Did you know that Cyril Northcote Parkinson wrote a humorous essay for the Economist in 1955 around the idea of time and personal productivity?
It’s called Parkinson’s Law and it essentially states: “…Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” Now, sure, some things do take a specific amount of time. You’re not going to bake a cake in less time than it takes.
But much of our work has arbitrary time limits and deadlines that you can work with to become much more productive (and efficient).
Sure in the world of productivity, it's important to know how to set clear time boundaries for yourself and for anyone who's working with you. It's also imperative you (and your team) know what constitutes "done" for any and all projects. So, let's just get that out in the open and out of the way.
The truth is, no matter what type of business you have (or want to have) improving your productivity skills are a positive and worthy use of your energy since the outcome usually means more time for you.
Now, this article is NOT about productivity or efficiency, but rather "How do you manage your tasks?" and "Where are you spending your time?"
So first . . . let's look at how you organize your tasks.
Break Down Your Tasks into Chunks
When you have a task due on a specific date, are you breaking down that project into smaller chunks to make sure you meet the due date? Or are you cramming it all in at the last minute and forced to sit at your computer for 5 hours to get it done?
We know that's not aligned with a freedom, lifestyle business. But what is?
Break the project down into mini-tasks! The individual tasks should be no longer than 20 minutes. If you estimate that a specific task will take 50 minutes, then you need to break it down into 2 or 3 smaller tasks. This way your working within your schedule and the due date.
By making smaller chunks with their own deadlines, you’ll avoid waiting until the last moment, which can cause bottlenecks and a feeling of always working. And we don't want that, right?
MultitaskING - THE GREAT MYTH!
The worst thing society has ever tried to make a thing is multitasking.
I cannot stress this enough!
There is absolutely no evidence to support that our brains can "multitask." We can toggle between tasks, but we are not physically able to do two things at once (the exception might be moms. I have seen some amazing things!)
Many people claim to be able to do it since it’s often seen as a positive (I have seen countless resumés with this listed under skills - ugh!).
The truth is, studies show it’s impossible, and even when we think we’re multitasking, we’re spending about 30 percent more time than we need on tasks due to the divided attention.
Describe What Done Means for Each Project
As I briefly mentioned before, one issue is not being clear on what done looks like. When is something done? When do you step back and celebrate that something is complete?
Define and describe for each small task what constitutes done. Define what the finished product should look like when it's complete.
That way, you have a real stopping point. And then, do the happy dance!
Set Clear Boundaries Around Your Time
Often, when people work online, they tend to forget the time boundaries they’d have if they went to a 9 to 5 job. At a job, you’re not surfing online, scrolling through Facebook, or playing Candy Crush (am I the only one who's never played that game?).
When you spend time during these "working hours" distracted, your project tasks take much longer to complete and you're left feeling drained and confused as to why it took so long.
Instead, set up your calendar to support the things you like to do. Stay engaged in that one task and be present to what you're doing, rather than dividing your time between writing your blog post and shopping for a new journal.
Stop thinking that you’re working when you’re playing. It’s okay to play. Just schedule it in.
Create Incentives for Finishing Early
If you’ve blocked four hours today to write 10 blog posts, give yourself some incentive to finish early.
If you finish before the four hours are up, instead of moving on to the rest of the work you planned for the day, take that extra time and do something for yourself. Something that feeds your soul. Get up and move, stretch, go outside for a walk, sing, dance, have a nourishing snack (or chocolate).
I often break up my day by watching something funny. A 20-minute laughter break is great fuel for the soul.
IT'S TIME FOR A SELF-ASSESSMENT
Now that we've gone over some of my favorite time business practices , let's now learn about where you spend your time currency.
Over the next week, I'd like for you to track where you spend your time. You can't figure out where to make adjustments or cut back your spending, if you don't know where it all goes.
Just like money, understanding your time spending habits will help you. This is not a place for self-judgment. Remind yourself that we are being an observer right now so we can learn where to make micro-adjustments to align ourselves with our greater lifestyle needs and desires.
Then, take a few moments to balance your time "checkbook" at the end of the week. I promise it will be eye opening once you do your analysis. Please try not to change your habits, because you won't be able to collect the proper data to make the adjustments you need.
I recommend using a time tracker to help you figure out where all your time is going. Toggl is one of the best (and free) time tracking apps to help you. Just create a FREE account, login, start the timer and give it a name. Then once you're done working on that task, click the stop button and your time on that project has been logged.
Even just using the app helps you become more aware and purposeful, because you know you're being tracked.
Another great option is an app you can install that runs in the background and tracks everything you do on your computer. So, if you want a REAL picture of the time you spend in different software, platforms, or cruising the internet use TimeCamp. TimeCamp also has the ability to track your projects.
Additionally, there are apps you can install on your phone to track your activity if you feel like that's a place time is being lost.
Please share in the Facebook group what you've learned about yourself and your business. I will be in the Facebook group every day to answer your questions and support your growth.
Till tomorrow,
Be brilliant.
Be imperfect.
And always, be you.
Melissa