There is never enough time – this is what we always say. So, in response to this, we try to use tools that will help us manage our time wisely. In an effort to become more “efficient” we try to cram in as many tasks as we could in our calendar.
However, this goes against all the benefits that you should be getting from managing your time. Instead of becoming more efficient, you leave room for you to feel more pressure because of all the tasks that you are trying to finish.
With more people working remotely, many of us feel that we have more time on our hands now than before because we don’t have to commute or go on business travels. But according to an article published by the Harvard Business Review, contrary to how you think, your workday has actually extended an extra 30 minutes when you work from home. Worst part is that it takes away minutes that you used to use as leisure time when you get home from work.
Time management is all about becoming more efficient so that you can make more time for you to accomplish all your to-dos comfortably. However, freeing an hour in your calendar automatically triggers a bell in your head that you can take on additional tasks with the time that you freed up. This is the trap of time management and here are three ways that you can make sure that you stay productive without experiencing burnout.
1. Manage the volume of tasks on your to-do list
Putting items in your to-do list is much like making a commitment to deliver and this creates pressure on your part to finish that task. When adding to-do’s to your list, prioritize tasks instead of looking at how much free time you can spare on your calendar.
Also, notice how your calendar only shows tasks that you have to perform with other people such as meetings, business lunches, and not work that you actually have to sit down and do yourself? Merge your calendar to accommodate both so that you have a clear picture of what you have on your plate before you take on any more.
2. Reduce your cognitive load
Each day we are bombarded with thousands of decisions, each with corresponding consequences and a need to process additional information. Just imagine the mental work all of these require and the potential to become overwhelmed with all the choices that you have to make.
To reduce cognitive overload, Harvard Business Review makes this suggestion from the successful author Tim Ferris – find that one decision that removes 100 decisions. Take for instance Steve Jobs. His decision to wear the same thing everyday was because he wanted to remove the cognitive load of having to pick out an outfit every morning. This means you have more mental space to deal with things that actually matter.
3. Minimize Distractions
It is easier said than done, but what is the most effective way to do this? Will power will be of little help in eliminating distractions. Pulling yourself away from the distraction of social media, for example, is an impossible feat because that was what it was designed to do, to keep you engaged.
Establish structure for your work day. Set a time when you unplug from emails, the internet, and from social media so that you can focus on important tasks on your list. You can also create a system wherein you create small gaps between meetings so that you can refocus and reflect. This enables you to have a clear head before tackling the next thing on your list without risking feeling overwhelmed because you have to bring the previous one into what you are currently taking care of.
Keeping things simple is the key ingredient here. Instead of aiming to be more efficient by cramming in more tasks and more decisions into your day, the goal is to simplify. Forget time management and have structure in your day, prioritize your tasks and reduce your cognitive load. Managing what your energy goes into during your work day will eventually prove to me more productive than managing your time.