How To Turn Time Management Skills Into Success
The trick is to organize your tasks and use your time actually to get more things done each day.
This can help you to lower stress levels and improve your productivity both at work and at home.
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Time management skills take time to develop and will look different for each person. Finding what works best for you and your busy schedule is key here.
Optimize your time management, you first need to figure out where the time is going. Try diligently logging your time for a week by tracking your daily activities.
10 Ways To Turn Time Management Skills Into Success
1. Delegate Tasks
Delegation does not mean you are running away from your responsibilities instead, learning proper management of your tasks. Learn the art of delegating work to your subordinates as per their skills and abilities and get more done.
To-do lists are great, but sometimes you might feel like you never check anything off.
If you’re looking to set a steady pace to your workflow, the Pomodoro Technique can help you check off your to-do list in 25-minute chunks, taking short breaks between each stint and a longer break after completing four. This technique balances a narrow focus with frequent breaks, reducing mental strain and maintaining motivation.
2. Prioritize Work
Before the start of the day, make a list of tasks that need your immediate attention. Unimportant tasks can consume much of your precious time, and we tend to offer these too much of our energy because they are easier or less stressful.
Start by eliminating tasks that you shouldn’t be performing in the first place. Then identify the three or four most important tasks and do those first that way, you make sure you finish the essentials.
Important responsibilities support the achievement of your goals, whereas urgent responsibilities require immediate attention and are associated with the achievement of someone else’s goals. We tend to let the urgent dominate when we should focus on activities that support our business goals.
3. Create a Schedule
Carry a planner or notebook with you and list all the tasks that come to your mind. Being able to check off items as you complete them will give you a sense of accomplishment and keep you motivated.
Make a simple ‘To Do’ list before the start of the day, prioritize the tasks, and focus on the essentials.
Make sure that these tasks are attainable, too. If there is a big task you need to complete, make that the only thing on your list. You can push the others to the next day.
Don’t even attempt starting your day without an organized to-do list. Before you leave work 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.
4. Set up Deadline
Once you set a deadline, it may be helpful to write it on a sticky note and put it near your workspace. This will give you a visual cue to keep you on task.
Try to set a deadline a few days before the task is due so that you can complete all those tasks that may get in the way. Challenge yourself and meet the deadline; reward yourself for meeting a difficult challenge.
5. Overcome Procrastination
Procrastination is one of the things that hurts productivity. It can result in wasting essential time and energy.
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We tend to procrastinate when we feel bored or overwhelmed. Try to schedule smaller, fun activities throughout the day to break up the more difficult tasks.
6. Deal With Stress Wisely
Stress often occurs when we accept more work than we are capable of accomplishing. The result is that our body starts feeling tired, which can affect our productivity.
Stress comes in various forms for different people, but some productive ways to deal with stress can include:
Getting outside
Exercising
Practicing meditation
Calling up a friend
Participating in your favorite hobby
Listening to music or a podcast
7. Avoid Multitasking
Make use of to-do lists and deadlines to help you stay focused! This way you can do better at what you’re doing. Wait until you finish one before starting another. You’ll be surprised by how much more you’re able to get done.
Focus on the task at hand and block out all distractions. It can be tempting to multitask, but you’re just shooting yourself in the foot when you attempt to do so. You lose time and decrease productivity when switching from one task to another.
8. Start Early
When you get up early, you are more calm, creative, and clear-headed. As the day progresses, your energy levels start going down, which affects your productivity, motivation, and focus.
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You’ll be amazed by how much you can get done in that bit of time. If you don’t want to use it to work, use it to do a bit of exercise or eat a healthy breakfast. This kind of routine will also contribute to your productivity during the day. By goal setting, you’re cutting down the time you need to think about where you’re headed.
9. Take Regular Breaks
Whenever you find yourself feeling tired and stressed, take a break for 10 to 15 minutes. Too much stress can take a toll on your body and affect your productivity.
And even better, schedule your break times. It helps you to relax and gets back to work with energy again later. If you know a break is coming, you’ll likely be able to overcome boredom or a lack of motivation to push through the task at hand.
Take a walk, listen to some music, or do some quick stretches. The best idea is to take a break from work completely and spend time with your friends and family.
10. Learn to say no
Only you truly know what you have time for, so if you need to decline a request to focus on more important tasks, don’t hesitate to do so. And if you take on a project that is going nowhere, don’t be afraid to let it go.
Rather than doing a lot of tasks that yield little or no value, complete fewer tasks that create more value. Remember the 80/20 rule—80% of your output comes from 20% of your inputs. Focus your efforts accordingly.
Social media, web browsing, co-workers, text messages, instant messaging distractions at work can be limitless. A key to personal time management is being proactive about getting rid of them. Shut your door to limit interruptions. Close all tabs except the ones you are currently working on. Turn off messaging notifications and leave your phone calls for lunch.
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