortunately, the only way you usually learn not to do this is by burning out, repeatedly.
2. You Fail A Lot
Productive people usually aren’t afraid of a challenge, and that means that they’re not afraid to step out of their comfort zones either. Because you’ve accomplished so much, you often don’t tell yourself that something is too difficult or too unfamiliar for you.
This means that you have applied and gotten turned down from a lot of opportunities. But this “struggle” is actually one of your greatest strengths, because you can’t often say, “I wish I had tried that,” and you’re an expert at saying, “At least we/I tried.”
3. You Can Make Enemies Without Even Knowing It
When you first meet people, you can come on pretty strong. You’re ready to tackle anything, and that comes across clearly in your personality. For some people, this can be intimidating or even annoying.
You’ve definitely heard the “teacher’s pet” joke one too many times, and your coworkers sometimes think there are villain-esque motivations behind your drive to succeed. But, in reality, you just love getting things done and you often put your heart into your work.
4. You Have Trouble With That Whole Sleep Thing
Oh, sleep? Who needs that? Not you. Often, productive people can function on only a little sleep. Usually this habit catches up with you, though, and eventually you learn that you can be at the height of your productivity with the right amount of sleep and self care.
5. Sometimes You Can’t Say “No”
The older you get, the better you become at this one. But there are still times where you commit to eight holiday parties in one week and then you find yourself sitting on your kitchen floor in the middle of 10 recipes for those parties.
That’s when you know you probably should’ve said “no” to at least one or two of those invitations. You just don’t like coming to terms with the fact that Hermoine’s Time Turner necklace actually isn’t real, and you can’t be in five different places at once.
6. You Have To Schedule Breaks In Your Day
You set alarms for breaks. Or maybe you and a coworker get coffee at the same time each day so that you don’t miss that break. But you have to put breaks into your schedule, or else they just won’t happen at all.
Besides, schedules just make everything better! And who doesn’t like a pretty desk calendar, am I right?