Task management tips: Eliminate busy work and become more productive

Vartika Kashyap
6 min readJun 13, 2024

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Introduction

Everyone struggles with busy work.

When you are swamped with tasks that do not add value to your role, it can be easy to lose focus on your core purpose and become disengaged from your work.

According to a study, workers typically spend only 39% of their workdays doing their jobs, with the rest of their time dedicated to meetings, emails, and busy work such as writing status reports for managers.

This type of work can be a major source of frustration and can also lead to decreased productivity.

However effective task management can help you eliminate busy work and get back to doing the work that matters most.

In this article, I’ll share nine practical task management tips to help you boost your productivity and achieve your goals. But before that, let’s discuss what exactly busy work is.

What is meant by busy work?

Busy work is a term used to describe the tasks that make you look busy, but don’t contribute much to your real goals.

Bill Chase, former chief marketing officer at Bellhop, defined busy work as tasks that your team members do during their work time but do not provide any immediate value to the company. There are, however, some tasks that may seem like busy work, such as data entry, which can be of great value to the business.

In other words, not all busy work is necessarily harmful to your business. Some mundane activities are essential to your operations and need doing regardless. But the type of busy work you want to reduce is the one that does not benefit your company and strays far from achieving your organization’s goals.

Here are some common types of busy work:

  • Bike shedding: It refers to spending too much time and effort on tasks that are not important while neglecting the important tasks that require immediate attention.
  • Giving into norms: This means getting too caught up in following traditions and expectations that you forget what really matters and waste time on meaningless activities.
  • Allowing mission creep: It happens when the plans for a specific project or organization unnecessarily expand beyond the original purpose. It distracts workers from the main goal that needs to be accomplished.

Signs you’re wasting time on busy work

When it comes to being productive, it’s important to recognize the things that might be wasting your time. Some common signs that you are wasting your time on busy work are as follows:

  • feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list
  • struggling to focus on important tasks
  • constantly feeling like you’re behind schedule

Activities or habits that distract, interrupt, or don’t add value to your goals are known as time wasters. These can be external factors, like phone calls, emails, or unnecessary meetings, or internal factors, like procrastination, perfectionism, disorganization, or multitasking.

9 tips to eliminate busy work and boost your productivity

If you are someone who is frequently finding yourself in the busy work cycle, here are 9 tips that will help you boost productivity:

1. Prioritize tasks: Make a list of all the tasks you need to do and then decide which ones are most important and need to be done first. This helps you avoid wasting time on tasks that are not urgent or important and allows you to focus on the tasks that matter most.

A project management tool like ProofHub can help you prioritize tasks and manage your to-do list efficiently. With the tool, you can create a list of all the tasks you need to do, and then prioritize them based on their importance and urgency.

You can also set deadlines and assign tasks to team members to ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals. With features like Kanban boards, calendars, Gantt charts, and time tracking, ProofHub streamlines your workflow and helps you achieve your goals faster.

2. Set clear goals: This will help you reduce unnecessary work and increase efficiency by focusing on specific goals that are aligned with your objectives.

You can start by setting clear goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART goals). Then, break down your larger goals into smaller, more manageable tasks. By doing so, you can avoid getting sidetracked and prioritize your tasks better.

3. Manage your time: Make a list of tasks you need to do and assign specific times to each task. You can use time blocking technique to assign specific time slots for different types of tasks.

In addition, you can use a planner or app to manage your time efficiently and avoid wasting it on insignificant tasks. A timer can also help you keep track of time and make sure you stay on schedule.

Stop wasting your time and resources on busy work. Sign up for your free ProofHub trial today and experience the power of streamlined task management!

4. Delegate tasks: Assign work to your team members who have relevant skills. This will help you reduce your workload and save time, which can increase productivity.

You need to communicate clearly and provide necessary information and resources to the team members you delegate tasks to.

5. Use productivity apps: A productivity app can help you keep track of your projects and tasks in a more organized manner. So that, you can focus on completing tasks more efficiently instead of doing busy work.

These apps let you set reminders and collaborate with your team members. With regular use, you can streamline your work processes and become more productive.

6. Take breaks: Taking regular breaks can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by your work. It allows you to recharge and come back to your work with a fresh perspective.

You can implement the Pomodoro Technique in your schedule. It means you will work for 25 minutes and then will take a 5-minute break. You can repeat this cycle a few times and then take a longer break. This method can help you stay focused and avoid burnout.

7. Avoid multitasking: Focus on one task at a time. When you’re multitasking, it’s easy to get distracted and lose track of what you’re doing, which can lead to mistakes and take longer to complete tasks.

By using time-blocking technique, you can schedule specific blocks of time for certain tasks and avoid distractions during those times.

Make a to-do list and assign each task a specific block of time. During that time, turn off any distractions and focus solely on completing that task. Once the time block is up, move on to the next task.

8. Minimize distractions: Turn off unnecessary notifications on your phone or computer, and schedule specific times to check your email or social media accounts. This will help you reduce interruptions and increase focus, which makes it easier to get work done efficiently.

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9. Say no: Learn to say “no” to tasks that aren’t important or that you don’t have time for. This will help you eliminate unnecessary work and increase your productivity.

To do so, you can prioritize your tasks and only take on responsibilities that align with your goals and schedule. Be polite when declining requests that don’t fit into your priorities or schedule.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, by managing your tasks effectively, you can eliminate busy work and increase your productivity. So, implement these practical task management tips to reduce your stress levels and get a sense of accomplishment by completing your important tasks on time. These tips can definitely make your work-life easier and more fulfilling.

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Vartika Kashyap

Chief Marketing Officer@ProofHub. Featured writer on LinkedIn. Contributor at Elearning Industry, Dzone, Your Story and Business.com.