5 Time Management Mistakes that Kill Productivity

Feeling unproductive despite a busy schedule? 

Poor time management might be to blame.  

While there will always be productivity-bashing events and circumstances out of your control, you will be consistently more productive if you avoid these 5 time management mistakes. 

Mistake #1: Letting Your Inbox Set Your Priorities 

Starting your day by responding to emails in your inbox can result in hours lost on low-value tasks. The average worker spends approximately three hours a day on emails, often reacting to messages as they arrive. 

What to Do Instead  

• Make a to-do list for the next day at the end of your workday. End-of-day planning is the Ivy Lee Method, and it will help you start the next day with priorities in place. 
• Turn alerts off. Don't let the pings and notifications of new messages distract you from your work. 
• Check email at intervals. Timeboxing for email works wonders. 

Mistake #2: Multitasking 

Despite popular belief, multitasking does not work. It increases stress, reduces productivity by up to 40%, and hampers cognitive abilities. 

Multitasking is often a series of task-switching, which takes around 25 minutes per switch.  

What to Do Instead 

• Divide your time into three 25-minute segments to focus on single tasks, with a five-minute break. This is called the Pomodoro Technique.
• Shut your computer during in-person meetings and shut unnecessary screens (like email) during video calls.
• Use your messaging app (Slack, etc.) status to put a do-not-disturb when you want to focus on a task without interruption. 

Mistake #3: Confusing the Urgent and Important Work 

People often prioritize urgent tasks over important ones. However, urgent tasks often offer lower rewards and distract from core responsibilities.

 What to Do Instead 

• Use the Eisenhower Matrix. Steven Covey of "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" turned Eisenhower's quote into a decision-making matrix with four quadrants. The matrix is a valuable tool that can help you rewire how you work and live. Here is how it works:

- Upper left: Urgent and Important--must be done by you.

- Upper right: Important but not urgent--schedule it for later.

- Lower left: Urgent but not important--delegate to others.

- Lower right: Not important or urgent-don't do it at all. 

• Don't accept artificial deadlines. One of the reasons people tend to choose urgent tasks is because of "perceived expiration," the researchers found. If a deadline makes your heart race, question the consequences of missing it. 
• If you have a hard time identifying urgent and important tasks, make a list of everything you did at the end of the day and assess the value of that work. 

Mistake #4: Procrastination  

Avoidance of unpleasant tasks leads to short-term relief but ultimately increases stress and guilt.  

What to Do Instead  

To overcome procrastination, you can do what Mark Twain recommended, "eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day." 

• Eat the Frog! The name may sound funny, but it is a productivity system and book that teaches you to "stop procrastinating and get more done in less time." 
• Start small. Eat the frog's leg first. Sometimes getting started on a dreaded task shows you that it is not so hard, and you get it done. 
• Ask for help or training. If you feel like you don't have the right skills for your work, ask a coworker for tips or take a course to build your confidence. 

Mistake #5: Doing Everything Yourself  

Trying to handle all tasks restricts productivity and growth. Many executives do everything themselves to save money, ensure quality, or avoid burdening others. However, this often results in time spent on "work about work" rather than core responsibilities.  

What to Do Instead  

Delegate. "I would never have achieved what I did without learning the art of delegation," Virgin founder Richard Branson said. If you are trying to do everything yourself, odds are you are not very good at delegating. Here are some tips to help you get started. 

• Use the Eisenhower Matrix to identify those urgent but not important tasks. 
• Automate what you can. Use software to automate tasks like responses to online forms. 
• Hire a virtual assistant. A part-time remote assistant can do many administrative tasks Asana calls work about work at a much lower cost than paying yourself to do those tasks. 

If you find your schedule out of control, these tools and tips can help you focus on high-value tasks and supercharge your productivity. Recognizing the problem is the first step to improvement, and there's no better time to start than now. 

In case you missed it:

From the Prialto blog archives.

Delegating Tasks: How Effective Leader's Delegate

How to Use the Eisenhower Matrix to Make Better Decisions

The 12 Best Productivity Systems to Try