There’s a Simple and Effective Way to Focus and Combat Multitasking: Compartmentalizing Your Tasks

We live in an environment filled with stimuli and notifications that compete for our attention. What often begins as “just a quick look at a notification to check if it’s important” can quickly turn into two hours spent watching cat videos.

Experts say compartmentalizing tasks can help protect your time and enhance concentration. This has become increasingly challenging as we strive to make the most of each day and focus on what truly matters.

Compartmentalizing is a straightforward technique that can be applied to any type of task, yielding effective results. It helps prevent procrastination, improves prioritization, and ensures that tasks don’t take longer than necessary.

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Assign an Order and a Time Limit to Your Tasks

Compartmentalizing tasks involves defining specific times and periods for several activities that we need to complete. To achieve this, you can use productivity techniques such as time blocking, which assigns a dedicated slot in the calendar exclusively for each task.

By allocating a specific block of time to each task, you help prevent the work from taking longer than necessary, effectively countering Parkinson’s Law. This law says that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” As such, defining the effort for each task reduces mental fatigue and stops tasks from dragging on indefinitely.

Additionally, setting a fixed period for a task encourages you to plan and commits you to completing it. There are no excuses or delays. One of the main obstacles to procrastination is simply getting started on the task.

Compartmentalizing tasks also requires you to match the nature of the tasks with the available time blocks. If a task is too large for your daily schedule, it’s easier to break it down into smaller tasks that take less time and schedule those for consecutive days.

This approach helps keep you motivated to finish a task you’ve already started by leveraging the so-called Zeigarnik effect. This is the brain’s natural tendency to want to complete tasks that are already in progress, even when it’s not strictly necessary. The brain feels compelled to “close the door” on tasks left unfinished.

Advantages of Segmenting Tasks into Time Blocks

One main advantage of segmenting tasks into blocks of time is the improvement in concentration and the reduction of multitasking. By dedicating a specific block of time to a single activity, the temptation to jump from one task to another is minimized.

Another benefit of this technique is that it fosters regularity and discipline. Compartmentalizing tasks helps to build habits by assigning a specific activity to a recurring time slot in advance. By establishing this routine, the brain can create awareness and integrate the habit, linking a specific day and time with an action. These are considered habit triggers.

This strategy also helps in the management and organization of daily tasks. By distributing tasks into compartments throughout the week, you gain a clear overview of what needs to be done and when. This approach reduces the likelihood of improvisation and ensures that each task receives the necessary attention and time.

Finally, compartmentalization allows for greater flexibility in response to unforeseen events, which is particularly useful for long-term projects. While this technique provides structure, it also allows for adaptability. If an emergency arises, it’s easier to readjust the time blocks without compromising the time allocated to each task. This prevents a domino effect on the rest of the schedule.

Implementation of the Technique: A Gradual Approach

To begin compartmentalizing tasks, the first step is to identify the activities that will be scheduled into time blocks. It’s best to start with short, recurring tasks so that the benefits are noticeable in the short term. Examples include reading for an hour each day, exercising for an hour, or spending time daily reviewing challenging notes.

Once you’ve identified these tasks, assign specific slots in your schedule, being realistic about the time each task might take. Don’t worry if you have extra time or if you run out of time one day. Just keep this in mind for your next scheduling session. This is a learning process that will require adjustments along the way.

What’s crucial is your commitment to the scheduled tasks. When it’s time to focus on a particular task, eliminate distractions and concentrate fully until the time block ends. Breaks, like any other task, should also be scheduled and respected to avoid burnout.

Starting slowly is recommended, with two or three tasks per week. You should gradually add more time blocks as the routine is established and you’ll start to see results.

Images | Svitlana | Jo Szczepanska

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