Time Management is an important skill to have. It isn’t as easy as some people would think; it takes discipline, a strong work ethic and an unbridled need for order.
Every day can be more productive and satisfying when we have managed the time we have available to accomplish all the tasks that we need to do.
12 ways to improve time management:
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As Brian Tracy says in the book ‘Eat that Frog’ ~ Do the worst jobs first. Procrastinating is time wasted.
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Don’t be late ~ Take responsibility for being on time. Being late will waste your time as well as others.
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Learn to delegate ~ Delegating tasks to others will relieve some of the stress and free up some of your time to prioritise your work and focus on more important tasks.
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Have a plan ~ Make a list of jobs to be done that day, plan how long you will spend on each job. Doing this will improve your time management skills.
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Turn off any distractions ~ Mobile phones, social media, television etc. that aren’t work related; they distract you from the task at hand. Turning these off will help you stay focused on what it is that needs to be done.
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Practise Single-Tasking ~ Multi-tasking is very popular in this day in age. Many believe that doing more than one task at a time will get the jobs finished sooner! In actual fact multi-tasking does the complete opposite and can slow you down.
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Exercise ~ Exercising can relieve some of the stress or pressure you may be feeling. Getting rid of unnecessary tension will help you focus and help your ability to handle added pressure. No time! Then manage it better.
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Compartmentalise ~ It is essential that you do not become too obsessed with one aspect of your life – know when to switch off from work whilst at home and give your mind time to recharge.
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Allocate a time limit in which to complete a task ~ A time limit will encourage you to focus and be more efficient; even if you end up having to go back and increase the time!
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Get enough sleep ~ Being tired throughout the working day will not help you stay focused and will impair your ability to perform to the best of your ability.
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Do not think of the totality of your to-do list ~ Focus on the single task at hand, otherwise you will become overwhelmed.
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Create a daily plan ~ Plan your day before it unfolds. In the morning or the night before. Stick to your daily plan as best you can, and remember ‘Eat That Frog’.
So instead of wasting time wishing that there were more hours in a day ~ utilise your time well and take back control of your day by being more organised.