Your use of time can truly make or break you. You can either get more done in less time or less done in far more time than it’s worth!
If you struggle with time management, perhaps it’s time to take a look at some tips. However, the truth is, there are no pre-set time management rules. What works for your friends, may not work for you, and that’s okay.
Consider the following exercises while you build your time management skills:
1. Close your door and turn off the phone. If you have an important task at hand, it’s important that you avoid unnecessary interruptions.
2. Have a place for common items. When you get home, place items like your keys and wallet in the same place. The next time you go out, there will be no question where they’re located and you won’t waste precious time looking for them.
3. Change your behaviour. If you’ve identified a certain behaviour that’s counterproductive to your time management, take steps to correct this behaviour.
4. Minimize and organize your documents. Even though a lot of information is digital these days, it doesn’t mean you should keep every email, file, or document on your desktop.
5. Estimate your time. Whether you’re doing a work assignment or something fun, plan in advance how long you think it will take.
6. Less planning, more action. How often do you find yourself thinking about what you have yet to do? Merely thinking about the future won’t get you anywhere.
7. Avoid procrastination. This is a difficult one for most people! When you keep putting something off that you need to accomplish, you tend to spend more time thinking about the fact that you have to do it when you could have already completed the task.
8. Set goals. Setting goals is an important part of any plan. When you’re working, it’s far easier to track your progress and complete your task more efficiently if you have a specific goal to achieve.
9. Reward yourself. Ensure you reward yourself for a job well done. A reward will motivate you to get through the tougher tasks and avoid procrastination.
10. Take breaks. It’s important to be self-disciplined, but you don’t want to overdo it and burn out. Mental breaks will actually boost your productivity because your mind has a chance to reflect, rejuvenate, and repair itself subconsciously.
Final Advice
The most important thing to remember about time management is to find something that works for you personally. Start by paying attention to your habits and decisions so you can better identify when you feel tempted to waste time and procrastinate.
Just be sure to keep taking steps in the right direction and you’ll soon conquer the time wasters that have kept you from success for far too long!
Roy Clayton
