Those that do multitask the most are the worst at it.
Productivity is defined as, “having the power to produce.” By that definition, multitasking is the opposite of productivity because you are more prone to distractions and have less power to produce what you need to produce.
- When we get tired, we make mistakes, which means more time and money must be put into correcting those mistakes.
- When we get tired, it takes us longer to do things, costing more time and money to do something that could get done in less time if we were fully awake.
Either one of two problems: you don’t like delegating tasks, or you’re having trouble prioritizing which tasks deserve your time.
Figure out which tasks deserve your time the most (or those tasks that you do best), and outsource something that’s of low priority.
This is a vision for what you actually want to accomplish. Visualize what you want to get done that day or that week for some of the larger tasks.
Instead of “write white paper”, you could “outline the white paper” or “write three pages of the white paper.” Writing the entire thing in one sitting may feel productive, but it’s a very tiring way to be productive.
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Unnecessary meetings can severely deplete productivity out of someone’s working day.
Instead of arranging a meeting, see if you can speak with the person in another way. Skype, texting, emailing and phone calls are all efficient ways to communicate on important matters, while still focusing on your own projects.
There are limits to your personal productivity. You may have health issues. You have unique demands on your time.
The best way to be productive is to work around these issues. Find out what works for you.
- Procrastinating on tasks—both small, nagging ones and large, challenging ones
- Boring work that needs just to get done
- Responding to email and other messages while working
- Staying motivated and energized throughout the entire work day
- Focusing and finishing the most important projects on their plates
- Focus on most important tasks first
- Cultivate deep work
- Keep a distraction list to stay focused
- Use the Eisenhower Matrix to identify long-term priorities
- Use the 80/20 rule
- Break tasks into smaller pieces
- Take breaks
- Make fewer decisions
- Eliminate inefficient communication
- Find repeatable shortcuts
- Learn from successes as well as mistakes
- Plan for when things go wrong
- Work before you get motivated or inspired
- Don’t multitask
- Fill the tank — recharge
- Sharpen the axe
- Manage your energy (not just time)
- Get better at saying “no”
Laura Earnest of Whole Life Productivity had this to say on the importance of prioritization as a productivity habit:
“Let me say that I distinguish between efficient and effective, but that both are needed for peak productivity. Efficient is doing things right and effective is doing the right things. So the most productive people work on the high value tasks, making sure that how they are doing those tasks is the best way.