Time Management Basics - Get More Done In Less Time
Today we will be exploring the topic of time management and how we can improve our work effectiveness. I believe this is really important to consider and focus on, as often we get flooded with work and responsibilities which causes us to aimlessly run around our day, without getting any of the actual important work done, while leaving us exhausted and overwhelmed at the end of the day. This is the classical case of where being busy does not match productively using our time.
Here I have included a lot of my own practical work and time management tips which I use on the everyday, in order to make the best use of my time and days.
If you are interested in similar work related topics, I would encourage you to dive into some other topics I have wrote on this subject matter:
So how do we become more productive with our time? How can we get more done with less? How do we maximize our efficiency and effectiveness?
Read on to find out 🌟
WHY IS TIME MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT?
The reasons are plenty, but here is a summary of why you should focus on being effective and genuinely productive instead of just being busy with your time:
The more effective you are with your work, the less time it will take you to finish the work which leaves you more time to do whatever else you want to spend your time doing (This for me personally, is a great source of motivation).
Finding more effective ways to work means that you are likely able to better manage your responsibilities and in turn also your stress levels, which can considerably lower your chances of developing burn out or being chronically over stressed and exhausted.
With better time management you are also able to be more in control of your time with which you can deliver projects and assignments on time while still finding the time for yourself and personal endeavors.
It goes without saying, but better time management significantly improves your working efficiency, which can also boost your confidence as you are able to achieve more with less.
By becoming more time efficient, you are able to focus better and in turn produce higher quality work that will boost your performance in school or in the work place.
IMPROVING YOUR TIME MANAGEMENT
Exploratory Starter Questions
How are you currently spending your time and what you would like to change about that?
What are your current priorities at work/ school (specific projects, tasks, assignments etc.)?
What time of the day do you work best?
How will you keep track of your tasks (digital or paper)?
Why is some work not enjoyable for you to do?
How could you make that work more enjoyable for yourself?
Consider what aspects of your work could you simplify? Remove what is not important or relevant and focus on what truly matters
Consider the Pareto rule which states that 80% of your results comes from 20% of your actions: Which work leads to the greater amount of results for you?
Creating Healthy Work Habits
Health essentials: Sleeping enough, eating breaks, drinking enough water, moving your body
Waking up at a earlier time
Focus on regulating and managing your stress levels (click here to learn more)
Saying no to opportunities when you have enough going on already
Taking breaks during your day
Set time limits in your day (when do you start and stop working)
Have a source of motivation for completing the work and to keep you going
Set Up Your Environment & Maximize Focus
Try listening to music which makes you concentrate or even opt for silence
Manage your notifications and environmental distractions
Prevent your access to social media and other time wasters during work (try using website or app blockers)
Try to declutter and organize your environment very so often in order to keep track of where you keep items and files
Make sure to have a suitable desk chair which fully supports your back and enables you to sit at a good height at your table that will allow you to write or type more comfortably
Create environmental cues which get your brain into “work mode”: Working in a specific room, having a certain scent (candle, diffuser), preparing tea/ coffee or putting on music
Effective Task Management and Solving Procrastination
Focus on 3 main things you can get done each day instead of having a 20+ item to do list (busy is not necessarily productive)
If you have difficulties with starting on something try doing it just for 5 minutes and you will likely see that you will go past the 5 minute mark
Implement time blocking where you assign certain tasks or projects to a certain time period in your day
Do your most energy intensive and least enjoyable tasks first
Set deadlines for yourself if you don't have them already
Setting time limits on each task
Avoid multi tasking
Delegate low importance tasks if possible
If a task seems too complex or difficult, break it down into more manageable steps
Plan your day in advance
Leave some buffer time in between tasks when planning out your day
I wanted to make todays post as useful and practical as possible, because I believe that everyone can benefit from better time management and I think it also becomes quite motivating when we realize that the way we choose to spend our time is indeed within our control.
I hope you were able to pick up some useful tips and information from this post because I also enjoyed putting my own time management advice into it which has worked for me and continues to do so.
Thank you so much for taking your time to read this 💛
