Conquering Time Management
With so many employees these days going from the cubicle to the couch, it’s important to learn some time management tips in order to stay on top of your tasks. Some days drag on while others keep thinking, “If only I had more time!” Yet, we all only have 24 hours in a day, so let’s see how you can invest the time you have wisely.
1. Stay Organized
Each day, write a to-do list of all the items that are urgent to handle. Keep in mind that not everything important is urgent and what you may think is urgent, isn’t necessarily important. Checking off this list will help you see the progress and reduce anxiety.
Think Ahead
Planning ahead in your day to use your time in the most effective way will really be beneficial to feeling in control of your schedule. Eliminate tasks that are nonessential but seem to eat away at your time and energy. You can also create an Action Plan describing the steps of your project.
If you feel like you need help tracking tasks and projects, a virtual assistant or online business manager may be able to help you. Check out our Services page to learn more.
2. Avoid Time Stealers
Just by reading this heading, you can probably identify the things that take away your time on a daily basis such as social media or Netflix. Procrastination and indecision can really make an impact on the time you have for important items on your list. Procrastination steals away productivity, time, and self-esteem. Identify what often steals your time and work to remove it from your day-to-day.
Perfectionism
High standards are great to have, but perfectionism can be more of a curse than a blessing. You can set your expectations far too high to reach, which invites disappointment and a feeling of failure. Just laugh at yourself when you make a mistake and keep moving forward. Tell yourself when it’s time to stop and move on to the next activity.
3. Be Balanced
Workaholics consume all their time and energy, leaving them with nothing left over. Work hard but also enjoy the benefits. Take frequent breaks during the work day to keep you focused when you want to be. Don’t dismiss a good night’s sleep as an effective way to help you get work done later. Sleep aids concentration while sleep deprivation contributes to errors and irritability, not what any of your coworkers want to see.
Make Realistic Goals
Learning to be content with what you can actually attain will help you feel accomplished. Give yourself goals that you have a large degree of control over such as your skill in a certain area. An option is keeping a time log on your device to find out where exactly all your time is going.
However you choose to improve your time management, know that everyone is different and sometimes you just have to experiment and find out what works for you. Turn on Do Not Disturb and get to work! At least until you feel you need a break that is.