1. Plan your day to sail smoothly
Effective planning is crucial to time management. When planning your day, make sure to list the tasks according to the level of priority. Prioritize your work according to their importance. This way you can be sure that the important tasks get done. Place a check mark or strike out the tasks once completed. You can also stipulate a time frame within which you need to complete each task. It’s important to remember that you are bound to be interrupted and disturbed while you engage in completing your tasks, so schedule time for such disturbances and interruptions. Once you complete your task list, you have a better idea of what your day is going to be like.
Effective planning is crucial to time management. When planning your day, make sure to list the tasks according to the level of priority. Prioritize your work according to their importance. This way you can be sure that the important tasks get done. Place a check mark or strike out the tasks once completed. You can also stipulate a time frame within which you need to complete each task. It’s important to remember that you are bound to be interrupted and disturbed while you engage in completing your tasks, so schedule time for such disturbances and interruptions. Once you complete your task list, you have a better idea of what your day is going to be like.
2. Set a goal and go for it
Planning your day without a goal is very detrimental to achieving success in time management. It is important to set goals and targets for yourself as you go through your planned tasks or activities. Your goals and targets should be achievable and realistic. You can dedicate a few minutes of your time before a task to plan how to carry out that task to success and a few minutes after the task, to figure out if you achieved the result you wanted.
Planning your day without a goal is very detrimental to achieving success in time management. It is important to set goals and targets for yourself as you go through your planned tasks or activities. Your goals and targets should be achievable and realistic. You can dedicate a few minutes of your time before a task to plan how to carry out that task to success and a few minutes after the task, to figure out if you achieved the result you wanted.
3. Set deadlines for yourself
Each of your tasks should have a designated deadline within which to be completed. This way you will not spend extra time on one particular task or call. Some tasks can prolong for a day or two but it’s essential that every task have a stipulated completion deadline. Blocking out distractions and even placing a sign that says “Do Not Disturb” is a good way to stay focused to meet your deadline.
Each of your tasks should have a designated deadline within which to be completed. This way you will not spend extra time on one particular task or call. Some tasks can prolong for a day or two but it’s essential that every task have a stipulated completion deadline. Blocking out distractions and even placing a sign that says “Do Not Disturb” is a good way to stay focused to meet your deadline.
4. Delegate, delegate, delegate
Delegating work is another tip to adhere to for good time management. No one can do everything by themselves. There will be opportunities and necessity to delegate your work to another person, and when these opportunities arise, make use of them. A person who has a specialty or interest in a task that you have to accomplish, will be able to accomplish that same task more easily and also faster than you. Be alert and look out for such opportunities as they will free up time that you can devote to another task.
Delegating work is another tip to adhere to for good time management. No one can do everything by themselves. There will be opportunities and necessity to delegate your work to another person, and when these opportunities arise, make use of them. A person who has a specialty or interest in a task that you have to accomplish, will be able to accomplish that same task more easily and also faster than you. Be alert and look out for such opportunities as they will free up time that you can devote to another task.
5. Take a “ME” break from TIME
Get into the habit of saving precious time by doing the right thing at the right time. Plan and take time for yourself either to make a personal phone call or update social media. This will give a breath of fresh air and rejuvenate you to tackle the tasks lined up for the rest of the day or at least for the next hour or two. It is not possible to focus steadily for a whole day and get good results. The odds are that 20% of your activities for the day produce 80% of the results.
Get into the habit of saving precious time by doing the right thing at the right time. Plan and take time for yourself either to make a personal phone call or update social media. This will give a breath of fresh air and rejuvenate you to tackle the tasks lined up for the rest of the day or at least for the next hour or two. It is not possible to focus steadily for a whole day and get good results. The odds are that 20% of your activities for the day produce 80% of the results.
Effective
time management is the result of good organization; being proactive and
focused on the results you want to achieve for yourself. Good
organization also means that you know what is on your desk at any given
time. Unwanted papers belong in the waste paper basket and not on your
desk. Files and documents can be organized in an orderly fashion so
there will be no time wasted in looking for a document or file.
Much
time is wasted in offices globally on “Gossip”. Gossip is not only a
time killer but also a relationship killer. Anyone interested in
managing their time should have no time for gossip.
Effective
time management results in being focused on the end result. Set
reminders, use calendars. There are many tools and software available to
the professional today for effective time management and it would do
one well to make maximum use of them.
At
the end of each day, go through the plan you did at the beginning of
the day and determine for yourself if your day was productive. Following
these guidelines will help you build a productive day and a productive
life style.
Copyright © 2013 by Professional Edge Consulting
