Your day, just like everyone else’s, is only 24 hours. Yet somehow certain people seem to be able to squeeze more from that time than others. What it all comes down to is time management we get to choose to plan, prioritize, and spend the hours we have.
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot”
Time management is one of the key factors to success in any field of work. It is important for your personal life and for your career. It teaches you patience and how to tackle difficult tasks in each space of time. It teaches you how to make the most of your valuable time and increases your productivity and efficiency.
A person who is an expert at managing time effectively is always a step ahead of every other person in the room. They can speed up how they work and can enjoy more leisure activities in life. Some of the world’s most successful people are experts in managing time, and they teach this to others too that time management is the key to success.
Remember an individual with well-developed time management skills is wanted at any workplace due to their ability to produce better results.
I have chosen the top 5 ideas that I believe will assist us to make the most out of our time and the limited hours of our day:
1) Figure out how you’re currently spending your time:
Determine how much we need to accomplish in a day . Identify time sucks, and then focus on activities that provide the greatest returns
2) Create a daily schedule and stick to it:
In fact, before you leave for the day, create a list of the most pressing tasks for the next day, this step allows you to get going as soon as you get to the office Putting everything on paper will prevent you from lying awake at night tossing and turning over the tasks running through your brain. Instead, your subconscious goes to work on your plans while you are asleep, which means you can wake up in the morning with new insights for the workday.
3) Prioritize wisely:
As you organize your to-do list, prioritization is key for successful time management at work. Start by eliminating tasks that you shouldn’t be performing in the first place. Then identify the three of the most important tasks and do those first—that way, you make sure you finish the essentials.
Studies have shown that a person is at his peak of productivity levels during the first 2-3 hours of the morning when they get to work. So instead of wasting this time when you are at your peak of productivity, try and get the most challenging tasks done.
4) Built in buffers.
This is one of the more enjoyable time management tips for work: Make breaks a part of your schedule. When you finish a task, reward yourself – give yourself time to breathe, and refresh your mind. Take mini breaks to recharge, whether that be a short walk, looking at the sea, some meditation, a cup coffee, etc.
5) Goal-setting
Setting defined goals for yourself throughout your work, such as accomplishing a specific task or a segment of a job, is an essential part of time management. Setting a series of realistic goals and a series of optimal goals allows you to feel each accomplishment throughout your day as a source of motivation and encouragement. Goal-setting can work in tandem with stress management to help you increase your efficiency on an hourly and daily basis.
Lets look at setting SMART goals –
i.e. goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- Specific goals are clear and precisely defined, so you know what you need to do to reach them.
- Measurable goals let you measure your success and decide whether you’ve reached it. – note down the time that you need to be done with the task. Also deliberate on how this task will help you or teach you something new
- Attainable goals are possible to reach, so they motivate you to push forward, but they’re also at least a little challenging, to motivate you to do your best. – now do not over-exert yourself.
- Relevant goals – necessary tasks, so they actually make a difference when you achieve them. Don’t note down a task that is not relevant and not going to make any difference to you or lessen your workload
- Time-bound goals have a deadline that tells you how to organize your work, and they give you a sense of urgency that helps you focus on your work.
So just to recap – the top 5 ideas for time management is:
- Figure out how you’re currently spending your time
- Create a schedule
- Build in buffers or reward yourself
- Priorities wisely
- And set goals – using the SMART FORMULA
