All of us get the same count of minutes every day. We cannot stop time, gift it, or borrow it. Nor can we save a few minutes for later use. All we can do is to decide when and how to spend it. The best way is to divide it into different activities that hold great value. Time management is all about prioritizing.
If you open your browser to check the Optimum 400 price for example and end up spending an hour on it browsing through interesting but distracting stuff. Know that you need to work on your time management issues.
Time management techniques do not help you become a genie. You cannot accomplish a thousand tasks per day. They just let you manage your time in such a way that your daily tasks are simplified. It is better to work smart. Have a look at the techniques below!
Understand Your Limitations
Most of us are stressed out all the time. It is because we have been programmed to believe in the notion that the more you work, the more productive it is for your business. We have self-imposed duties to do. We have to work 9 to 5, then spend some good time with family and kids, spend weekends with friends. We do charity work, go to the gym, do yoga, and the list goes on. But you know what? You don’t have to do everything.
Leaving work incomplete is fine, as long as you are mentally and physically well. It is alright to skip gym, or yoga, or a family get-together. There is no race, and even if there is, you don’t need to be a part of it. Prioritize your mental and physical health. Only choose to perform the roles that benefit you.
Make Your Priorities Clear
While you cannot do all, it is also important to set your priorities right about what you choose to do first. Not every task or responsibility is equally important. Just have a look at your task calendar. If you have to pick your coat from your dry cleaners and meet an important client, what would you choose? The client, naturally. Making such choices is easy. Just trying to rush through the tasks makes them tiresome. You can manage your tasks with the help of a timesheet template.
Select a time at the start of your day to review the choices. While you go through them, tick the ones that are ‘must-do’ for that day. This way you will get more things done, and also eliminate the stress of leaving an important thing undone.
Learn the Power of a Timely ‘Yes’ and ‘No’
Most of the people suffer from the inability to say a timely ‘no’. They bear the consequences of it later. A ‘maybe’, or ‘I’ll see if I can manage it’, can sound a lot more promising to the listener than you intended them to be. Doing that puts pressure on you. It will result in stress if you don’t fulfill it. Learn to say ‘no’ when things look unmanageable to you. You can always make up for it on another day.
Similarly, saying a ‘yes’ promptly is important too. Don’t let the decision hang for days before someone else takes the opportunity. You don’t have to go out of your way to explain your decision either. If it helps you manage your time in a better way, choose it. Most probably, the other person will understand your position, appreciate your honesty even. This will save you a lot of time which you would have spent confused, planning, or anticipating the reaction.
Unwind and Unplug
No, you don’t have to stay connected all the time to attain most out of your allocated time. This idiotic notion has nothing to do with success, whatever your measuring criteria is. You need your time to unwind, and for that, you have to unplug.
You need your time to recharge too. You cannot be, and should not be available to everybody at all times. Your work email can wait, your mental wellness won’t. Make sure to give time to yourself too, and you will see that your time management for other tasks has improved drastically.
This unplugging can help you during your working hours too. You can turn off your phone for incoming texts and calls. You will see that your work productivity will increase because of no disruption. You can also fix a specific hour in a day to respond to emails, phone calls, and texts.
Don’t Work Your Week Off
Most of the people fall into the trap of clichés like ‘Hard work is the key to success’. They make it their duty to schedule a seven-day working week plan. My advice to you? Don’t do that to yourself. You will be exhausted before time, and there is no way to check if it is going to pay off in the long run or not. It is all about working smartly.
Look at it this way. If you want to lose weight, you can spend five hours a day in the gym, and still not lose any weight. It is because you spend the one hour allocated to lunchtime eating junk. There is no point in putting in more time if you are not doing it in the right way.
So, manage your time well. Enjoy your work, the company of your family and friends, or simply watch your Optimum basic cable at home. Taking small and refreshing breaks will make you more productive, and you will attain more in less time.