Managing time is a type of skill more people need to learn. You may notice that when you’ve got a plan, you get many more things done. A general tendency to procrastinate makes time management more valuable than ever. The tips here can help you learn about managing your time better.
Make good use of your time. Think over each task and how long it will take and then tell yourself what time that task should be done by. This will allow you to manage your time properly, which will improve your life. When you have some free time, use it to relax.
Review your schedule at the beginning of each day. If you know what you need to accomplish at the onset of your day, you’ll have a good shot at actually doing so. Carefully review your schedule to ensure that you haven’t overbooked yourself.
Add a little time into your schedule for unexpected interruptions. If you don’t, you could end up derailing your day due to surprise phone calls or email tasks. By planning for interruptions, you can stay focused.
If you’re finding that it’s hard to work with time management, you should instead focus on smaller tasks. Multi-tasking is quite difficult for many people, often leading to inaccurate work. When you try to handle too many things, you become exhausted and rushed. Poor quality will result. Make sure to take breaks in between each task.
When time management becomes difficult, take some time to assess your current level of productivity and efficiency. Ask yourself what is causing you to not complete the projects you start. Identify your weaknesses and improve them immediately.
Take the time to reflect each day and consider how you’ve used your time. Make good use of your time to optimize results. Only look at your email or check your voice mail when time allows. Checking either periodically can really eat into the time you’ve allocated for more important tasks.
Everyone needs to learn how to say “no”. If you do not, you will face many stressful situations. Go to your schedule to see what you can do. Are there tasks that you can assign to other people? If you can, get assistance from other people close to the tasks.
Plan your day soon after you wake up each morning. Make an actual list of tasks and note how long it will take you to do each one. This will ensure you stay on track all day.
Instant Messages
Unless it is an emergency, don’t answer phone calls, texts, or instant messages if you are busy with a task. It can be hard to get back on task if you get interrupted by these things. Finish what you are doing before returning calls, texts and instant messages.
Know that everything cannot be done in one day. In fact, often it is impossible. Chances are that you waste more time than you realize. Make sure you’re always realistic, and know when your plate is too full.
Take a class on time management at a local college. You will learn a lot about how to better manage your day. Many companies offer time management classes to help their employees succeed. If your company does not have these courses, check your local higher education institutions to see if they offer them.
Reward yourself when you start getting better at time management. Put off getting coffee until later. Rewards are great but, should wait until you have finished the task at hand.
Divide your list of tasks into four separate areas of a Cartesian plane. Label one column as important, and the other column as not important. For the horizontal rows, rate their level of urgency. Focus on the items that are in the urgent and priority sections. Your time should be spent in the important/urgent quadrant. Make time for the things that aren’t important.
The Pomodoro method is helpful to some. This method states to work for around 25 minutes, followed by a 5 minute rest. After doing this, you don’t really feel that you worked all that hard. You’ll also be more efficient which will allow you to do the things in life that you enjoy.
Always give yourself some built-in leeway when it come to completing larger tasks. These things eat up most of your time, and they can take up even more depending on what happens. It may take longer than you thought to complete tasks such as these. Make sure you prepare beforehand and give yourself a buffer.
Deadlines are vital to meet when managing your time. When your tasks have completion dates, you will be able to manage your workflow in an efficient manner. Make sure to set deadlines for all tasks that you have. When you know when something is due, you’ll work harder to get it done.
If you have a sudden task that can be done quickly, just do it. If it will take longer, schedule it for later. Turn routine tasks into habits so they aren’t constantly on your list.
If you have never attempted to manage your time, this may seem a bit frightening. You’ll soon figure out how much time management skills mean. Using these tips, go master your life!
