|
|
Time Managment Skills That Beat Multitasking - 3 Tools for Personal Effectiveness & Stress Reduction
Time management is important, and productivity is at a premium - why not multitask?
Multitasking works against you for activities requiring focus. Tests performed by the American Psychological Association in Washington D.C. conclusively prove that:
* Each time you switch your attention, you lose ground. The more complex or unfamiliar the task, the harder it is for your brain to make the transition. The more often you switch, the more time you lose, and the more stress you generate.
* A half second delay can kill you. Only a half second of time lost to multitasking can mean the difference between life and death when you use a cell phone while driving. That is all the time it takes for a car not completely under your control to travel far enough to crash.
* With all complex tasks, multitasking wastes time even when it appears to increase efficiency. Your brain is simply not engineered to hold data while engaging in a different activity.
"The Personal Productivity Guru" David Allen, author of the classic, "Getting Things Done," concurs. For example, if you select an item in your inbox to process and then allow yourself to be distracted by the item beneath it, you risk ending up with a stack of "undecided" papers on the opposite side of your desk! Little has been accomplished.
Fortunately, there are time management techniques for increasing productivity that work in harmony with how the brain functions. They are excellent stress management techniques, as well.
These 3 Essential Time Management Techniques Work Better Than Multitasking:
1. Task Templates:
Create outlines of complex but repetitive tasks for speedy reference. Don't waste energy relying on your memory or reinventing the wheel. Use task templates and watch your personal effectiveness soar.
Jot down projects that need templates as you think of them. The more you work from templates, the more uses you will find for them.
For the short amount of time they take to compile, task templates save you an enormous amount of stress by helping you avoid bottlenecks, late charges, missed appointments, unending to-do lists, under-preparing for key encounters, and that sinking sensation when you realize you've forgotten your ______.
2. To Do Lists:
If to-do lists don't currently prove helpful to you, try instituting these changes:
* Don't write them on your calendar, only to transfer tasks to the next day. Keep your list on a computer file, where it can be speedily revised to accommodate sudden changes in your day.
* Only include what you can realistically accomplish for each day. And to refine it further, only list what absolutely has to happen that particular day!
* Once you have listed the essential tasks, group them according to what can be accomplished in a batch, at one sitting.
* Size the tasks to what you can and must accomplish in one sitting. (It helps to use your task template to chip off this manageable piece.)
* At the end of each day, review and adjust the lists.
3. Boundaries:
Your ability to effectively focus on one project will only be as strong as your ability to set and maintain boundaries. These boundaries must be respected by you as fully as by others. If you find this difficult, start small and work up gradually. You will develop skills that will benefit you for the rest of your life.
Start by creating blocks of time to work undisturbed on complex projects.
Call on others' support in advance to protect your interruption-free time. By letting them know they can support your success, they are more likely to cooperate.
Learn to use each of these powerful tools effectively and consistently. Incorporate them into your daily routine. By enhancing your focus and effectiveness with templates, to-do lists, and boundaries, you enjoy additional benefits from stress reduction.
What other ways can you improve your life with time management techniques?
About the Author Coach Paula Eder, Ph.D., The Time Finder Expert, has 35 years of success helping individuals and small businesses align time with values. For free Time Templates + Time Tips, visit Finding TimeEnjoy our blog! TheTimeFinder
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 39 | |
|
| More Articles from Time Management | | |
| Top Articles in Time Management | | |
|
