Busting the Top 5 Myths About Time Management and Productivity.

Don’t just blindly follow what’s being fed to you in the name of time management and productivity.

As a professional, there’s a lot on your plate. And the most precious commodity you own is your time.

Utilising your time to generate the best output is the final objective. Your productivity is like your assessment report.

Together, effective time management and productivity, result in creating your best output.

True that. But do you realise that you can easily fall victim to super-inflated myths about these that can offset your efforts?

The best way of optimising your time and productivity is to gain a clearer perspective and steer clear of these top 5 myths.

Myth #1 : Multitasking Enhances Productivity.

Multitasking is anything but time saving.

It gets you distracted when you’re working on more than one task simultaneously. It often leads to decreased efficiency and results in an increase in (avoidable) errors.

The cognitive limitations of multitasking is it makes you think you’re being more productive by focusing on more than one task, while also saving time.

But the truth is, it is making you compromise on the quality of work. Your lack of focus restricts you from putting in your best.

The constant juggling between the multiple responsibilities leaves you exhausted and spread out thin.

Myth #2: Longer Hours Equal Increased Productivity.

“Work smarter, not longer.”

This must be the quote you must stick on the wall facing you.

Majority of the people think that working longer equates heightened productivity. It’s exactly the opposite.

If you have planned and prioritised your tasks, you’ll be able to deal with each one of them with your focused efforts by the time the office hours are over. You don’t have to burn the midnight oil for that.

To improve productivity, prioritise your work, set time blocks, take regular breaks to refresh yourself, and commit yourself to your work.

Not only will you save time but also be able to maintain a healthy work life balance.

Myth #3: Procrastination Is a Sign of Laziness.

Procrastination is the reflection of a stressed out mind.

You delay or postpone starting a task because you lack clarity. Or maybe even lack motivation.

Sometimes the work just overwhelms you. It looks like a huge responsibility and you’ve no idea where to begin. The best way out appears to be to push it to the back.

Instead of postponing or delaying, try to address the psychological factors contributing to your state of mind. 

Seek help from professionals to learn about effective coping mechanisms. Ask your colleagues or seniors for ideas on dealing with the task.

If you have to do it, do it now than later.

Myth #4: The Busier You Are, the More Productive You Are.

Computers have given us a new look – the busy look.

You can be playing Solitaire but to someone looking at you, your focus appears impressive.

Looking busy doesn’t translate to being productive. Impressing others may help you to some extent but when your work doesn’t get over, it’s no longer impressive.

Plan your work. Delegate some parts of it if needed. Say no when required.

Your objective must be to complete your task.

Practice ‘intentional productivity’ to achieve the best results without succumbing to looking busy.

Myth #5: Technology Alone Can Solve Time Management Challenges.

Agree we’re heavily dependent on technology and our gadgets are our life lines.

Use technology to enhance the results. Utilise the apps for productivity and time management to ensure that tasks get completed in an efficient manner.

But it’s you who has to plan and prioritise your work. Avoid relying purely on the apps and tools to get you guaranteed productivity.

Explore ways of integrating technology with human intervention.

Figure out how to strike a balance between leveraging technology and maintaining a human centric approach.

Too much dependence on technology can sometimes become time consuming and have adverse impacts on your efficiency.

Conclusion

While time management and productivity are important to get our work done in ways to get optimal results, blindly following every advice or hack can get counterproductive. 

To cultivate a more efficient, balanced, and fulfilling professional life, its essential for you to sift through the evidence presented to understand the utility of the tips.

It must work for you. Before following any strategies for enhancing your productivity or improving your time management, try it out for a short time to see its efficacy. 

Beware of the myths surrounding these life skills.