A Path Towards Mindful Time-Management
Time-management is challenging on a good day. Add the extra hustle and bustle of the holiday season and it is easy to get overwhelmed. Multiple projects pop up simultaneously, leading to anxiety and frustration around dropping the proverbial ball.
Contrary to popular belief, we now know that focusing on one project at a time rather than trying to multi-task actually leads to more efficiency and accuracy. Articles in Forbes and Time also lay out how the process of trying to multi-task can actually be harmful. Surprised? I sure was.
We’re used to hearing that multi-tasking is a desirable skill, and that with practice, we get better at it. After all, didn’t job descriptions used to say things like “Must be able to multi-task” when describing the ideal candidate? Well, as mindfulness guru Richard Sears recently said at a workshop, it turns out that these employers were unknowingly requesting candidates who took too long to complete tasks and made lots of mistakes.
So how can we move towards a healthier approach to time-management? The answer is rather simple: Single-task. In other words, do one thing at a time. This may be easier said than done for some of us, and as with any new habit, requires practice. The great news is that when we give ourselves permission to focus on just one task, even if it is for 15 minutes, we naturally become more mindful of what we are doing, how we are doing it, and how we feel as we do it.
I’m including below a 3-step approach to developing a single-tasking practice. Adjust it as needed, and have faith that it will yield steady progress on your projects with fewer mistakes along the way. As a definite bonus, it will probably make you more pleasant to be around.
One Approach to Single-Tasking
- Make a list of your “active” projects. Include any deadlines for the projects so that you can know how much time to dedicate to them as the deadlines get closer. Hint: There is no reason why “game time with the kids” or “couple time” can’t make this list.
- Identify when you will work on each project that week. Include both day of the week and time of the day. Don’t worry about the duration as much, just make sure you can dedicate your undivided attention to that task, be it for 15 minutes or 1 hour. When making this list, consider where you will be and with whom. If decorating the house for the holidays is on your list, and you can do that when your partner or the kids are at home, schedule that for the evening and reserve whatever alone time you may have for projects that require greater concentration or solitude. This is probably the most important (and challenging) part of single-tasking.
- Mentally or literally cross off each item on your list as you make progress towards it. If you had to spend less time on a project than you had initially planned (which is certain to happen regularly), add more time for that project sometime that week if needed. Keep in mind that the goal is not to clear the list. There will always be projects, some more enjoyable than others. The goal is to take out of your head and pour onto paper the various projects that happen to be active in your life at any given moment, and mindfully manage them better and with less collateral damage (anxiety, frustration, irritability).
Dr. Aysem Senyurekli is a Licensed Associate Marriage and Family Therapist at Rekindle Counseling in Edina, MN. She helps couples and individuals rekindle their relationship health. Learn more about her work, or contact her directly at aysem@rekindlethespark.com or 952-806-0017.