In the modern world where we are constantly pushed to do more with less - less time, less money, less of nearly everything - maintaining high levels of productivity is critical to your success.

That’s why becoming aware of and actively eliminating time leaks that reduce your productivity and distract you from your most important work can give you a winning edge.

Here is a list of five common productivity killers, with suggestions of how you can avoid falling under their spell. As you read through this list, be honest with yourself - how many of these productivity killers creep into your work life?

If you do identify with one or more of these productivity killers, don’t despair. You can change your work habits and plug the leaks.

Productivity Killer #1 - Wasting Time

We all do this one occasionally; sometimes deliberately and other times inadvertently. Wasting time can include actions such as:

• Making unnecessary phone calls
• Visiting or talking with others in the office
• Spending more time getting organized than actually doing work
• Delaying or avoiding the start of a project
• Scheduling or attending unnecessary meetings
• Playing computer games
• Browsing the Internet
• Reading a magazine or book
• Taking an extra long break or lunch

Some of these things are obvious time wasters, but others can easily give the illusion that you are busy and productive.

Talking on the phone, getting organized, participating in meetings - all are activities that can be either useful or unnecessary, depending on why you are doing them.

Productivity Killer #2 - Over-Committing Your Time

It is hard to say no when a co-worker or supervisor asks you to contribute to a project or participate on a company committee. You want to appear willing and able to be productive, but if you say yes too often you actually become less productive because you become over-committed.

Over-committing yourself is usually caused by two things - attempting to do too many different projects at the same time and/or underestimating the amount of time it will take you to complete the work required.

These two causes are often linked together, so if you address them together you will very likely increase your productivity.

Start by being realistic about the number of projects you can effectively work on at any one time.

Realistically, most people can’t just work on one project and shut everything else down, but if you try to do too many things at once, you only spread yourself too thin. The key is balance between these two competing goals.

When determining how many projects you can take on, also be realistic about the amount of time each one will require. Map out a regular schedule of work and milestones so that you will make steady progress, and ask for help right away if it looks like you do not have enough time to do the work.

Productivity Killer #3 - An Open Door

Most modern office environments encourage an “open door” culture that creates an atmosphere of collaboration and communication. For the most part, it is a very effective strategy that allows colleagues to interact freely and work in a friendly, enjoyable environment.

There are times, however, when the open door culture lowers your productivity dramatically. For example, you may need to focus on something important but the general noise level in the office is particularly high on that day, or you may find yourself frequently interrupted by co-workers coming in to speak with you.

You can keep the open door from affecting your productivity by adopting a “modified open door” practice. In this strategy, you keep your door open as much as possible, but when you really need to focus on something and do not want extra distractions you close it part way or even all the way.

You can hang a small white board just outside the door with a note to let everyone know you are not being rude, just focusing.

A brief statement of “Working on project deadline, please come in if you need something important” lets everyone know that you are focused on something important but remain available if they really need you. It also lets everyone know that this is not a good time for others to drop by for a visit or a casual chat.

Another strategy is to borrow an idea from college professors and have regular “office hours” where you are available for handling all non-emergency requests from your staff.

Productivity Killer #4 - Avoiding The Hard Things

It is human nature to be anxious about (or even dread) difficult or challenging tasks that need to be done. This can lead you to procrastinate getting started, avoid working on the task, or otherwise find ways not to do the work you know you should do.

Then when the deadline approaches you find yourself under a lot of pressure to get it done, often putting your other projects and tasks behind schedule as well.

As difficult as it may be, face your difficult tasks earlier rather than later. Getting started is often the hardest part, so do not delay – schedule an hour or two right away to get familiar with the task at hand and plan out your approach.

Try breaking your work sessions up into several smaller chunks of time instead of fewer longer chunks of time. This will help keep you motivated because you do not get overwhelmed with tough tasks and can refresh with breaks or easier tasks.

Productivity Killer #5 – Lack Of Sleep

We all find ourselves working long hours sometimes, even well into the night at times. If this occurs occasionally, you can usually get through it just fine, but if it occurs regularly, you will quickly find yourself less productive and less effective.

When you do not get enough sleep at night, your brain does not get the rest it needs to rejuvenate and be ready to work the next day. And when you are tired, you do not work as effectively or productively. Things just seem to take longer, and you will often find it difficult to concentrate and focus.

Instead of staying up late and sacrificing sleep, make a point of going to bed at a regular time each night so your brain and body are well rested. This will improve your productivity and allow you to get more accomplished in the end.