How Long Should You Work on a Task? The Answer Might Change Everything About Your Time Management

By Helene Segura, M.A. Ed., CPO® | August 27, 2026 |

 

You can watch my video by clicking on the graphic below or read my thoughts beneath it:

 

 

 

Question: What is the correct amount of length to work on a task? Answer: It depends! I know that sounds like a cop-out answer, but truly it depends. There is no perfect amount of time. If you have so many meetings in a day, you might only have 15 minutes in between each of these meetings in order to get something done.

 

So is 15 minutes perfect? Probably not, but you’ll have to make it perfect in that situation. The amount of time it takes for us to work on a task also depends on how familiar we are with the task, how comfortable we are, how skilled we are with it. Whether or not we even enjoy what that task is.

 

So we might have an attention span of, say, 12 minutes with one kind of task and an attention span of 37 minutes with a different type. So that’s why it’s important to pay attention to your brain patterns, how long you’re able to keep your focus on certain types of tasks, because that will let you know roughly how much time to spend on those tasks.

 

If you know that you have got some kind of numbers task that should take you maybe 30 minutes but tends to take you 45, an hour, because your mind tends to wander, there’s no need to work that entire hour because you’re not actually working. You’re not being productive. So if that’s the case, maybe you need to split that task up into 20-minute segments so that way you know you’re focusing for 20 minutes, you take a break for a few minutes, and then come back and work for another 20.

 

So if the question is, what is the correct amount of time to spend on the task? There isn’t one. The right amount is for the length of time that you’re going to focus on that task. So pay attention to your patterns. How long do you pay attention in different situations?

 

And that will help you gauge how much time you should allow for your various tasks. If you have a question about anything related to time management, please make sure that you drop it in the comments and I’ll answer it in a future video.

 

Want more practical time management strategies? Check out The Inefficiency Assassin: Time Management Tactics for Working Smarter, Not Longer.

About Helene Segura, M.A. Ed., CPO®

As The Inefficiency Assassin™, Time Management Fixer Helene Segura empowers professionals on the go with the tools to slay lost time. Personal inefficiency at work leads to increased stress levels, lower morale, higher absenteeism, more turnover – and rising spending on employee health care and hiring. Why not improve productivity, decrease stress levels, and increase profits instead?The author of four books – two of which were Amazon best-sellers – Helene Segura has been the featured organization expert in more than 200 media interviews. She has coached hundreds of clients to productivity success and performance improvement by applying neuroscience and behavioral modification techniques to wipe out destructive, time-wasting habits.Helene turns time management on its head by sharing both client case studies and pop culture examples to teach her mind-bending framework for decreasing interruptions, distractions and procrastination so that companies can spend more time generating revenue.

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