Weekly Business Insights from Top Ten Business Magazines | Week 289 | Leading & Managing Section | 3

Extractive summaries of and key takeaways from the articles curated from TOP TEN BUSINESS MAGAZINES to promote informed business decision-making | Week 289 | March 24-30, 2023

3 Productivity Myths That Are Making Your Life Way Harder Than It Has to Be

By Jessica Stillman | Inc Magazine | March 17, 2023

Listen to the Extractive Summary of the Article

Even under the best of circumstances, life is hard–and so is running a business. You don’t need to make it any harder than it already is, but according to Indistractable author Nir Eyal, many of us accidentally make it even more difficult to get things done and accomplish our goals. How? We believe a few common but dead wrong productivity myths.   In a recent Medium post, Eyal lays out five of the myths about productivity he heard most often while researching his book. Three of these are:

1. Multitasking is always terrible.  Eyal agrees that trying to do similar or complex tasks simultaneously and well is impossible. You cannot have a conversation and check your email at the same time. But Eyal insists there is one specific kind of multitasking that is actually effective and makes your life easier: multichannel multitasking, or pairing a complex task with a less cognitively strenuous one that uses different senses.  He offers examples: “We can make calls while walking, listen to podcasts while cleaning, and cook meals with friends and family.”  In fact, mixing light physical exertion with thinking has been shown to unblock creativity, and moving while discussing something helps us resolve conflict.
2. The to-do list is the be-all and end-all of productivity.  For many people, the humble to-do list is the foundation of productivity, and for good reason. But Eyal warns that to-do lists present pitfalls as well as advantages.  Many worthwhile tasks don’t fit neatly onto tidy lists. Creativity, for instance, often demands long stretches of unstructured thinking that looks like slacking–just ask Einstein and Steve Jobs. 
3. You need to be “ready” to get started.  Nope, not at all. This one is just not true. When LinkedIn asked members what advice they’d give to their younger selves, the same tip came up again and again–stop trying to come up with the perfect plan or preparation and just get started. You’ll never be ready. We all figure it out along the way.   

2 key takeaways from the article

1. Even under the best of circumstances, life is hard–and so is running a business. Many of us accidentally make it even more difficult to get things done and accomplish our goals. How? We believe a few common but dead wrong productivity myths.   
2. Three of these myths are: one, multitasking is always terrible but not multichannel multitasking, or pairing a complex task with a less cognitively strenuous one that uses different senses.  Two, the to-do list is the be-all and end-all of productivity.  No. Treating it that way doesn’t take into account the journey of long-term goals and thus discourages people from pursuing those goals.  Finally, you need to be “ready” to get started.  Nope, not at all. Stop trying to come up with the perfect plan or preparation and just get started. You’ll never be ready.

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Topics:  Productivity, Multi-tasking, Creativity