by 
Everyone has unique needs, desires, dreams and aspirations, meaning we all want to realize our potential and live the life it represents.
But obstacles can arise along the way. When it comes to work, we can start to experience the productivity paradox, which comes with the feeling that you're stuck where you are and none of your efforts are getting the proper results.
What the performance paradox is and why it occurs
The productivity paradox is the feeling of stagnation. It occurs when you put a lot of effort into a task but still feel like you're not making progress. Life seems like an endless game of catch-up, but you never see the finish line you're working toward.
Too often, the productivity paradox fools us into working ourselves to the bone and then feeling the symptoms of burnout. It can feel like you're doing your best when in fact you're missing the chance to discover better ways to create, communicate, lead, and live.
Why does this paradox arise? It is a response to the feelings of pressure, stress and depression that we experience every day.
Here's what's interesting: if you work to live, you take care of your current needs, neglecting your long-term desires. And if you live to work, you set your long-term goals, neglecting your day-to-day needs. Both of these life stances lead to the productivity paradox.
Also, this paradox can be both a cause and a consequence of excessive anxiety. If you're constantly worrying about work and how to advance your career, you experience burnout and a feeling of being stuck where you are.
How to stop experiencing the productivity paradox
If you focus too much on the future while neglecting the present, you may realize your dreams but miss out on the joy of the journey called life. Worse, there are times when we live a life we never wanted to live. What to do in this case?
You need a strategy to consciously plan your work and move forward. Of course, it will be different for everyone, but here are a few important things you can include in it.
Make progress by removing obstacles
The first part of the strategy for dealing with the productivity paradox is to create the conditions for making progress on meaningful work. Below are common obstacles to getting things done and how to overcome them.
Complexity
Complexity is one of the most significant obstacles to productivity. To deal with it, you need to reduce or eliminate friction. For example, if you're waiting for a deadline to start preparing a report, you need to change your habit and get to the task ahead of time to avoid unnecessary stress.
You should also take care to eliminate distractions so that it's easier to focus on tasks and not waste mental energy.
Make things as simple as possible so that you can achieve more without burnout or feeling like your work is annoying you.
Chaotic work environment
Being disorganized makes you feel overwhelmed and anxious.
Try to structure your work, write down tasks in order of priority, keep a to-do list handy to avoid stress and do more with less effort.
Seeking immediate gratification
We often put off complex tasks because they require patience, labor and time. It is much easier to do some simple task and enjoy it.
Seeking immediate gratification is another thing that contributes to the productivity paradox. It's better to put off simple tasks for later, forcing yourself to tackle what seems difficult, than to feel like you're already tired and losing focus by procrastinating and sending difficult but important tasks to the back of your mind.
Choose the future satisfaction of the difficult over the momentary pleasure of the easy.
Take care of yourself while you're at work
The other half of the plan to overcome the productivity paradox is to take care of your well-being, that is, your emotional, physical, mental needs. Here are some strategies to help with that.
Strive for good, not perfection
Strive to do a job well, not perfectly. Get rid of perfectionism, as it is accompanied by shame, loss of self-confidence and a feeling of powerlessness. And this is a sure path not to success, but to burnout and loss of self-esteem.
For example, if you're in the habit of perfecting your emails, which is where you spend most of your time, try sending a “good enough” email, telling yourself you'll reread and correct it no more than twice.
When you allow yourself to be imperfect, you relieve stress and fight the feeling that you have nowhere to go.
Refuse to compare yourself
In a world of media, social media and increasing perfectionism, it's easy to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, which takes a significant toll on the psyche.
One way to curb this habit is to compare yourself to yourself in the past rather than those around you. Trust me, it gives you more motivation and a feeling that you can achieve more than envying more successful people and trying to “fit” yourself to their image.
Give up control of that which is beyond your control
You can apply for a new project, but you can't influence whether or not you'll be chosen to do it.
Learn to temper your anxiety and craving for control over things that are out of your area of responsibility. This will help you get rid of feelings of pressure, get the job done, and let go of the situation, allowing you to labor without unnecessary stress and burnout.
Take frequent breaks
To avoid burnout, allow yourself to rest, at least a little. Regular breaks can help you regain focus, improve performance and mental alertness, and eliminate the feeling of endlessly chasing ticks on your to-do list.
Find moments to slow down, allow your mind to relax. Let your week be a nice leisurely marathon rather than a sprint.
by 
by