Being Busy Is Not the Same as Being Effective: Tips for Smarter Time Planning
Efficiency coach Dārta Riekstiņa explains that effectiveness is defined by results, not by busyness, and recommends focusing on one task at a time. Research shows attention at a computer screen lasts only 47 seconds on average.
Workdays are filled with emails, meetings, urgent tasks and constant switching between them, so many people feel that getting everything done is nearly impossible. Dārta Riekstiņa, a lecturer at the BDA business school in Latvia and an efficiency coach, shares advice on planning time more thoughtfully. She stresses that being busy does not mean being effective.
Results matter
According to Riekstiņa, effectiveness rests not on constant motion but on the result achieved. A person can work all day, answer many emails, attend meetings and handle urgent matters, only to realise in the evening that the most important task remains undone.
She compares efficiency to a car's fuel tank. Our energy reserves are limited each day: if we drive aimlessly on a full tank, it will be empty by evening, yet we will not have reached where we wanted to go. Time and energy work the same way.
Multitasking is an illusion
Opinions on multitasking differ: some see it as a superpower, others deny it. Riekstiņa notes that the human brain is not designed to do several things at once.
Research by attention scientist Gloria Mark shows that when working at a computer, attention stays on the screen for an average of only 47 seconds before shifting elsewhere. If a person switches from one task to another more than 400 times during the day, the total time lost is considerable.
Concentration can be trained
For those who find it hard to focus on a single task for long, Riekstiņa recommends training the ability to concentrate. Giving full attention to one job helps reduce mental fatigue, and she sees this as the key to a more effective day.
