Don't Be Fooled by the Unproductive Tasks
An unproductive task is defined as something that does not yield results, benefits, or profit in any way or form. Well, we all know that but something that we fail to realize is the number of unproductive tasks we have surrounded ourselves with.
I am taking this opportunity to introspect. It is 2 pm now and I still haven’t finished writing my daily article. No, I did not start late. In fact, I am at my work desk from 10 in the morning. So, where did all the time go?
Let me take a moment and think about it. I spent close to an hour perfecting a two-liner LinkedIn post; around half an hour downloading 8 apps to find the right tool for making a to-do list and ended up using Google Keep, and then attended a 30 minutes meeting while doing some routine office work (I am multitasker!). Now I know…
There are only 24 hours in a day and it is up to each one of us to make the best use of it. So, do away with the time-gobbling unproductive tasks and make room for productivity. Read on.
Make the time count
There are so many things that feel like work but in reality, are unproductive and are time-stealers. Here are a few mentioned below:
1. Trying to Build a Better Mousetrap - Attempting to perfect a task of little value or spending time on a task that does not require more attention is actually a trap. Every assignment has a purpose and it requires only so much effort till it reaches that point. Any effort beyond that is a waste of time. And to be honest it is an easy trap to fall into. Because we want to give our best to our work and at that point in time putting extra effort might seem important. But beware of trying to perfect a fully-functional mousetrap.
2. Looking for the right tool - While it is necessary to work with the right tool to get the best result, finding the right tool can easily become a wasted effort. We are bombarded with multiple tools that do the same task. Applying a similar concept mentioned in the earlier point, choose the tool that serves the purpose and nothing more. The search for the right tool is a never-ending one cause every day a new one will be released. So, end your search the moment you are able to accomplish your task. And aren’t the tools meant to simplify work so do not involve yourself in unnecessary complexities.
3. Multitasking is Inversely Proportional to Productivity - It is true. The more you multitask, the lower is your productivity. Research says, your productivity lowers by 40% when multitasking. Doing multiple jobs at once might give a false sense of accomplishment but in reality, it negatively impacts the quality of the work at hand. Working in a linear fashion will not only improve focus and productivity but it will also make you prioritize your work.
4. The Meeting Madness - There are important work meetings and then there are unimportant ones. There are statistics to prove that not all office meetings are productive. The pointless meetings at times can be torturously lengthy. How do you escape them? Assess the value you can add to the meeting and vice versa. Don’t be in a hurry to accept all meeting invitations without finding out the purpose and speak up. Be open to discuss prioritizing work with your manager.
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