Many of the things people do to save time actually
waste time. Here are some examples:- Eating "fast food." You load your body up with
toxins and deprive it of nutrients. Yes, you may save a few minutes per
meal, but you far more in terms of productivity each day because you're
not firing on all cylinders. And, you also lose time from sickness. This
is a stupid strategy for saving time.
- Not exercising, "due to lack of time." This just
defies all logic.
- Multitasking. You incur "switching costs" between
tasks. This adds to the total time used. Also, you lose focus. If you
want to save time, focus on the job at hand so you do it right and do it
with your full energy. Then, do the next job. People who think they can
do two things at once are ignoring how the human brain is structured.
They are also ignoring the 5,000 years of experience that underpin the
martial arts.
- Working frantically. Working faster than your
optimum rate is how you make mistakes. Fixing them takes time. Yes, work
at a face pace. But know your limits.
- Working too long. Many people think that if they
put in more time they get more done. This isn't how it works. You have a
limit for how long you can do a given activity. Go beyond that limit,
and you work slower. So, you get less done per unit of time. Go even
further beyond that limit, and you start "making stupid mistakes." That
means you are actually going backwards! The right answer here is to work
to your natural limit, then switch and do something else for a while.
What's your natural limit? Be alert to small changes in attention and
focus, and you'll know what it is.
- Jumping right in. This is a common mistake. Haste
makes waste. Invest some time up front to plan the job (or your day, or
whatever), so you can do things efficiently. That's why project
management software (see the first article in this eNL) is so popular.
Before starting on a task, think through the steps and what resources
(tools, supplies) you need to complete each one. Think about the right
order in which to do things. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
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