Good time management helps you to become more productive. It allows you to develop a good balance between your professional and private life. To get better at time management, you have to learn how to prioritize your tasks, improve your organizational skills, create effective schedules, and plan ahead. Here are 10 ways to manage your time and improve your productivity.
1. Set SMART Goals
Proper goal setting is crucial as it helps to sustain your focus. Thus, every goal you set should be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. Write down your goals and break them down in a SMART manner to make them easier for your mind to comprehend.
2. Reduce Distractions
Distractions can come in various forms, and every bit of it harmful as it reduces your work performance. Thus, you should identify the things that distract you during work and come up with a plan to avoid them so that you can work better. For instance, if you continuously get distracted due to mobile notifications, you could turn off your smartphone during work hours.
3. Stop Multi-Tasking
Multitasking has been associated with various adverse effects. In fact, it’s not possible for people to truly multitask. In reality, when you work on two different things, you regularly switch your focus between the two tasks. And, this prevents you from getting into the ‘Flow State’ a.k.a the ‘Zone,’ which is a state that boosts work performance, productivity, and is extremely important for good time management.
4. Learn To Create Effective Schedules
Scheduling helps you see the big picture and set deadlines that push you to make you more disciplined. You can use a regular planner and diary to create schedules. If you don’t like the paper route, you can use online scheduling tools to create schedules and set appointments to manage your time better. Some good online versions might include Genbook or even the Calendar app.
5. Prioritize Your Tasks
It is essential to prioritize your tasks based on their urgency and importance to make the most of your time. Creating a simple to-do list following the rules of ‘The Eisenhower Matrix’ is a good way to do the most important tasks when you are limited in time.
6. Follow The Pareto Principle
The ‘Pareto Principle’ states that 80% of the results can be achieved with 20% action. You can apply this principle when working on multiple projects within a limited time to get the best result with minimum effort.
7. Wake Up Early (Or Earlier*)
Starting your work early in the day can significantly impact your productivity and performance because you can work without distraction when the world is still sleeping. Plus, you are at your best during the start of the day and get to complete your work earlier in the day, which allows you to relax in the evening when you are not at your best.
8. Organize Your Workspace
Your workspace must be appropriately organized to boost your work efficiency, productivity. Whatever you need to complete your tasks should be within your reach, and nothing should cause distractions for good time management.
9. Learn To Manage Stress
Stress can decrease not only your work performance but also cause physical and psychological harm. Thus, it’s crucial to learn stress management techniques to stay healthy and continue to work efficiently throughout the day. To control your stress, you may take frequent breaks during working hours, do breathing exercises, and meditate to calm your mind.
10. Stop Procrastinating
When you fear failing at a task or get overwhelmed by a job, you may start to procrastinate. Good time management can only be achieved once you learn how to overcome procrastination. To do that, focus on the work at hand and strive for completion instead of perfection.
