There’s no one-size-fits-all time management tip that can solve the constant stress related to professional “task-overload”. However, there are any number of strategies that when implemented consistently, over time, can make a huge impact on your professional to-do list. One of these strategies is aimed at reducing transition time, and at Time ReDesigned we have affectionately named this strategy “Let’s Get It Together”. This strategy is a highly effective tip for getting more done in less time by grouping similar tasks together.
Grouping tasks together is a simple concept... but don’t let its simplicity fool you!
Take a quick look at this article which outlines “The Basics of Grouping Tasks”:
Make a list. Write down everything you need to get done.
Be sure to break down all larger tasks into their sub-categories (or components).
Once you break down your list as much as possible, look closely and identify all similar tasks. Tasks are similar if they require the same materials, take place in the same location, or require the same type of effort or thinking.
Pick a group of tasks and get to it!
Repeat.
Now imagine that you have all of the data related to the activities that you engaged in over the past three work days (this is what the Time ReDesigned system provides). Instead of making a list of tasks you want to accomplish, you can see what you “actually” accomplished. You can then use a data driven approach to grouping “like” tasks together in order to maximize your efficiency and minimize transition time throughout your professional day.
Let’s do the math. Over the course of a normal work day you are likely to have a minimum of 30 transitions. Research reports that on average it takes us 5 minutes each time we transition between tasks, just to get our brains to switch gears, and to organize ourselves physically and mentally to start the new task. Some reports show it can take up to 25 minutes to get back on task when switching between task types (contexts). The great news is that It’s not difficult to get down to 10 transitions per day by implementing the Let’s Get It Together strategy. By doing so, you can save an average of 20 full work days per year by grouping like tasks together. See how it all “adds up”?
If you reclaim 4 hours of professional time every work week you gain 20 full work days per year! This math is based on a 10-month contract with 8 hour work days. I am guessing you work even more than that!
Just imagine what you could do to improve student outcomes with all of that extra time.
The key takeaway is that by grouping similar tasks and subtasks together, you’ll minimize your transition time, reduce the mental energy it takes to switch gears between unrelated tasks, and quite simply get more done in less time.
For additional food for thought, check-out this article or visit us at http://www.timeredesigned.com to see what your colleagues are saying about how they are benefiting from ReDesigning their time using strategies such as Let’s Get It Together.
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