I’m a repeat victim of Parkinson’s Law. It’s the principle that, like gas in a container, work expands to fill the time available. And it gets me again and again. Take the article I wrote yesterday. It should have taken me three hours or so. But I had all day to do it – and guess what? It took me all day to do it! A bit longer, in fact, as I was still tidying it up 15 minutes after I should have finished my working day. Mixed Feelings About Multitasking I suppose I didn’t just write that article. I kept on top of my emails and instant messages throughout the day, did some research for several ..read more

During this pandemic, how many times have you heard co-workers say they seem to have less time now, not more, despite losing the commute? The fact is, we all have the same 24 hours in the day. But it can feel very different for each of us, depending on our responsibilities, commitments and goals. If we’re juggling domestic tasks with a full-time job, for example, can we ever feel in control of our time? Ashley Whillans believes we can. As an assistant professor at Harvard Business School, she focuses on happiness and well-being in the workplace. Her new book, “Time Smart: How to Reclaim Your T ..read more

We are all familiar with the “To-Do” list. To-Do Lists are important tools that help us to prioritize what we want to accomplish in a day. In fact, many of us likely start our workdays listing what we need to do using one. Before we know it, we’ve planned out our whole day, perhaps our whole week or even month. We’ve filled our lives with what can often feel like a never-ending list of tasks. So what if we also created a “To-Don’t” List at the same time? Please Join Us! What: #MTtalk Where: Twitter When: September 25, 2020 @ 1 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. GMT/ 10.30 p.m. IST) Topic: To-Do Lists and To-Don ..read more

I often recall as a child being told to “pay attention” or “just focus.” Whether I was gazing dreamily out of a window or grappling with a confusing subject, I remember parents and teachers alike despairing at my inability to concentrate. And yet the words “pay attention” and “focus” have stuck with me to this day. Please Join Us! What: #MTtalk Where: Twitter When: August 14, @1 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. GMT / 10:30 p.m. IST) Topic: Attention and Focus Host: @Mind_Tools What Does It Mean to Pay Attention? Imagine two competitors at the start of a race. On the outside, they appear equally matched and re ..read more