We all have the same amount of time in a day. But that doesn’t mean we manage our time the same way? There are people who feel like they’re constantly running behind, and there are people who feel like they’re always on top of their game. And then there’s you, feeling stuck somewhere in-between – not quite able to figure out what it is that needs to be done or when it needs to get done by. Well, don’t worry! In this article, I’ll show you what you can do to start to learn time management so you can make the most of it while leaving some extra for fun! That is why I am presenting these time management tips for you.
Track Your Time
You’re busy and you know exactly how many hours are in a day–24 to be exact! So what’s the point of tracking how much time you spend on tasks? Why not just complete tasks before your 24 hours are up? Well, just as you should track your spending habits to keep yourself in check and get a better grip on where all that money is going, you should track how much time you spend doing things so you can keep yourself in check and get a grip on where all your time is going.
This can be done with a simple time audit. If you’ve never done one before, they are very eye-opening. It is almost impossible to have effective time management skills if you don’t do this every so often. It is one task that will improve time management a great deal.
My suggestion is to break every hour into 15-minute segments. Write down what you work on for each of those 15-minute segments. When you’ve done a few days of this (at least a week is best) you can summarize where your time went. You might be surprised at how many gaps there are in your time tracking audit.
After you note where all your time is going you can figure out what needs improvement and what’s working well for you. You’ll also become more aware of how much time a task takes to complete so you can plan your day accordingly. This is one of the most important steps to mastering your time. Don’t ignore it!
Prioritize What Matters Most to You
Now that you’re tracking your time, it’s important to prioritize what matters most to you. This way, important tasks won’t go unnoticed. When you focus on prioritizing your tasks, instead of rushing to get a high-priority task done at the end of the day, you will have already had it done at the beginning of the day.
You might also realize that because you get all your high-priority tasks done first, at the end of the day, although you may feel like you still have lots to do, whatever is left can be done the next day. Instead of working extra hours, you’ll be able to get some well-deserved rest. This, too, is going to help you meet deadlines and achieve success.
Other things outside the realm of work and business also matter a lot to you right? When prioritizing, never fail to include these things.
Create a Daily Plan of Action For The Day and Stick to it
A list of what needs to be done needs a plan of action to complement it. Knowing exactly how you’re going to get everything done will give you peace of mind. Once it’s noted how much time a task takes to complete, you can create a daily plan that will allow for the completion of your tasks in order with enough time left over for anything else on your list.
Completing a daily plan of action is also going to help you with procrastination. You will see where the distractions are likely to come from. You will be using one of the most basic time management techniques to help you reduce stress levels a great deal.
Sure, it’s great to have all these plans and strategies laid out for you but are they realistic? If not then chances are you’re setting yourself up for failure before even getting started.
You have set goals and there are just so many hours in a day to accomplish them. Life happens and you find yourself with less time than you thought. Revisiting your plan every day will help you figure out what you might need to delegate to others.
When creating your daily plan, make sure to include time for everything you have going on – including breaks and free time. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can you expect to be able to manage things at all? When taking a break or going out with friends is written down in your plan of action it will get done. Don’t forget to see how many meetings you have that day as well.
All of these steps will help you have good time management. You will have a deeper perspective on the time management skills needed to get your job done on a regular basis. You will meet deadlines you used to routinely miss. The feeling of success this will bring will be more than worth it in the end.
Having your plan of action is amazing, but it’s completely useless unless you stick to it. So stick to it.
Don’t take on more than you can handle – learn how to say no!
You’re on your way to mastering time management skills! But what happens when someone wants you to do something extra that wasn’t included in the list?
Unfortunately for them, this is where having mastered time management comes with some privileges and one of those privileges is saying no.
Your stress levels go down by using this one simple technique. You have your assignments for the week and must carefully weigh what else you can achieve if anything. Don’t let other people’s needs get in the way of your ability to manage time effectively.
Saying no to others and to yourself might be hard, but what’s the point of stretching yourself thin to the point where you’re miserable? There’s no point at all. Accept your limitations, and when you’re compelled to do something unnecessary and tedious for work that isn’t in your daily plan, say no!
Where to Go Next
In this digital age, there are countless distractions and it’s easy to lose track of what matters most. If you can’t find a way to bring order back into your life, then it will be the chaos that brings the end of your business. We have strategies for getting on top of time management so that you’re able to enjoy more personal time without sacrificing productivity at work or letting things fall through the cracks. Visit our site today if you want some help! You may think we’re being facetious with this pitch but seriously – don’t take on any more than you can handle by yourself. It’s better to ask for help from someone who has experience helping others manage their time management strategy rather than trying everything yourself only to fail miserably.