“Of all ridiculous things, it seems to me most ridiculous to be busy”

The quote is from Søren Kierkegaard, who was a man who took his time. His thoughts have always inspired me, and this time it has resulted in a piece about productivity and the art of prioritisation. I hope it can help kick-start your and my autumn season with plenty of work, busyness, and priorities.

Trouble is a fundamental condition.

Before I offer my suggestions on how to make the most of your time, I think you should ask yourself if busyness shouldn't be recognised as a fundamental condition in the workplace? Whether tasks won't always be in excess of the available time?

That's exactly what I think. There's always something to do. And therefore, I also think that we should focus our energy on how we best learn to prioritise tasks, rather than breaking out in a sweat over the countless tasks that we won't be able to get done anyway.

Productive time vs. unproductive time

This is where the concept of productivity comes into play. When work needs to be prioritised, we should distinguish between productive and unproductive time.

My understanding of the concepts leans towards the definitions in some projects concerning the time environment in administrative workplaces, conducted by researchers at Roskilde University:

Productive time: Time spent on important and value-adding tasks
Uproduktiv tid: Tid brugt på opgaver og forstyrrelser, der ikke er vigtige.

Create a healthy time environment

According to researchers, a workplace has a healthy “time environment” when employees feel productive and have a work rhythm that allows for both deep concentration and urgent tasks.

The point is to plan in a way where only the most important and value-adding tasks are on the day's to-do list.

The to-do list thus becomes your stable rock, giving you focus. If unproductive tasks occasionally pop up and grab your attention, that's also fine – as long as you ensure you maintain a balance between productive and unproductive time.

Prioritise yourself

But how do you then assess which tasks are most value-creating? Organisational and business anthropologist Mark Buskbjerg mentions some good advice in a blog post that you can use to your advantage if the prioritisation work ends up in a dead end:

If I could only work for two hours a day, I would focus on the most critical and impactful tasks. This would likely involve: * **Prioritising and planning:** I'd spend the first part of my "workday" identifying the absolute most important things to achieve within that limited timeframe. This might involve reviewing incoming requests, checking for urgent issues, and creating a clear, actionable plan for the remaining time. * **Core problem-solving or execution:** I would dedicate the bulk of my time to the essential tasks that require my analytical or creative capabilities. This could be anything from debugging code, writing a key piece of content, a crucial client communication, or making a significant decision. * **Summarising and delegating/automating:** I'd use the last few minutes to summarise my progress, note any outstanding items, and identify tasks that could be delegated to others or handled by automation for the rest of the day, ensuring that work continues even when I'm not actively "working".

The quote is taken from the author Greg McKeown. The point is that we need to get better at mastering this art. The art of prioritisation. And the best way to learn this art is by forcing yourself to prioritise. Ruthlessly.

Gradually, it has become more important to be able to choose the right tasks to forgo and to be aware of why one prioritises the way one does. After all, a rejection is also a choice.

That was my contribution to dealing with the busyness of everyday life. But it could be even more interesting to hear your ideas on how to get better at prioritising your time. What do you do when tasks are piling in?

Fancy saving time on administration?

By implementing a digital time registration solution from Intempus, you can streamline administration within your company and ensure all employees save time on daily time registration. This will free up more time for the important tasks that create real value for the business. An indispensable tool for the modern company, regardless of size or industry. If you are curious about how Intempus can meet your needs, you can try to design your own time registration solution here.

You are also welcome to give us a call at: +45 26390400.