We’ve all been there; we’ve missed a deadline at work and felt the sense of failure that comes along with it. But what if I told you that being busy could actually increase your motivation to complete tasks? This may seem counterintuitive, but recent research has shown that people who are busy tend to be more motivated to complete a task after missing a deadline than those who are not busy.
So, why does this happen? The answer lies in the way busy people perceive their time. When people are busy, they tend to feel like they are using their time effectively. This perception serves to mitigate the sense of failure people feel when they miss a task deadline. In other words, because busy people feel like they are making the most of their time, they are more likely to be motivated to complete a task after missing a deadline than those who are not busy.
This research has implications for business owners and managers who often find themselves short on time. By understanding the benefits of being busy, you can make sure that you and your employees are using your time in the most effective way possible.
The Research
There have been several studies conducted on this topic, all of which support the hypothesis that being busy increases motivation and reduces the time it takes to complete tasks for which people miss a deadline.
The first study was conducted by psychologists Daniel Ariely and Nina Mazar. They found that when people were asked to complete a simple task, those who were told they were “too busy” to finish the task on time were more likely to complete it than those who were not told they were too busy. In other words, being too busy can actually increase your motivation to complete a task!
A second study found that when people missed a deadline, those who perceived themselves as being too busy were more likely to be motivated to complete the task than those who did not perceive themselves as being too busy. This suggests that it is not just being too busy that increases motivation, but also the perception that you are using your time effectively.
The third and fourth studies found that when people were given a real task to complete, those who perceived themselves as being too busy were more likely than those who did not perceive themselves as being too busy to actually finish the task. This indicates that the benefits of being too busy are not just limited to feeling more motivated; they also extend to completing tasks in a shorter amount of time.
Finally, a fifth study used data from over half a million tasks submitted by thousands of users of a task management software application called Asana. This study found that when people missed deadlines, those who perceived themselves as being too busy were more likely than those who did not perceive themselves as being too busy to complete the task within 24 hours.
Conclusion
These studies show us that there are real benefits to being too busy. Not only does being too busy increase your motivation to complete tasks, but it also makes you more likely to actually finish those tasks in a shorter amount of time. So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed by your workload, remember that being too busy can actually be a good thing!
