- Occasionally, people go through my time management course, Time Management Fundamentals here on the library, and they follow the instructions I give about gathering items, about processing items, about putting them on their calendar. But when the time arrives to do something about that thing that they've scheduled, it just doesn't get done. This might happen because you underestimated how long something should take, or perhaps something unexpected happened that got in the way. Or perhaps you just don't have the motivation to follow through when that moment arrives.
Before we explore what to do with incomplete tasks, let's first discuss how to prevent them from happening. Imagine giving a person a bucket and telling them to empty a lake. If they begin attempting to empty the lake a bucket at a time without first damming the stream leading into the lake, then they'll be doomed to repeat themselves over and over and over again. In the same way, it's vital that we first resolve the source of the problem rather than getting better at dealing with the problem itself.
So if you aren't completing appointments on your calendar because you're underestimating how long something takes, then get in the habit of overestimating everything. For example, if you say that something takes an hour and discover that it takes an hour and a half, get in the habit, when you first schedule a task, to schedule twice as much time. So schedule two hours for a task you think will take one hour. This overestimation is surprisingly a healthy thing.
It gives you more room to breathe, more room to deal with inevitable interruptions that are going to happen. It also gives you the added bonus of being more focused in your day. The most successful people I know try to accomplish only a few things in their day. If you attempt to complete 10 or more tasks within the same day, you're decreasing your odds of success. Overestimating also helps with the second obstacle, when interruptions occur and get in the way.
The extra time gives you room to respond to emergencies and then still return to the scheduled project and complete it in time. Additionally, if you find yourself getting constantly interrupted, I recommend checking out my course here in the library, Improving Your Focus. It will help you build systems and structure in your day to reduce interruptions. But what if your problem isn't systems-related, it's motivation-related? Recently a coaching client of mine talked about how he kept putting off a large project because it would take him too long to complete.
If that's your challenge, then get in the habit of scheduling the first minute of activity on your calendar. In other words, if I tell myself that I need to create a 20-page financial report, which is going to be overwhelming for pretty much anyone, then when I schedule that on my calendar, I also want to put a note about what is the first minute that I'm going to do. And the first minute of creating that report is opening my word processor and creating the file.
It makes it easier for your mind to emotionally deal with the amount of work you're asking it to do. If you follow these suggestions, odds are you're going to find that the frequency of incomplete tasks is going to dramatically decrease. But what if you follow all those steps, and you've still got incomplete tasks? It happens to the most prepared of us, myself included. The good news is the solution is simple. Put incomplete tasks back into a gathering point to reprocess.
If you've been through Time Management Fundamentals, you'll remember the part where we gathered everything into the baskets before we started to process them. We want to do the same thing with incomplete tasks. Put any incomplete task or project back into the in box, and reprocess it. However, this time, process it with keeping in mind the suggestions of overestimating, protecting your focus, and scheduling just the first minute of activity.
Do this, and the odds are you're going to find it much easier to follow through and complete every task that's in front of you.
Author
Updated
4/15/2019Released
4/11/2016Productivity expert Dave Crenshaw provides techniques on a wide variety of topics, designed to help people better manage their time and ultimately become more productive. Tune in to learn about everything from managing emails and calendars to setting priorities, collaborating with coworkers, reducing interruptions, crafting a "productivity mindset," and creating a more comfortable and effective work environment.
Have an idea for a future video from Dave? Submit it using our course feedback form. If you want more time management strategies now, we recommend watching Dave's Time Management Fundamentals course.
- Reducing interruptions
- Dealing with feeling overwhelmed
- Responding to quick questions
- Making the most of meetings
- Following up
- Implementing a closed door, open calendar policy
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
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Introduction
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Welcome43s
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1. Time Management Tips
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Power tips for sending email3m 14s
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Positive procrastination3m 15s
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Remove the "busy" tag2m 58s
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Manage digital interruptions4m 19s
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Make the most of meetings2m 52s
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Become tech savvy4m 33s
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Focus on the person2m 37s
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Time management for students2m 59s
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Ending meetings with action1m 44s
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Building a not-to-do list2m 46s
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Avoiding the crowd mindset2m 58s
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Placing a value on your time3m 30s
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How to schedule a meeting3m 35s
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How to develop flexibility4m 19s
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The trouble with texting3m 48s
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Create a perhaps list4m 58s
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Reduce attention switches4m 46s
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Adapt your favorite app4m 33s
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Make time to get more time3m 49s
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Read vs. unread email3m 52s
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Make time to have fun3m 57s
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Create a morning ritual3m 23s
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When to create new homes3m 26s
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How to reduce spam3m 48s
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Why repetition saves time2m 48s
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Productive passwords2m 3s
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Productive web browser tips1m 51s
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Writing a productive email1m 55s
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Commit to your calendar1m 54s
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What to say instead of ASAP1m 46s
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Set voicemail expectations1m 43s
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Set email expectations1m 46s
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How to use an inbox1m 41s
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How to use an outbox1m 53s
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Video: How to deal with incomplete tasks