Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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We all know procrastination isn’t productive – but neither is “pre-crastination,” or trying to do something quickly just to be able to mark it complete. Many of us pre-crastinate because we’re constantly trying to check off tasks to free up our working memory.

How often have you rushed to complete something, only to find that you need to go back and fix errors? Do you usually tackle easy stuff on your to-do list first, or do you dedicate your peak hours to your most meaningful assignment?

Have you ever spent a whole day responding to emails, only to find it’s 5 PM and you haven’t done any real work?

These tasks may feel productive in the short term, but rushing to complete something — anything — wastes time when you have to go back and revise and refine.

Instead of being eager to get things done quickly, focus on getting the right things done slowly and better.

Adapted from “The Irresistible Allure of Pre-crastination” by David Burkus.

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Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.