Being Productive: Easy Time Management Tricks
05/16/2015 11:51
Time is a commodity of untold value. The ability to apply your time management skills greatly determine how well you do in life. You will also have more time for enjoyment with your friends and family, as well as time to rest. These tips can help you get things done more efficiently.
Make use of a timer. A timer can help you focus for a given period of time. For instance, if you have an hour to work on a task, set the timer to let you know when 15 minutes have passed. Then take a brief break, reset the timer and continue this routine until the hour has elapsed.
Do as much work as you can in advance. When you can, schedule your day the night before. A great way to end your work day is to prepare your to-do list for the next day. Once you have your jobs outlined in advance, there will be no delay in the morning.
Do not procrastinate or else you will not meet deadlines. You can get behind on things if you find out a deadline is coming up. But, if you keep on top of deadlines, you will never be forced to choose one priority over another.
When making yourself a schedule, don't forget to factor in time for interruptions. If you schedule appointments and tasks one right after the other without allowing for traffic or phone calls, you entire day can be thrown off. When you leave room for these interruptions, you can remain on schedule.
If managing your time is difficult, try to think about each task separately. Lots of folks fail when they think they can multi-task. If you try to do a lot, you may suffer. Concentrate on only one project at a time, and don't move onto the next one until the first one is completed.
Prioritize all the activities you do every day. Mundane tasks can eat up time in your daily schedule. Put strong effort into tasks which really need to get done. Create a list of things you need to do and begin with the most important tasks.
If you are having time management issues, review the way you are currently spending your time. Spend it in a wise way. Only view your voice mails or emails if you're able to use that time on them. Looking at the computer all day long to read emails will only serve to distract you, and it can keep you from accomplishing more important things.
Say no. Many people get stressed out because they feel they must agree to everything that is asked of them. When you feel like your day is overfilled, look at what you have scheduled. Is there any work there that could be delegated to others? Ask for help when you can.
Each morning when you wake up, take some time to plan your day. Get your pen and paper to jot down what you plan to do during your day and the amount of time it involves. This daily schedule can help you manage time better.
Don't hesitate to close the door to your office if you need to work efficiently. An open door invites people in to discuss work related issues and any other problems they might have. Just by shutting your door, your time will be your own, and you will be able to focus. People will be able to tell from a glance that you need some time to focus, and you will have the chance to work in peace.
Don't answer text messages, instant messages or phone calls while working on a task unless it is an emergency. This can cause you to lose your focus. Wait until your task is complete to check your messages.
If you want to manage time well, think about the effort you need for a particular task. If a task isn't that crucial, don't strive for perfection. Just devote enough attention to the task to get it done and move on. By applying all your efforts to only important jobs, you'll use your time much better.
Do your best to keep your work space organized. If it takes you five minutes to find something, that can add up to a lot of time wasted throughout the week. Put together everything you use every day, then organize it and store it together. You'll be a faster, more efficient (and less frustrated) worker this way!
Work hard to mentally prepare yourself for your tasks. Getting yourself into the right mindset can be difficult, but keep practicing and you can maintain your focus. Constantly remind yourself that you have the ability to focus for a specific length of time, and you will be able to do it.
Keep your to-do list on hand at all times. This ensures you forget nothing. Certain tasks can take a toll on you. Completing stressful tasks can make you forget what other tasks need to be completed. Keep this list on hand at all times.
Prioritize your responsibilities. If you go after it all, all at one time, you'll see your task quality suffer. This will hurt the quality that you produce. If you prioritize your tasks and work on one thing at a time, you will get better results.
Time is a valuable commodity, as previously stated. Making use of your time wisely will allow you to have time to spend on the things that really matter. Apply what you've just learned, and start to enjoy your life so much more.
Make use of a timer. A timer can help you focus for a given period of time. For instance, if you have an hour to work on a task, set the timer to let you know when 15 minutes have passed. Then take a brief break, reset the timer and continue this routine until the hour has elapsed.
Do as much work as you can in advance. When you can, schedule your day the night before. A great way to end your work day is to prepare your to-do list for the next day. Once you have your jobs outlined in advance, there will be no delay in the morning.
Do not procrastinate or else you will not meet deadlines. You can get behind on things if you find out a deadline is coming up. But, if you keep on top of deadlines, you will never be forced to choose one priority over another.
When making yourself a schedule, don't forget to factor in time for interruptions. If you schedule appointments and tasks one right after the other without allowing for traffic or phone calls, you entire day can be thrown off. When you leave room for these interruptions, you can remain on schedule.
If managing your time is difficult, try to think about each task separately. Lots of folks fail when they think they can multi-task. If you try to do a lot, you may suffer. Concentrate on only one project at a time, and don't move onto the next one until the first one is completed.
Prioritize all the activities you do every day. Mundane tasks can eat up time in your daily schedule. Put strong effort into tasks which really need to get done. Create a list of things you need to do and begin with the most important tasks.
If you are having time management issues, review the way you are currently spending your time. Spend it in a wise way. Only view your voice mails or emails if you're able to use that time on them. Looking at the computer all day long to read emails will only serve to distract you, and it can keep you from accomplishing more important things.
Say no. Many people get stressed out because they feel they must agree to everything that is asked of them. When you feel like your day is overfilled, look at what you have scheduled. Is there any work there that could be delegated to others? Ask for help when you can.
Each morning when you wake up, take some time to plan your day. Get your pen and paper to jot down what you plan to do during your day and the amount of time it involves. This daily schedule can help you manage time better.
Don't hesitate to close the door to your office if you need to work efficiently. An open door invites people in to discuss work related issues and any other problems they might have. Just by shutting your door, your time will be your own, and you will be able to focus. People will be able to tell from a glance that you need some time to focus, and you will have the chance to work in peace.
Don't answer text messages, instant messages or phone calls while working on a task unless it is an emergency. This can cause you to lose your focus. Wait until your task is complete to check your messages.
If you want to manage time well, think about the effort you need for a particular task. If a task isn't that crucial, don't strive for perfection. Just devote enough attention to the task to get it done and move on. By applying all your efforts to only important jobs, you'll use your time much better.
Do your best to keep your work space organized. If it takes you five minutes to find something, that can add up to a lot of time wasted throughout the week. Put together everything you use every day, then organize it and store it together. You'll be a faster, more efficient (and less frustrated) worker this way!
Work hard to mentally prepare yourself for your tasks. Getting yourself into the right mindset can be difficult, but keep practicing and you can maintain your focus. Constantly remind yourself that you have the ability to focus for a specific length of time, and you will be able to do it.
Keep your to-do list on hand at all times. This ensures you forget nothing. Certain tasks can take a toll on you. Completing stressful tasks can make you forget what other tasks need to be completed. Keep this list on hand at all times.
Prioritize your responsibilities. If you go after it all, all at one time, you'll see your task quality suffer. This will hurt the quality that you produce. If you prioritize your tasks and work on one thing at a time, you will get better results.
Time is a valuable commodity, as previously stated. Making use of your time wisely will allow you to have time to spend on the things that really matter. Apply what you've just learned, and start to enjoy your life so much more.