The ultimate guide to time-management.
Time management skills are essential for effective leadership.
You may have to try several techniques before you find the right style that works for you.
The kind of approach that should be used when it comes to time management differs from one person to another.
If you don’t have clear and defined goals, you will be easily swayed.
This is why one of the skills you should master is to properly manage your time.
According to Communicaid; nine out of ten people daydream in meetings; 80% of employees do not want to go to work on Monday morning; one hour of planning will save ten hours of doing; and the average worker sends and receives 190 messages per day.
Here are seven time management tips that you can use to improve your organisational skills, increase productivity, and eventually boost your career.
1. Schedule your tasks:
Once you use your skills to organise your day, week, and month, you will feel a greater sense of control.
Feeling in charge of your life boosts your self-esteem. Scheduling tasks releases positive energy and reduces anxiety levels.
Thomas Edison once said that “time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.“
2. Improve your organisational skills:
Use a filing system both at home and at work.
Here’s an interesting fact: 30% of all working time at the time of writing gets spent looking for misplaced items.
This is a waste of time and there should be a reliable filing and retrieval system in place.
Using an alphabetical system is the best and simplest filing structure.
You should have a master list or record of all your files in a single place.
This list should include the title of your file and where it is located.
3. Start early:
The early bird catches the worm.
This cliché is certainly true. Starting your day early increases productivity.
You can have more time to sit, think, and plan.
The earlier you start your day, the more productive and organised you’ll become.
As a result, people who start their day early are more effective.
Furthermore, starting any task with a few minutes of quiet reflection time can save you from experiencing confusion and disorder.
When you get up early and plan your day in advance, you will be more calm, clear-headed, and creative.
4. Lessen email time:
Emails consume a lot of time, particularly with a growing business.
Set specific times for checking your emails such as the beginning of the day, before lunch, or the end of the day.
It can distract you from high priority work if you check your email spontaneously from time to time.
5. Prepare in advance:
Preparing your task list for the following day the night before is a tip that often works.
You can put this task last before you call it a day at work.
The idea behind this is that your subconscious goes to work on your plans and goals while you are asleep.
You will find yourself waking up to fresh ideas and insights you can do the next day.
Peter F. Drucker once stated that “until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else.“
Not only does preparing in advance help you manage your time more efficiently, it also helps you sleep more soundly.
Did you know that insomnia is caused by lying awake trying not to forget to remember everything?
Write down your list of preparations and clear your mind for a good night’s sleep.
This will help you increase productivity throughout the next work day.
6. Air-travel productivity:
A recent study was conducted and found out that “one hour of uninterrupted work time in an aeroplane yielded the equivalent of three hours of work in a normal work environment.”
You can plan before you head to the airport and accomplish them while in the air.
7. ‘Prime time’ productivity:
Do some creative work during your internal prime time.
It’s important to know when you’re most alert and productive.
Understand your body clock. Most people usually have their prime time in the morning.
Oddly enough, writers and artists usually have their prime time 2am to 5am.
Schedule your most important projects accordingly to increase productivity.
You need to be at your best when you do your most important work. Take time to ponder what time of the day you usually feel this way.
Do you know any other essential time management skills? Please share your answer with us via social media.