What do you do if you're a creative professional wasting time on unproductive activities?

Take a close look at your daily routine and pinpoint activities that consume your time without yielding significant results. It could be excessive social media scrolling, inefficient task-switching, or unnecessary meetings.

At the end of the day we can analyse our effective hours spent on productive work also we should be aware that not all tasks are time wasters and breaks are also important to keep up our efficiency.

One thing I’ve found helpful is being honest to myself. I identify my most important tasks of the day, and any other activities I might carry out throughout the day. Whether we choose to admit it or not, some of those seemingly “unproductive” tasks or activities are also somewhat a part of our lives and daily routine. So why not plan with those in mind too? One thing identifying these big or small activities does is to help me to organise and to allocate the appropriate times to each task.

Recuerdo mis inicios como técnico de selección. Uno de los retos más difíciles de sortear fue la administración del tiempo y las tareas improductivas. Entender qué tareas dependen 100% de uno mismo y cuáles están enlazadas con la productividad de otros me ayudó realmente a poder poner en pausa tareas en el momento justo. No lo considero multitasking. Lo considero una "danza con el tiempo", porque realmente logras mejorar la performance y hacer equipo con desconocidos si dominas el arte de poner en pausa acciones. Dejas de esperar, es más bien como cultivar.

At tedious as it is, time tracking has identified areas of improvement. Once time wasters are identified, you can take proactive measures to minimize these tasks such as deadlines, integrations, and automations.

Um profissional criativo, muitas vezes, possui seu foco voltado à sua criação, e não ao tempo que está sendo desperdiçado nesse período. Temos diversas ferramentas que nos auxiliam no aproveitamento do tempo que temos, desde uma simples agenda em softwares ou aplicativos, até o uso de AI específicos para gerenciamento de tarefas. O que não podemos é acreditar que temos tempo de sobra para tudo, pois temos de ter tempo de qualidade em diversos momentos, passando pela parte profissional, e indo para a parte social, familiar, dentre outros.

As a creative professional, it's crucial to recognize and address unproductive activities to enhance efficiency. Begin by identifying the specific tasks or habits that lead to time wastage. Implement a structured schedule with clear priorities and deadlines to stay focused. Utilize time management tools and techniques, such as the Pomodoro Technique or time-blocking, to allocate dedicated periods for work and breaks, ensuring a balanced approach. Additionally, seek feedback on your workflow and explore delegating or automating repetitive tasks. Embrace continuous learning to refine your skills and adapt to new challenges. Remember, productivity is a journey that involves constant adjustment and improvement.

An interesting approach for you to discover and solve the problem of wasted time without adding value to your activity among other necessary measurements is 80/20 the famous "Pareto's theorem". Finding out where we waste time is fundamental to our success.

Pour déterminer quels sont les pertes de temps il faut d'abord avoir des objectifs spécifiques et bien définis ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas. Quand les cibles sont clairs, il faut se questionner sur les impacts de chacunes de nos actions: -Est-ce que cette action nous rapproche de notre objectif ? -Est-ce qu'il aurait d'autre façon de faire qui pourrait avoir un meilleur coût-bénéfice (coût au sens de ressources)? -Qu'est ce qui fonctionne bien et que l'on pourrait faire davantage ? Une des clef du succès de l'amélioration continue c'est la rigueur du questionnement et la fréquence à laquelle nous remettons en question le statut quo: C'est avec les questions que l'on trouve des réponses, que l'on apprend et que l'on grandit.

Dive deeper into the reasons behind these time-wasting activities. Are they driven by procrastination, lack of prioritization, or unclear goals? Understanding the underlying factors will help you address them effectively.

I would first identify the root causes of my unproductivity. Then, I would establish clear goals, prioritize tasks, and create a structured schedule to maximize my creative output. Additionally, I would eliminate distractions, set boundaries, and cultivate habits that support creativity and productivity. Seeking accountability from peers or mentors and periodically evaluating my progress would also be essential in staying focused and on track.

Brainstorm alternative approaches or strategies to tackle each identified time waster. For instance, if email overload is a problem, consider implementing time blocks for checking and responding to emails or using productivity tools to manage your inbox more efficiently.

Definir metas é muito importante, acho válido dividir grandes projetos em tarefas menores e mais gerenciáveis. Isso pode tornar o trabalho menos assustador e mais fácil de começar. Estabelecer prazos realistas para cada tarefa. Isso ajudará a se manter no caminho certo e evitar a distração/procrastinação. Remover distrações quando estiver trabalhando, é importante eliminar todas as distrações potenciais, como seu telefone, e-mail e mídia social que não esteja associado ao trabalho.

La disciplina y el seguimiento riguroso de un calendario bien planificado son clave para maximizar la productividad y minimizar el tiempo desperdiciado.

I will research on better ideas and learn from there.Ask people who have done it before on how i could go about it. Create a space for people who are like me who are still learning.

Assess the feasibility and effectiveness of each solution you’ve generated. Choose the ones that align best with your work style and objectives. Prioritize solutions that promise the highest impact on your productivity.

Para profundizar en las soluciones, analiza detalladamente cada una considerando factores como su viabilidad, costos asociados, tiempo requerido para implementarlas, recursos necesarios, el impacto esperado y el nivel de satisfacción que pueden brindar. Realiza pruebas piloto para evaluar su efectividad en un entorno controlado y recoge retroalimentación para ajustar y mejorar las soluciones antes de aplicarlas a gran escala. Asegúrate de que las soluciones elegidas se alineen con tus objetivos y se adapten a tu contexto y necesidades personales.

Implement the selected solutions into your daily routine and track their effectiveness over time. Stay flexible and be willing to adjust your approach based on feedback and results. Regularly review your progress and make necessary tweaks to optimize your productivity continuously.

En particular, la aptitud de mejorar dando pasos hacia adelante creo que tuvo un verdadero esplendor con el surgimiento de las tecnologías IT. Poder desarrollar y tener etapas de prueba y mejora continua es el principio de la innovación. Dominar esta aptitud sin lugar a dudas da un plus y una ventaja competitiva en cualquier proyecto que uno emprenda.

Why we always have to feel to be productive. Even bees fly for fun. Creativity is a process of the mind which works best when you let it rest. Even inverters and innovators had their best ideas when resting, having a bath, walking in the woods… the main thing the mind needs is a good question “the problem worth solving.” . Then you go have fun, sleep, watch a movie the mind will use its saliency to be creative. So for creativity we don’t need to be actively productive all the time!

I think there are mainly two types of unproductive activities here 1- Activities that are not directly related to your job deliverables 2- Administrative activities Regarding the first group, try to eliminate or postpone as many of them as you can. In the case of administrative tasks, you can simply delegate them to an assistant or clerical employee. In both cases you need to agree with your manager on the action plan you are proposing.

Me encanta pensar en el efecto mariposa, esos pequeños cambios que logran gran impacto. Un buen ejemplo puede ser cambiar la palabra "NO" por la palabra "CÓMO" u otra que nos abra posibilidades. Un ejemplo sería: "No puedo comprarme eso" ¿CÓMO puedo comprarme eso? Imagínate si este pequeño cambio lo practicas en cuanto a tu presente y tu futuro...

Costumo me recompensar quando concluo uma tarefa, isso ajuda a nos manter motivado. Fazer pausas é muito importante também, fazer pausas regulares durante o trabalho. Levantar-se e mover-se por alguns minutos a cada hora ou mais.

Firstly record details of activities you are doing. Then check the impact of each activity in terms of financial, learning , health and benefits to others. Then rank each activity in terms of the above impact. Focus your energy and efforts on the Top 20% activities which gives max impact.