The Time It Takes
Do you ever get to the end of a day and think “oh my, that one thing has taken me ALL day”.
Even when the end result is worth it, it can still take us by surprise at the time required to get certain things done. When we have our productivity hats on, it can be downright stressful to have used up so much of our precious time.
Psychologist Daniel Kahneman in the book, Thinking Fast and Slow, explored how we humans are not skilled at estimating time. We have a tendency not to consider how long similar tasks have taken us before, and we struggle with an optimism bias that ignores what might not go to plan.
Today, without the added pressure of meetings /phone calls / notifications that can interrupt a weekday, I was able to take the time I needed to complete this project. Despite having other things I could also have been doing, it felt good to be engrossed and do the deep work required.
So, whilst we can tweak the way we plan our time - accounting for the known knowns AND the unknown unknowns, there is also something to be said for allowing some space in our bulging calendars for things to take the time they need.
What do you think? How might we balance our need for productivity with the benefits of immersive focus?
Ref: Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman