Virtual Effort: The Illusion of Productivity

I. Introduction

1. Start with questions to grab audiences' attention.

(The manifestation of Virtual effort
a. Have you ever set many goals but never start
doing?
b. Have you ever bought a lot of books but never
read?
c. Have you ever downloaded many documents
but never use them?
2. Hook: “In a world where busyness often pretends as productivity, the
concept of "Virtual Effort" has emerged as a critical topic of examination.
Many individuals and organizations find themselves caught in the
dellusion of being highly active yet making little real progress toward
their goals. This presentation delves into the phenomenon of virtual
effort. By shedding light on this common challenge, we aim to equip you
with valuable insights and practical strategies to escape the trap of
virtual effort and embrace a more focused, purpose-driven approach to
achieving your objectives.”
3. Thesis statement: “The causes and effects of virtual efforts and what
individual should do to manage it”
4. Preview main point:
a. Firstly, We will discuss the denifition of Vitual effort
b. Sencondly, We will exploring its underlying causes
c. Thirstly, the profound effects it has on personal well-being
and professional success.
d. Lastly, the measures We recommend
II. Body

A. What is Virtual Effort?

Virtual effort is when you are setting yourself many goals but instead
of trying to persevere, you do not focus on reaching the end. Maybe
you do things but don't get there, you take on a lot but can't complete
it.

B. The causes of virtual effort

1. Lack of clarity in goal setting

a. This is the most common reason for becoming a “delusional effort”

person. Due to not knowing what they want, many people usually
ape the crowd, learning what is trending just because they want to
“catch the trend”.
b. Furthermore, they have so many choices, but they do not know
what they want. That is the reason why these individuals always
 embrace everything because they think it is “good to act a lot” and
forget that it is immensely important to “smell the roses”.
c. As they have no clear direction, they are likely to get bogged
down and stumble on the road to success. And many times, they
will become dissatisfied and lose faith in themselves because the
more they try, the more disappointed they are.

2. Overcommitment and multitasking

a. Having multiple goals at the same time is not a bad thing.

However, having so many goals that nothing ever takes a priority
will yield poor results all around. If you feel like you’re never fully
accomplishing one task or can’t seem to recognize which things
are a top priority, there’s a good chance you have set too many
goals at once.
b. A lot of us like to think we’re masters of multitasking, but science
says otherwise. Be careful not to overload yourself, learn to
prioritize, and you’ll reach your goals faster.
c. It's easy to say you want to make change but to actually do the
work is much different. Understand that you have a limited amount
of time and that you can’t do everything. Realize that by not
finishing, you are missing out on all the opportunities that open up
when you finish the projects you are working on.
d. You have to decide what kind of priority you're going to give your
goal. Otherwise, your intention will get lost among all your other
daily activities.

3. Procrastination and time management issues

a. Abraham Lincoln reportedly once said: “Give me six hours to chop

down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” Out
of all the reasons why we fail to achieve our goals, none are as
deadly as procrastination.
b. It’s easy to tell yourself that you’ll start tomorrow or reach an
obstacle in your plan and decide to handle it later. Too many
times though, later never comes, and motivation dies out.

4. Distractions …… technology

a. Ask the audiences: ‘What is your biggest distraction?

b. There is a study which was published in the Canadian Journal for
the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning and surveyed 478
students and 36 instructors at the University of Waterloo found
that the use of technology in class, such as laptops or phones, for
noneducational purposes was distracting to almost half of
students, while others surveyed believe technology in the
classroom is unavoidable.
 c. Of the undergraduate students surveyed, 49 percent said the use
of technology for reasons not related to class, or “off-task” use,
was distracting to them.
d. Research demonstrates that when your attention is distracted
away from a primary task, it can take you as much as 23 minutes
to fully return your attention to the task following the distraction.
This means that every time that you are distracted at your job by a
notification, social media, or an article, you could be losing nearly
30 minutes when your focus is reduced.

5. Perfectionism and fear of failure

a. Perfectionism is a need to be perfect and a fear of failure, being

judged, and being criticized. This means that you may avoid doing
something because it might not turn out perfectly.
b. You may think that being a perfectionist makes them better at
their jobs, better at keeping a spotless home, or a perfect weight,
or better at parenting — which is very much not true.
c. If you wait until you feel ready to tackle something tough, you
might be waiting a long time. It's unlikely that you're going to gain
a sudden burst of inspiration out of the blue.
d. The perfectionist wastes too much time and energy over the
unimportant matters. The fear of failure can lead you to
procrastinate and keep putting off projects until the last minute,
which makes them harder to complete. Or you complete them at
the last minute which results in not giving your best effort.

C. Effects: "From the above reasons, it can be seen that virtual efforts
reflect many complexities and shortcomings in your life and in your
mind. This common syndrome may seem harmless, but in reality, it
harbors more serious consequences than you may think."
1. First of all, virtual efforts have a negative impact on productivity
a. When you take on too many tasks and set too many goals at once,
but never actually complete them, you neither make progress nor
complete them. Therefore, you face the dilemma eventually. All the
tasks become difficult to manage because we are not able to do
multiple things at the same time, resulting in inefficiency for all of
them.
b. According to a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology,
overloading with too many tasks is actually less efficient because it
takes extra time to shift mental gears every time a person switches
between tasks.
c. On the other hand, people, with virtual effects, who achieve
success through luck and minimal effort tend to become
complacent with temporary achievements and quickly give up
when faced with pressure or when they are unable to fully
 complete their plans.

2. Secondly, a multitude of psychological effects are caused by virtual

effort such as stress, frustration, and guilt
a. Overloading yourself with too many tasks can lead to extreme
stress when you have too much to do and don't know where to
start. This can inadvertently make you feel anxious and extremely
uncertain, causing you to feel demotivated because you will
always doubt whether you can complete all the work well or not,
b. Virtual efforts lead to a sense of frustration and lack of motivation,
as we feel like we are wasting time and energy on an unattainable
goal.
c. In reality, in our daily lives, it can be seen clearly that we often
compare ourselves to others and put pressure on ourselves.
However, it is the false efforts that impose the belief that we are
putting in a lot of effort but still failing, making us feel inferior to
others as well as guilty for not keeping up with our peers. From
there, we lose faith in our efforts, and when we do not achieve
results, we blame external factors.
d. Sometimes, even virtual efforts require a lot of investment,
including financial investment, such as buying books,
downloading resources, or sacrificing your health by staying up
late or waking up early. Therefore, it is understandable when you
feel guilty when you feel like your progress does not match what
you have put in.
3. Thirdly, virtual efforts can strain on one’s personal and professional life
a. People who are affected by the consequences of virtual effects tend
to forget to rest or prepare healthy meals. Sometimes, they don't
hesitate to skip meals to work longer, even avoiding going to the
bathroom or drinking water. Needless to say, people also like to skip
gym sessions, wine tastings with friends, or family meals.
b. Trying to maintain activity all the time with the feeling of frustration
can have serious consequences for your mental health. You are at
risk of being constantly stressed when facing all the tasks assigned
to you while worrying that you will never be able to do enough. Poor
work productivity can cause you to distance yourself from loved ones
and prevent you from doing activities you enjoy.
c. The lack of knowledge, productivity, inefficiency, and stress caused
by comparing oneself to others can become obstacles that hinder
your career advancement and prevent you from gaining respect from
colleagues.
 4. Last but not least, virtual effects have an adverse bearing on long–term
goals
a. According to Locke and Latham, 2002, 2006, over 1,000 studies
have consistently shown that setting high and specific goals is linked
to increased task performance, persistence, and motivation,
compared to vague or easy goals
b. The act of striving for something unreal can lead to disappointment
and self-doubt, causing a loss of confidence in one's abilities and a
lack of faith in life. These feelings can gradually erode motivation and
goals, ultimately resulting in a sense of hopelessness.
c. Psychological issues such as stress, frustration, and guilt can
gradually develop into serious mental illnesses like depression,
anxiety disorders, and insomnia if they are not promptly addressed. It
is important to control these negative emotions to prevent them from
escalating into more severe psychological conditions.
d. If you continue to be caught in a cycle between external excitement
and giving up on your goals, there is no doubt that in the long run,
you will remain stagnant and unable to develop both in your personal
life and career. As a result, you will miss out on opportunities to
develop yourself.

Transition: "In conclusion, it can be seen that virtual efforts have

significant short-term and long-term consequences, both in terms of
psychology and lifestyle. Therefore, how can we escape from these
consequences? Here are some measures to consider”

D. Measures to Escape from Virtual Effort

1. Setting clear and achievable goals

a. If you want to give it your best shot, you first need to make a clear plan.
It is not always possible for us to make a breakthrough with effort,
especially when we are not aware of our situation. To make your dream
come true, all you need to do is take a deep breath and seriously think
about your strengths and dreams.
b. SMART criteria:

Each letter in SMART refers to a different criterion for judging

objectives

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Attainable
 R – Relevant

T – Time-bound

c. Set your target and keep trying until you reach it. Just bear in mind that
it is not a big deal if you cannot reach 100% success on your target. The
most important thing is that you know you are making good progress
and “delusional effort” no longer affects you.

2. Time management techniques (e.g., Pomodoro Technique)

Time-management techniques are important for helping

professionals work more efficiently. These techniques promote
simplifying the workday and working faster and smarter. As a result,
professionals may avoid delays in their work, helping them enjoy a
better work-life balance.

Pomodoro

You parse your work into 25-minute work sessions (pomodoros),

and 5-minute breaks. After 4 cycles, you take a 20-minute break.

Kanban

A visual time management technique that helps you follow the

progress of your projects — you track how the tasks move across
differently labeled columns.

Getting Things Done

A five-step method that allows you to brainstorm your tasks, and

make them into a straightforward to-do list.

Eat that Frog

This time management technique is aimed at prioritizing tasks. You

pick out your most important, or worst task (this is your "frog"), and
tackle it first thing tomorrow. Once you have finished with your
"frog", you can move on to other tasks for the day, but not before.

Timeboxing

You allocate time periods (timeboxes) to activities; you work within

this time period, and then stop once the set time runs out.
Timeboxing often includes fixed deadlines, so it's used in project
management.
 3. Minimizing distractions and technology usage

a. Digital distractions significantly harm our productivity, primarily

because of the time it takes to refocus on our work after we have
satisfactorily entertained the distraction.

b. Here are some tips that can help you minimize your digital
distractions and make you more efficient and productive:

1. Practicing self-awareness

2. Turning off notifications or using do not disturb mode

3. Limiting social media usage

4. Taking digital detox breaks

5. Giving yourself a reward

6. Using productivity apps

7. Scheduling your tasks

8. Practicing meditation

9. Using goal-setting apps

4. Seeking Motivation

a. Motivation is an external force that urges you to do the

things required to reach your goal, which drives you crazy
enough to make your dream come true. Motivation can be
taken from people, stories, and events. We can get it from
anywhere, at any time, and at any anytime.
b. Finding true motivation helps you orient what you want to
get, what your goals are. As a result, you can avoid the
situation that you make attempts to pursue virtual aims, not
proper for yourself.
c. Motion leads to motivation. If you want to get motivated,
learn to control your physiological state. Here’s how:
d. First, figure out what kinds of movements you naturally
make when you’re feeling motivated…Then, do those things
and your mind will follow your body.
e. You’ll begin to feel more motivated when you put yourself in
a position to actually feel more motivation. You do that with
your body. Move like you move when you’re motivated.
Stand like you stand when you’re motivated.
5. Self-care

a. The World Health Organization defines self-care as: “the

ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote
health, prevent disease, maintain health, and cope with
illness and disability with or without the support of a health
worker.”
b. “It could be anything that floats your boat — anything that
puts a smile on your face,” Dr. Gill Lopez says. “Anything
that makes you feel cared for, even if it’s you caring for
yourself.”
c. There are a few different categories of self-care:

o Emotional self-care, such as self-talk, weekly bubble

baths, saying “no” to things that cause unnecessary
stress, giving yourself permission to take a pause, or
setting up a weekly coffee date with a friend
o Physical self-care, such as prioritizing sleep, adopting
an exercise routine you can stick with, or choosing
healthy and nourishing foods over highly processed ones
o Spiritual self-care, such as attending a religious service,
spending time in nature, meditating, incorporating regular
acts of kindness into your day, or keeping a gratitude
journal

d. Self-care plays an important role in our learning

process. When you own a healthy body with a good,
positive spirit, you will complete 1/3 of the road to your
goals.

III. Conclusion

a. Restate key points

b. Emphasize the importance of addressing virtual effort

c. Encouragement to take action and implement measures discussed

IV. Reference