The Reason Why Work Progresses Once You Stop Multitasking

The Reason Why Work Progresses Once You Stop Multitasking

"Always busy, yet somehow not feeling like you're moving forward"—many people can relate to this feeling. Your schedule is packed from the morning, notifications keep pinging, meetings continue, and before you know it, it's evening. Despite having done a lot, the essential "results" haven't taken shape.
The root of this discomfort lies not in "how you use your time," but in "the criteria by which you decide how to use your time."


1) Time management doesn't actually manage "time"

First, it's important to acknowledge the obvious fact that time cannot be stopped or increased. The clock moves at a constant speed, and both today and tomorrow have 24 hours in a day. So, while we talk about "time management," what we can really manage is not time itself, but our actions and choices.


For example, if you have four hours free on a Monday morning, what will you do with that time? Will you focus on creating documents, clear out your emails, or tackle miscellaneous tasks first? The difference here is not in ability but in "how you decide."


If you do nothing, those four hours will disappear. You cannot reclaim them later. The enemy of time management is not flashy failures but the unnoticed "leakage of time."


2) "Being busy" does not prove productivity

When discussing productivity, the most troublesome misconception is "busyness = productivity."


Having a packed schedule, working overtime, constantly replying, and multitasking various things may seem like you're "working hard." But if no results are produced, it's likely that the direction of your efforts is off.


Multitasking, in particular, creates the illusion of "seeming efficient." In reality, attention is divided, switch costs accumulate, and progress thins out. As a result, you often end up in a state where "you've been active all day, but important things remain unfinished."


3) Prioritization is not just about "lining things up"

Many people feel reassured by making a to-do list. However, just creating a list doesn't change reality.
What truly works is the simple yet challenging principle of "arranging tasks by importance and processing them from the top down."


The key here is that

  • important tasks are usually "heavy"

  • important tasks are usually "tedious"

  • important tasks usually "don't finish quickly"
    This reality often leads people to escape into simpler tasks or immediate responses (replies, minor corrections, small adjustments). It feels like progress, but the distance moved forward is short.


Prioritization is not about choosing based on mood. It's about the "order that brings you closest to your goal the fastest." Place the "most important task" that best serves your goal at the forefront of your time slot. This becomes the core of time management.


4) Allocate more time to high-level tasks, treat low-level tasks lightly

Work consists of tasks that yield the same results regardless of who does them and tasks that only you can do.


To truly increase productivity, allocate more time to "high-level tasks" that only you can do, and quickly handle or delegate low-level tasks if possible.


The point here is that the feeling of "it's faster to do everything myself" actually lowers productivity in the long run.
Prioritize building up important results over the short-term satisfaction of quickly clearing tasks. This "allocation mindset" is effective in breaking free from busyness.


5) The sign of truly productive people is an increase in "completions"

So, how do you measure true productivity?
The simple benchmark is whether "specific completions accumulate."

  • A report is completed

  • A problem is solved

  • A decision is made

  • Actions leading to sales or results are implemented

  • Fewer projects are left unfinished


The more such "endings" increase, the higher the productivity. Conversely, the more things remain ongoing, under consideration, or in adjustment, the lower the productivity appears.


Productive people dislike "redoing." They reduce rework, avoid repeated confirmations, and proceed by placing definitions and judgments first. They win not by the length of work time but by the certainty of deliverables and the number of completions.


6) Deciding what "not to do" is the ultimate time management skill

Even if you set priorities, reality is full of temptations: notifications, urgent requests, intriguing news, casual consultations.
That's why the ability to say "NO" to unimportant things is necessary.


A common misconception is that saying NO is not about being cold but about the courtesy of focus. Those who achieve important results are less swayed by light tasks. To do what needs to be done, they clearly define what not to do.


In practical terms, it could look like this:

  • Turn off notifications during important task time slots

  • Process responses in batches instead of instant replies

  • Create a framework for consultations instead of "anytime is okay"

  • Set participation conditions if the purpose and conclusion of meetings are vague

  • Stop aiming for perfection in low-value tasks and settle at a certain level

Time management is a habit of decision-making before it is a scheduling technique.


Reactions on social media (commonly seen voices and points)

  • "Time management ultimately comes down to 'prioritization.' That's all there is to it."

  • "I want to stop multitasking, but the company doesn't allow it."

  • "Busy people especially need a 'not-to-do list.' It's a hard truth."

  • "They say to delegate, but there are workplaces where there's no one to delegate to..."

  • "When 'completions (closure)' increase, self-esteem also recovers. I get it."

  • "Meetings are the biggest time thief. Reforming meetings is key to productivity."

  • "Turning off notifications for focus changed my life."


The reason why such topics gain traction is that they directly connect to "pain" that people can relate to. Content that articulates that the root of busyness isn't a lack of personal effort but the criteria for choices (prioritization) or the environment (meetings, notifications, culture) tends to resonate.


On the other hand, there's also pushback. "There's a limit to what individuals can do," "The system and manpower are insufficient," are realistic arguments. How these are addressed can turn the discussion on time management into either a "personal responsibility" or a "reform" debate.


Mini implementations you can start today after reading this article (bonus)

  • Decide on one "most important task" for tomorrow morning and fix it at the forefront

  • Turn off notifications only during important task time (even 30-90 minutes is okay)

  • Delegate, systematize, or stop one low-value task

  • Take one "in progress" item to "completion" (even if it's small)

An increase in results happens when allocation changes, not just with effort. Since you can't increase time, change how you choose. That's the core of time management.


Source URL

Related Articles