Time management can help you get a grasp on things in your life. This is especially true when you have a busy day, but never really seem to fit everything into your daily life. Time management can help you focus on things that are important and help you schedule them properly. Keep reading for some great tips!
If you’re always pressed for time, start trying to be early for everything. If you aim to be on time, even a little traffic can mess up your entire schedule by making you late. However, when you do your best to be early, you are often left with a little extra time, which you can then put to good use!
Take some time to schedule some time for your interruptions.
You need to be able to plan some time that you can be taken away from from the tasks you’re working on. For instance, maintaining concepts similar to “office hours.” Office hours can be thought of as planned interruptions.
Make sure that your daily tasks are prioritized. Often times we waste our day away with unimportant activities. By making a priority list, you can focus your energy on the most important things first and that will help you accomplish more. Make a detailed priority list that will show you exactly what needs to be completed by order of priority.
Take about five minutes before your tasks and calls for deciding what results you wish to achieve. This can help you see success before you begin. It can also slow down some time. Try taking about five minutes after every activity and call to figure out if you achieved the desired outcome. If you didn’t, what did you miss? How can add the missing element to the next task?
Learn to let the little things go when you are overwhelmed by a busy day.
People who tend to fuss over less important matters often lose their focus on the big picture, thus wasting time. Have your priorities straight and don’t allow small problems to get in the way of managing time efficiently.
If time management is causing you concern, take a close look at how it is being used. You must be smart about it. Only check your email or voicemail when you’ve set aside time for those tasks. Reading email the moment it arrives may distract you from other important tasks.
Prior to calling someone on the phone at work, take a few minutes to plan out the questions that you need answered. Often a lot of time is wasted simply through the rambling that occurs on the telephone when you don’t know what you really need. Having a sense of your goals prior will help keep you on track.
If time management is a problem for you, one helpful strategy is to create a daily plan for your day before it even unfolds. When you create this plan for your day is totally up to you. Some people like to plan the next day before going to sleep. Other prefer to do it in the morning. After you plan has been made, you need to stick with it the best that you possibly can.
Get rid of distractions. Things that distract you can cause you to pay attention to them instead of what you should be working on. If the television is on and you are watching it instead of doing what you need to do, turn it off and work on your task.
A great tip for self-improvement is to only follow up with clients when absolutely necessary.
If you can pass on follow up calls onto a subordinate, then do so. You need to handle what is most important for you and delegate effectively. This will go a long way with managing your time.
Make a list of the important tasks that you have to complete for the day. This will help you prioritize your tasks better. As you complete and check off each task, you will feel good about your accomplishment, and it will motivate you to move on to the next task.
Sometimes, better time management can be as easy as having a clock within your line of vision. There are many times when you get so engrossed in the task at hand that you can lose track of time. If you have a large clock right in front of you, it will help keep you aware of your usage of time.
Decline any tasks that are really nonessential. Take care of those things that are urgent or important. Most of your time will be spent on matters that are both urgent and important. Anything that falls outside of these two categories does not deserve much of your time if you want to get things done.
Divide bigger tasks into smaller tasks.
Do one part of the task at a time, take a break, and then get back to another part of it. By trying to complete one huge task at the same time, you are going to quickly become frustrated and get nothing done. Dividing it into parts will help you stay focused.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, think about taking one day off every week. This may seem counter-intuitive, but the truth is that when you have time to relax, you recharge your batteries and make it easier to keep up with a hectic schedule. Take one day to do nothing to relax, and you might see your time management improve.
Find something that motivates you. Tell yourself that if you work for a set amount of time, you can enjoy whatever it is you have chosen. It doesn’t have to be something monetary. You can reward yourself with a break to do as you wish, surf the Internet, or listen to your favorite music.
It is important that you understand how time management really works. Most people overlook the importance of proper scheduling and dealing with things on a daily basis. You can really improve yourself when you start to work with managing your time. Use the tips you’ve just learned to lead you to success!
Coach Amaka Adindu on Content - Marketers Now 