As we continue to explore common time management mistakes, we would like to pay your attention to the fact that the initial goal of productivity, the results, should be shifted a bit. We suggest you exploring the side of productivity such as an ongoing ‘flow’, where there is endless energy appearing for tasks, you have got plenty of time and a seemingly effortless determination to complete tasks, which you do absolutely easy. Also, you are more than welcome to review common goal settings mistakes. If this sounds impossible to you, review your time management skills and see if you can improve them. Keeping track of your ‘busy’ day is easy if you use To Do Checklist and cross out your scheduled tasks as “DONE!”.
Failing to Take Breaks
The idea of working 8-10-12 hours straight extremely attractive, but it is illusive. Even if you work toward a project deadline, it is simply impossible to work that much, stay focused and produce high-quality results without giving your brains time to recharge. While some people claim that they managed to do that, the outcome is a total exhaustion. When working in intense mode, breaks seem to be “waste of time”, but they are crucial if you want to be productive.
- Relaxation breaks work as a plot to valuable down-time.
- They enable you to work both effectively and creatively.
- If it is hard for you to stop working, schedule your breaks in To Do Checklist.
- Sport activities like yoga are great as they release the tension from your body.
- Experts suggest taking at least 5-minute breaks every 2 hours.
- Eat your lunch on time. You can’t work hard if you are hungry.
- Grab To Do Checklist app and create tasks with on-time and on-location reminders to go for your yoga class, have a fast walk, breathe some fresh air, grab a cup of favorite coffee, etc.
Ineffective Scheduling
It is good to know if you are a morning person or your energy tends to pick up in the afternoon. Each and every one of us has different rhythms. But it is highly beneficial to learn when you are most productive and energetic. This way you can make use of the time and schedule tasks in To Do Checklist app of high-value work during peak time and low-energy work (reply to emails, return calls) during your “down” time.
Multitasking
To be honest, multitasking is the biggest productivity myth there is. As an example, Giorgia loves her work and likes to keep busy. Her job responsibilities include writing emails and calling clients. While multitasking for Giorgia looks attractive (making a good use of her time) and she does both email writing and calling clients simultaneously. It turns out to be a waste of 20-40% of her valuable time. As a result, Giorgia may feel too tired and overwhelmed at the end of the day while emails are full of errors and clients unhappy with her lack of focus. One of our greatest suggestions to improve time management skills is to forget about multitasking and see the results of concentration on one task at a time. And tell us about your results to get a special reward.
Thriving on ‘Busy’
Thriving on ‘busy’ means that you have a rush from ‘addiction to busyness’. An adrenaline buzz may look attractive with its narrow-met deadlines, endless emails, piles of files requiring your attention, frantic race to get to meetings with clients, etc. But they are wearing you down!
- Plan your tasks in To Do Checklist.
- Try to slow down.
- Learn new time management skills.
- See if you are satisfied (less stress).
- Find your ‘adrenaline buzz’ in other hobbies in case you miss it.
When You Take on TOO MUCH
People like to take advantage of co-workers who have hard times saying “no”. These people have too many tasks, too many commitments and projects on their hands. Oftentimes, they are showing poor performance as they are stressed out. In this case, it is time to learn to say “yes” to people, but “no to the task”.
As soon as you recognize the mistakes, you shift your time management perspective and improve your productivity skills. Set up To Do Checklist reminders to help you to stay on selected course. The changes will lead to consistent effortless work flow, less stress, higher levels of productivity and making you happier.