If you’ve been reading about time management for a while - which you probably have, since everyone is interested in being more productive - you probably have fallen for at least one of these myths…
Multi-tasking Helps You Get More Done Faster
If you’ve been looking at job ads, you probably have seen them asking for a “natural multi-tasker” or “good multi-tasker” as if this is a good trait to have. The problem is that scientifically you cannot multi-task. No one can. As a human, you can only truly focus on one thing at a time.
A person who multi-tasks might get by and do a good enough job, but if they really focused, they’d do better! Study after study shows that trying to multi-task reduces productivity, increases stress, and isn’t actually possible and in some cases, may be dangerous.
You Can’t Get More Time
This is something that you may be surprised to read. While it’s true that we’re all born with the same number of hours in a day, and most of us will live to an average of 78.69 years old, you can buy other people’s time. Because of this fact, you can get more time if you can find the funds to do it. Outsourcing, anyone?
You Can Manage Your Time
When we talk about time management, we’re not really talking about managing time as much as we’re talking about managing the schedule you set for yourself, ensuring you have enough time and energy to do what needs to be done in the time given to get it done.
This requires that you understand how long it takes you to accomplish the task, knowing how to do the task right, which technology or equipment you need, and that you have the right resources to get it done. All of this requires planning.
One of the most liberating things you can do for yourself is to destroy the myths that are in your mind as fact. It’s hard sometimes to realize that so much of what you think is true isn’t. We all have enough time to get things done, if only we know and implement the ways that work best for us moving forward.
Do you agree?
Biggi
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