If you’ve ever failed to get ready on time or meet a deadline, you may well have fallen victim to a planning error. This is one of the most common cognitive distortions. We make this mistake even though we know that it took longer in the past. This is because we are overly optimistic about our capabilities and underestimate the likelihood of unforeseen circumstances.
For example, a house will only be built on time if deliveries aren’t delayed, workers don’t take time off work, and the weather is perfect. There’s always the possibility that something will go wrong. We usually forget this and set impossible deadlines. But if you keep this thinking error in mind, you can avoid negative consequences.
Don’t give in to the urge to attend only to urgent matters
Distractions and small urgent matters undermine concentration for almost half an hour, and productivity suffers. Therefore, your success greatly depends on your ability to distinguish between urgent and important tasks.
Important is rarely urgent, and urgent – important.
Urgent matters require immediate attention. Usually they are phone calls, meetings, tasks with deadlines. Important ones, on the other hand, help you achieve long-term goals and complete serious projects. Unfortunately, we usually put them on hold and take care of the urgent things. This gives us a sense of productivity, but in reality, we’re not getting any closer to our main goals.
Limit your time on unimportant urgent tasks like sorting out your mail and focus on the important stuff.
Break big tasks into small steps
The more items in your project, the more chances of something going wrong. Think through all the steps and create a step-by-step action plan. Then set deadlines. Allocate half an hour or an hour to complete one step. If the task is too big and an hour isn’t enough, break it down into smaller tasks.
Such tight deadlines will force you to find the most productive way to work to get everything done. When you’re done, look at your results. There are probably tasks that can’t be done any faster, and vice versa, things that can still be done in less time. Think about it and make the necessary changes to your schedule.
