3 steps to master productivity: There's a limit on what you can do in a single day. At least competently. Throughout my career as a lawyer I've noticed a clear correlation. The more I try to do in a shorter period of time, the more the quality of my work product suffers. Small mistakes emerge. The polish on my final product loses its shine and becomes smudged. Here's what to do instead: 1. Used focused blocks. Limit your work to 2 or 3 hour blocks on a single task. This practice stops your brain from wasting energy on constant task transitions. Each switch incurs a cognitive penalty, and you have to reboot your brain to download the context surrounding the task. Focused blocks avoid frequent mental transitions and promote deep work. They enhance your concentration, and improve the quality of your end work product. 2. Reduce daily priorities If you can, set a maximum of 3 priorities each day. This approach prevents you from overloading your schedule and stepping into counterproductive territory. Stop saying yes to every assignment. Don't be afraid to turn away potential clients. With fewer priorities, your focus sharpens, and you give each task the attention it deserves. 3. Segment your day Dedicate specific parts of your day to distinct activities, often called "chunking". In the context of productivity, "chunking" refers to the practice of breaking up the workday into distinct, manageable segments or chunks of time dedicated to specific tasks or types of work. For example, you can dedicate the first two hours of your workday solely to deep work, then chunking email responses and meetings into later, more fragmented parts of the day. Try just one of these strategies and see what kind of difference it makes with your productivity and quality of your work. Follow me, James Kamanski, for more insights on personal growth! ♻ if you found value 🙏
Tips for Managing Task Completion
Explore top LinkedIn content from expert professionals.
Summary
Managing task completion is about strategically organizing your time and energy to prioritize and finish what matters most, while reducing stress and enhancing productivity. The key lies in focusing on meaningful tasks and creating practical structures for your workday.
- Limit your priorities: Choose only two or three high-impact tasks to focus on each day, ensuring you give them your full attention and avoid overwhelming yourself.
- Use time blocks: Dedicate specific, uninterrupted periods for deep work while saving less demanding tasks for other times, keeping your focus sharp.
- Break tasks into smaller steps: Divide larger goals into manageable actions to make them less daunting and maintain progress without procrastination.
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5 things that made me WAY more productive Not “squeeze more into your day” productive. I mean: - Doing the RIGHT things - To make time for work AND life I’ve spent a lot of time reading and experimenting with productivity, happiness, and time management. Here are 5 strategies that completely changed how I structure my days: 1. Pick your top 3 tasks the night before ↳ Not 5. Not 10. Just 3. Write them down. ↳ The next day, you *must* finish these first before moving on. 2. Start with your hardest or most important task ↳ Pick the biggest hill to climb and do it FIRST. ↳ That early win sets the tone for the rest of your day. 3. Stack similar tasks together ↳ Block 60–90 mins for deep work (ideally in the AM) ↳ Schedule all your meetings back-to-back (when possible!) 4. Put your phone in another room ↳ Not flipped over. Not in your bag. Gone. ↳ You'll be infinitely more focused. 5. Schedule everything ↳ Workouts, deep work, family time, errands... ↳ If it’s not on your calendar, it probably won’t happen. And my secret weapon... As nerdy as this is: the Full Focus Planner. I loooove a good paper planner. What’s your favorite productivity tip? Help me build my list! —-— 👋🏼 I’m Morgan. I share my favorite data viz and data storytelling tips to help other analysts (and academics) better communicate their work.
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We're all too busy at work…but we don't need to be. 7 ways to work smarter, not harder: 1/ Frontload your day: Put your most important tasks at the beginning of your day. You'll have more energy to tackle them early on before distractions pop up. Write down your top 3 tasks each day and do them. No excuses. 2/ Set shorter deadlines: Parkinson's Law says that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. If you're about to start a month-long project, ask yourself: "What does the 2-week version look like?" Shorter deadlines force you to focus on what matters. 3/ Track your time: Spend a week tracking your time. Record everything. At the end of 1 week, you'll likely find that you spend more time than you realize on specific activities. Adjust accordingly. 4/ Batch tasks together: Block out some time and blast through repetitive tasks such as: • Responding to emails • Checking slack • Pulling metrics You'll get into a groove and get through them faster. 5/ Do what gives you energy: At the end of your week, look back at the projects you worked on. Identify what tasks gave you energy and which tasks sucked. Figure out a way to delegate tasks that don't give you energy. Speaking of delegating... 6/ Delegate more: Delegating gives you more time to focus on the most important tasks. Try out the Eisenhower Matrix for decision-making: High urgency + High importance = DO NOW Low urgency + High importance = SCHEDULE High urgency + Low importance = DELEGATE Low urgency + Low importance = DELETE 7/ Take more breaks: This is counter-intuitive but works. If you go too long without a break, you will eventually get tired and make mistakes. Try the Pomodoro Technique: Focused work for 25 min. Then take a 5 min break. Repeat. --- These tips have worked for me. I hope they work for you too! Let me know if there are any good tips that I've missed 👇
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If you can't delegate a task, use these 2-steps instead of procrastinating and avoiding. Maybe you drag your feet when it’s time to review the financials or outline your next speech. Maybe for you it’s deciding whether to partner with another company or exhibit at an upcoming show. Here’s how to increase your productivity and enjoy the process: 1. Time-box and gamify it. Set a timer on your phone for ½ the time you think it’ll take and force yourself to complete it before then. Constraint not only makes you super-efficient but the challenge will motivate the achiever in you. 2. Manage your mind by priming your brain. Your feelings are the fuel for your actions so feel good first. Thinking, “I don’t want to do this” feels bad. Thinking, “I’m going to feel great when this is done” feels much better. How you feel about anything is driven by your thoughts, which means it’s completely within your control. When you wrap up on time, you're not just finishing a task, you're reinforcing the habit of keeping your word to yourself. It becomes part of your identity and spills over into all other areas of your life, like health, fitness, and relationships. If you don’t finish in time, don’t judge. You’ll never get a good result by feeling bad. Start again by setting another timer for ½ of the remaining time you think you need. Each time you begin again without self-criticism, you teach yourself that you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be persistent. This allows your parasympathetic nervous system to relax which boosts your resilience. With this two part strategy, you increase your enjoyment and efficiency, as well as your self-confidence. You also create a lot of extra time for activities you love to do and excel in, which is your ultimate objective. #mindset #founders #consciousness #entrepreneurs
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Are you tired of feeling like a hamster on a wheel, constantly running but never getting ahead? After over 30 years in firms, I've learned and seen first hand that effective time management is the key to taking control of your workday and reaching peak performance. So, here I am, sharing my no-nonsense strategies to maximize productivity: Prioritize like a Boss: Take charge of your day by identifying your top priorities. Cut through the noise and focus on the tasks that truly move the needle. Don't waste time on the trivial stuff; tackle the big wins first. Time Block: Don't let distractions derail your progress. Take control of your schedule by blocking chunks of dedicated time for specific tasks or projects. This way, you can dive deep without getting sidetracked by interruptions. Delegate or Die: Superheroes don't exist in the workplace. Learn to let go and delegate tasks that can be handled by capable team members. Save your superpowers for the work that truly demands your expertise and amplifies your impact. Crush Distractions: It's time to put an end to mindless scrolling, relentless notifications, and unnecessary meetings. Close those extra tabs, set your phone on silent, and create a fortress of focus. Your productivity will skyrocket. Make Time for Breaks: Working non-stop doesn't make you a hero; it makes you burnt out. Take regular breaks to recharge your mind and prevent creative stagnation. A quick walk, a moment to stretch, or some deep breathing can revitalize your energy and ignite your productivity. These strategies have been battle-tested and proven to maximize workdays in firms all over the world. No fluff, no gimmicks, just solid techniques that allow you to dominate your schedule and achieve your goals. It's time to take charge and make every minute count. How do you maximize your workday? Share your tips below! #TimeManagement #MaximizeProductivity #WorkplaceEngagement #ProfessionalDevelopment
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I've managed several SDR teams and 1 theme always comes up... "How can I manage my time better?" Effective time management isn't just about ticking tasks off a to-do list; it's about strategically planning and prioritizing to achieve our goals efficiently. Here are a few tips that have helped me streamline my workflow: ⏰ Prioritize Ruthlessly: Identify tasks that drive the most value and focus on those. Use frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix to distinguish between what's urgent and what's important. ⌚ Set Clear Goals: Break down large projects into smaller, manageable tasks. This not only makes the work less daunting but also helps in tracking progress more effectively. ⏱ Leverage Technology: Utilize tools for project management and scheduling. These platforms can help keep everything organized and ensure nothing slips through the cracks. ⏲ Time Blocking: Dedicate specific time slots for different activities. This can help maintain focus and reduce the stress of multitasking. 🕰 Regular Breaks: Don’t underestimate the power of short breaks. They can refresh your mind and improve overall productivity. Remember, effective time management is a continuous learning process. Share your own strategies and let’s empower each other to achieve more with less stress. What are your go-to time management tips?
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If you're anything like me, you've found yourself procrastinating by cleaning the garage or your desk instead of working on the ACTUAL project you need to complete. Just me? 😜 The reason many of us do that is that the easy, "check the box" work of organizing, posting on social media, or checking our to-do list is easier than the meaningful work for our goals. One of the bigger reasons this happens is that we fail to break down our meaningful goal into easy, small bites. If "Write the paper" is on your to-do list, I'm betting you're going to stare at it for days (maybe weeks!) without doing much work on it. It seems overwhelming to "write the entire paper" and your brain knows there's no quick payoff for this. So it loves to distract you. On the other hand, if you broke that one goal into a bunch like: 1️⃣ Write opening 2 paragraphs 2️⃣ Find one story example to teach first lesson 3️⃣ Find one study to support opinion 4️⃣ Write 3 paragraphs for first section. Etc... Then you've given your brain 🧠 small, "easy to do" tasks that reward your brain for completing while simultaneously moving you toward the more important, BIG goal. If you're feeling stuck, ask yourself: 👉 Is what I'm working on - or looking at on my to-do list - actually aligned with the goal I want to achieve (or place I went to go to)? 👉 How can I break this goal down into smaller bites? 👉 How can I make smaller bites into tiny? Then just start on one. Don't worry about the full list. Just get the first box done. Build your momentum for doing better work by stopping the "busy" work. #CompeteEveryDay #leadershipdevelopment #productivity #productivitytips #productivityhacks #wednesdaywisdom
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A game-changer for my time management: Accounting for “overhead” costs. It’s easy to think that the time it takes to complete a task is mostly determined by the task itself. Here’s the thing: Every task has indirect costs, like preparing, scheduling, writing a to-do list, even procrastinating. And – they add up. Here are 4 tips to control your time (overhead costs included): 1- ✅ For simple tasks: The two-minute rule: Productivity author David Allen says "If it takes less than two minutes, just do it.” Sound advice. 2- 🗓️ For big goals: Bust out the calendar and lists Here’s where planning is totally worth it. At the start of a new period – whether it’s a new job, or a new year… Identify three to five big goals. Then: Select one to work on. Break it down into manageable, smaller goals. Make these smaller goals your daily or weekly tasks. 3- ⏰ For daily tasks: Safeguard your attention Safeguard around three hours for focused work. Resist the urge to do small, trivial tasks beforehand, like cleaning you inbox or your desk These minor tasks might feel like you’re controlling your environment. But they’re just taking your focus away from what matters “One can waste years this way, systematically postponing precisely the things one cares about the most.” - Oliver Burkeman 4- 🔥For every part of life: Embrace imperfection A human truth: You will never have time to do everything that feels important. Another truth: That reality can be motivating. “If the feeling of total authority is never going to arrive, you might as well not wait any longer to give such activities your all—to put bold plans into practice, to stop erring on the side of caution.” - Oliver Burkeman Productivity isn’t about doing more – it’s about doing more of what matters most. Let us help you take one more thing off your plate So you can focus on what matters
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Busy Season Tips to Push on Through!! First of all, you got this!! Whether you are on the client side or a busy CPA in public accounting, deadlines are fast approaching. Busy season or not, effective time management is crucial for achieving professional success and personal well-being. Here are key strategies that can help you stay on top of your tasks without burning out: 1. Prioritize Ruthlessly: Not all tasks are created equal. Use the Eisenhower Box (urgent-important matrix) to distinguish between tasks and prioritize them accordingly. 2. Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time to different activities or tasks. This helps maintain focus and increases productivity by reducing the context-switching that drains energy. 3. Set Clear Goals: Start each day with a clear set of objectives. What do you want to achieve by the end of the day? This clarity propels action and reduces procrastination. 4. Embrace 'No': Protect your time. Politely declining additional commitments that don't align with your current priorities or values can save you hours of lost productivity. 5. Leverage Technology: Utilize project management tools and apps to keep track of deadlines, set reminders, and organize your tasks more efficiently. Remember, time management is not about squeezing as many tasks into your day as possible. It's about simplifying how you work, doing what matters, and getting things done in the most efficient manner. Let's share: What time management strategies have worked best for you? #TimeManagement #ProductivityTips #ProfessionalGrowth #WorkLifeBalance
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🕔 5 Productivity Tips for Product Managers (Even When You're Feeling Overwhelmed) 🕠 As a product manager, you're constantly juggling a lot of different tasks. There's always something new to learn, a new feature to launch, or a bug to fix. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed and unproductive. But don't worry, you're not alone. I've been there too. But I've learned a few things along the way that have helped me stay productive, even when I'm feeling swamped. 🎯 Set clear priorities. Know what you need to focus on. Take some time each day/week to review your goals and priorities. What are the most important things you need to get done? Once you know your priorities, start to plan your time accordingly. Remember 10 minutes of planning the evening before is worth a workday hour. ⚙ Use a task management tool. There are a lot of different task management tools available, so find one that works for you and stick with it. E.g. Click up, Notion, etc. 💨 Take breaks. It may seem counterintuitive, but taking breaks can actually help you be more productive. When you work for long periods of time without a break, your productivity starts to decline. So make sure to take breaks throughout the day, even if it's just for a few minutes. Try the Pomodoro timer here https://pomofocus.io/ 🤝 Delegate tasks. Don't be afraid to delegate tasks to others. This can free up your time so you can focus on the most important things. Just ask can someone else do it better and delegate. 🤖 Automate tasks. Look for ways to automate repetitive tasks, so you can save time and focus on more important things. There are a number of tools available that can help you automate tasks, such as Zapier and IFTTT. *Bonus* 💟 Take care of yourself. Make sure you're getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, and exercising regularly. When you take care of yourself, you'll have more energy and focus to be productive. Following these tips can help you improve your productivity and get more done. But remember, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to productivity. What works for one person may not work for another. So experiment with different techniques and find what works best for you. 📌 P.S. What are your productivity tips for product managers?