The Time Management Tips You May Have Forgotten
The art of time management is one that doesn’t come to people naturally. It is an art that needs to be learned along with the distinction between personal and professional tasks based on their importance and urgency. The art of knowing how to manage your time is the single most important skill that determines your success. To know how to organize your tasks and utilize your time effectively is a skill that develops gradually and is different for each person. The art of time management also helps you strike a perfect work-life balance. When you prioritize workload, your focus automatically gets shifted to things that matter the most.
Here are a few ways to better your time management skills and increase productivity.
Exercise
When you start your day early, you are able to take full advantage of the day and exercise is a big part of successful people’s lives. It gives you the time to sit, think, and plan your day well. Early rising keeps you calm, clear-headed and makes you creative.
Prioritize and Plan
Arranging your tasks as per importance provides a roadmap on how to proceed and how to take your day forward. Begin your day with the most important task and move on to the less important or mundane tasks. Avoid checking emails early in the morning or paying attention to tasks that are trivial in nature.
Nix Multitasking
Never multi-task and focus on one task at a time as it can actually waste more time. Finish one task before moving on to another. Multitasking hampers productivity, and your performance only improves when you give your full attention to one task at a time. Set a specific time for specific tasks.
Set Realistic Expectations
Set up a realistic time frame to complete your tasks. When you challenge yourself to complete a task within the stipulated time period, your confidence gets a boost. Reward yourself when you counter a difficult challenge. Setting the timer can also add to your efficiency. Don’t forget to conduct an audit every day to get an overview of how your time was spent.
Delegate with Care
When you delegate tasks to your subordinates as per their skills, the scope of achievement widens. Since the purpose of delegation is a reduction of your workload, delegate the tasks wholeheartedly and ensure you don’t interfere in how the task is being done by the person it has been delegated to.
Get Adequate Sleep
Do not compromise on your sleep. Do not forget to take that much-deserved break you need. You will never be at your best if you are sleep-deprived. Trying to overreach your abilities or skipping vacation time can have adverse impacts on your mental and physical health. Relaxation makes you productive and refreshes you enough to tackle tasks with a better focus and enthusiasm.
Respect Your Limits
Always take into account your personal limits. Do as much as you can and if asked to do more beyond what you can achieve, simply put your foot down. Say, no, if you have to but do not doubt your capacity. Remember you should take up only as much as you can handle
Good Time Management Means Less Stress
Stress is the consequence of committing to more work than you can handle. So, avoid stress and learn to politely say ‘No’. Stress tires us out, both, physically and mentally. Refer to your ‘To-Do-List’ before saying ‘yes’ to extra or ad-hoc work.
If your stress is centered on excessive demands on your time at work, then it’s probably time to start searching for another job. No matter if you have a job in Paris, a job in Disneyland, or a job in Hyderabad, a job that creates too many time demands and too much stress is never going to work out.
Once you start integrating these guidelines on a day-to-day basis, you will be surprised to find how much more productive you can be. These simple tips will give you back control over not just time but your life. You will notice that you have become less hard-pressed for time and more settled in.
