Are you finding yourself at the end of what feels like a long, busy day only to find you’ve barely put a dent in your to-do list? If your hours slipping by in a haze of daydreams and social media updates, it may be time to re-asses your methods and get your time management on track. If you’re not sure where the hours of your day are going, read ahead for 8 ways to manage your time and yield better results from your efforts.
8 Ways to Manage Your Time Better
- Block Out Your Time – Create a block schedule and stick to it. Answer emails 3 times a day during designated hours. Create a special alert for urgent messages but leave all others for those designated time slots.
- Keep Track of Your Activities – For the first few weeks, keep a calendar where you can track what you spend your time on hour by hour. This will give you clear perspective on how you’re really spending your time rather than what you think you’re spending your time on.
- Do One Thing at a Time – Focus on one task rather than trying to do several things at once. This will improve your concentration and performance and help you finish each one more quickly. Multitasking has its place and time, but often working on too many things at once can cause confusion and unnecessary lagging.
- Keep a List: At the beginning of each day, make a list of tasks you’d like to accomplish. Check them off as you go along. Doing this at the beginning of each day will keep you focused and dedicated to the things you need to get done.
- Stop Checking Your Social Media – Yes, you can still be connected but it doesn’t have to be every five minutes throughout the day. You lose time by doing micro-tasks between and during regular tasks. And often, that means “quick little things” that you think don’t take up much time and effort, like sending a text or checking your newsfeed. A small distraction can lead to a series of lost hours without even realizing it.
- Schedule Your Breaks: Expect to be interrupted or pulled away at some point and plan ahead for that. Allow yourself time to step away without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. Schedule breaks, lunch, and time for exercise and meditation, essentials in staying fresh and focused.
- Consider Travel Time: Time going to and from places often gets overlooked. Make sure to take that into consideration when planning an off-site meeting or lunch. If you’re not driving and have the ability to do so, make the best of that time by using your commute time to read, listen to a podcast, or take care of another task.
- Make Room for What Matters: If you need to have an important phone call or conversation, or must attend an important event or meeting you, you should add it to your calendar. The same goes for personal time. If you need to attend your child’s school recital or would like to take your spouse to lunch, add it to your schedule and respect that time.
