“OK, my morning routine is already set up, I can meditate with ease Now” . plus I already know what am supposed to do during the night to prepare for the next day” my friend said to me as we were taking coffee.
I smiled. He had set deep work sessions at home and average sessions at work and was building some momentum.
“great! Can you help me with automating some processes?
His face went pale.
My friend: “I still have plenty of stuff to do.
Website, Instagram, Facebook post-management,
And I can’t just say ” wait you are not a priority go away” .
Me: ” You are not the first one with such a problem”
My friend: “That is Easier said than done. I don’t have enough time left to process these activities up to the finishing line” .
How I am supposed to insert these additional tasks without additional time?
Me: Just merge them strategically
My friend: How is that possible?
He couldn’t believe I was dead serious about that.
What is the problem:
Sometimes you are already busy to death. And there is still plenty on your plate with no additional resources. Some activities can be deleted but others can’t. You can’t outsource them and you can’t postpone them.
You need to get them done along with the organizational system already in place. If you do it right, It simplifies your planning process and declutters your mind. if we do it the wrong, you end up harming your entire organizational system and begin to procrastinate.
Mistake 1: changing the previous strategy
Your natural reaction might be to change what you had already set up: Resit the urge to do that.
Mistake 2: Merging tasks without any strategy
Il a du mal à travailler sur deux sujets en même temps car il y a un facteur de compatibilité.
Solution: How to merge tasks in order to prevent procrastination
Step 1: Compartmentalize trough visualization
Case 1: Group Per the level of concentration required
You are assigned a new homework of commenting on a book. It is mentally exhausting. It requires a lot of concentration but you don’t know how to schedule this?
Mentally associate the task you struggle to schedule “commenting on the book” with the moment when you usually perform deep work. If Deep work sessions are planned in the morning, then visualize yourself doing “commenting on the book ” in the morning.
Cas 2: Groupe par niveau de thème
You are assigned a new ” Excel automation programming “. It is not mentally exhausting but it requires a lot of time to research and brainstorm ideas. Your schedule is already full and you wonder how to create time.
Mentally associate ” programming with Excel ” with the moment when you usually research new things. If ” researching sessions ” are planned in the night, then visualize yourself doing “researching ” in the night.
Cas 3: Groupe par niveau de sortie:
You discussed it with your mentor. He advised you to read a lot of books. This will take a lot of time to read them all and you can’t rush.
What is reading these books for? Repairing your car.
Mentally associate “reading books ” with the moment you usually “. work on history work sessions are planned in the afternoon, then visualize yourself doing “reading the book ” in the afternoon.
Cas 4: Groupe par niveau de client
You need to go through hours of video in order to understand how a technical feature works. It is so boring and time-consuming but you have to be able to articulate what is missing to “Paul”, your boss.
Mentally associate “looking at the video ” with the moment you usually work on delivering projects to Paul. If it is in the afternoon, then visualize yourself looking at the video in the afternoon.
Step 2: Merge with 2 criteria, likability and horizon of delivery
We naturally tend to be willing to invest much more time in things we like than in things we don’t. The rules below will help to change your perception. This shift will make you realize it is not that hard and that you are not wasting your time when engaging in things you don’t like.
Rule: Always use a 2 criteria compatibility to merge task
Criteria 1: The natural pleasure: Is it something I like?
Criteria 2: the horizon of delivery: Is it something I need in a few days, weeks, months?
Therefore, there 4 possibilities to schedule a task when “you don’t have time”.
Case 1: do task A, just before task B
Case 2: do task A just after task B
Case 3: do task A between task B and task C
Case 4: do task A and Task B at the same time
Case 1: do a task A, just before task B
when: Task A is something you dislike & and for a long term need
Task B is something you like & you already do with ease
Task A and task B have
Example:
Task A: learning programming
Task B: teaching
Spend 15 min learning to program before teaching
Case 2: do task A just after task B
When:
Task A is something non-important that you like
Task B is something important that is difficult and for immediate need
Example:
Task A ” looking at a documentary”
Task B: ” writing a dissertation”
Spend 15 min “looking at the documentary” after working on “writing your dissertation” for 45 minutes
Case 3: do task A between task B and task C
When?:
Task A is something new you really dislike, which is difficult and for an immediate need
Task B and Task C are two routines already in place
Example:
Your morning routine is “waking up ” , then ” workout “ then ” take a shower”.
You want to start ” exercising for public speaking ” in preparation for an important upcoming conference
Spend 15 min ” exercising for public speaking ” between “working out” and ” taking a shower”
Case 4: do task A and Task B at the same time
when:
task A and task B are both boring without being technically difficult
&
Task A and task B have the same output
Example:
Task A ” reading a scientific paper”
Task B: ” reading book “
I find reading nonfictional content boring but it is not technically difficult.
Commun output: “drafting a thesis proposal
Alternate between 15 min ” reading a book ” and ” 15 min reading a scientific paper” while taking note for “drafting a thesis proposal
Patrick
It is clear that we need to have an strategy to deal with our daily tasks. Thank you for reminding it to us.