Quite often, meeting deadlines and completing tasks seems like an impossible, tedious chore. It is common to find yourself feeling rushed and not having enough time to do what is required. So, how can you get more done in less time and leave room for relaxation?
Keep reading and learn how to get more done in less time. We’ll also discuss the principle of doing less equals more. Without further ado, let’s get right into it!
Why Do You Get So Little Done in a Day?
You get so little done in a day because of low efficiency. Poor efficiency hinders maximizing the output while minimizing your effort and work hours. Also, setting many priorities and over-committing may make you spend plenty of time worrying about tasks instead of completing any.
Multi-tasking can also leave you with a long to-do list. This means you’re trying to do so much at once, holding you back from getting more done in less time. To avoid this, work on improving your efficiency, which means working on tasks that add value first.
How to Get More Done in Less Time
Let’s look at how to get more work done in less time.
1. Organize Your Tasks
Organizing your tasks will help you stay productive throughout your day. You can organize your tasks digitally using apps or organization tools or manually through a notepad. Try organizing priorities by files, dates, and urgency.
It is best to install the apps on multiple devices when using digital organization apps or calendars. This way, it is easier to monitor your tasks across all platforms. Also, try linking all essential tools to one another.
2. Schedule Tasks According to Your Body Clock
Our bodies naturally go through a 24-hour sleep and awake cycle. During this period, there are durations when we’re more energetic than others. Therefore, understand your body’s energy flow and schedule tasks around it.
For example, if you’re more energetic in the morning, aim to complete the tasks that require optimum alertness. During afternoon hours, when energy levels are low, you can tackle the easier tasks.
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3. Plan Ahead
Planning helps you stay focused and get more done in less time. With a plan in hand, you’re less likely to get distracted by other tasks, which reduces your productivity. It also makes decision-making easier, especially when wondering which tasks to prioritize first.
You can plan for the entire week or month, depending on how fixed or flexible your schedule is. A digital calendar can be a great tool to help you when planning.
Learn more about why you should always plan your week on Forbes
official link.
4. Do One Task at a Time
As mentioned earlier, multitasking can leave you less focused and efficient. This is because our brains take time to adjust when shifting focus from one task to another. Multi-tasking works well with activities that require less cognitively demanding tasks, like eating while talking.
Therefore, to get more work done in less time, practice single-tasking. Alternatively, you can try chunking, where you group similar tasks within a specific time frame. It will save you the time you’d have spent moving back and forth from one job to the next.
5. Avoid Distractions
Distractions are among the top reasons why it is impossible to get more done in less time. To avoid distractions, put away your smartphone and turn off notifications if possible.
Reading through emails is a major distraction people deem “meaningful”. You can allocate a particular time frame to read and answer essential emails.
6. Keep Track of Time
When done correctly, time tracking is an efficient way to increase productivity. Time-tracking software like Clockify can help you record the duration spent on particular tasks.
It is an excellent way to measure your efficiency and the average time to complete a task. Additionally, having a timed deadline will motivate you to work quickly and get more done in less time.
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7. Get an Accountability Partner
An accountability partner will encourage you to keep going. Also, people tend to work harder and stay on course if they know someone else is holding them accountable.
A good accountability partner should be encouraging, non-judgmental, and capable of giving positive reinforcement. Choose someone who compliments your personality and possesses self-discipline. Avoid choosing a family member, a close friend, or someone you want to impress, for instance, a supervisor.
8. Remember to Relax
Getting more done daily doesn’t mean working non-stop for extended periods. Overworking leads to burnout, which strains your productivity. Therefore, remember to take breaks to pivot your focus.
Curate some time to walk, or even some stretches would do. Don’t forget to eat healthily and prioritize sleep.
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Why Is Doing Less Doing More?
Doing less is doing more because you can thoroughly focus on one task and get it done quicker than if you were multitasking. Psychology states that multitasking can decrease productivity by up to 40% since it is easier to make multiple errors when handling two or three projects simultaneously.
This concept originates from the Pareto Principle by an Italian economist and sociologist. At the time, he noted that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the Italians. He discovered that this 80/20 distribution applied to various phenomena, including the work environment: 20% of your work effort leads to 80% of the results.
Also, working more hours a week reduces your productivity. Research from Stanford University shows that productivity declines after one clocks in 50 hours a week. Therefore, create a good work-life balance to give yourself more time to recharge.
It’s Time to Get More Done in Less Time!
Organizing your tasks and planning your day can help you get more done in less time. If possible, get a time tracker app to note which jobs require more time than others. Remember to avoid distractions at all times to get into the flow and get more done in less time. You can put your phone in “Do Not Disturb mode” for ample time to focus on tasks.
