Do you always feel like you don’t have enough time to do what needs to be done? Do you arrive to appointments late? This is likely because you have poor time management. Unfortunately, this can cause much stress. If you need time management tips, continue reading.
To better manage the time you have in a day, have a plan for it! Always sit down the night before and make a list of what you must get done. Prioritize everything on the list and cross tasks off one by one as you accomplish them. Get into this habit, and you should reach more goals and have more time in the day.
Calendars can be great time management tools. Lots of folks still like paper calendars on which they can scribble. Other folks like the flexibility offered by an electronic calendar accessed through a computer or a phone. No matter which way you do it, a calendar is the most effective way of keeping track of your day.
Analyze whether you are working too much during the day. Try to determine why, for example, you leave many tasks unfinished. To use your time efficiently, you need to identify what you are doing right and the things you’re doing wrong.
Try eliminating distractions in your life if you’re always running out of time for things. For example, it’s difficult to finish a report for your boss if your email is constantly dinging and cell phone always ringing. Turn off technology and learn to tune out distractions. You should be able to focus much better!
If you are going through a period of poor time management, think of everything that is causing it. Spend it wisely. Check emails and texts at designated times. When you check your messages all the time, you can lose focus on the other tasks at hand.
Prior to calling someone on the phone at work, take a few minutes to plan out the questions that you need answered. Often a lot of time is wasted simply through the rambling that occurs on the telephone when you don’t know what you really need. Having a sense of your goals prior will help keep you on track.
Never hesitate to shut your door if you need to work alone and quietly. An open door is seen as a sign that you are available to them for any questions or problems. Just by closing the door, you get instant privacy. The door will be a signal to others that you need time to focus, and this will allow you to manage your time more efficiently.
Get rid of distractions. Things that distract you can cause you to pay attention to them instead of what you should be working on. If the television is on and you are watching it instead of doing what you need to do, turn it off and work on your task.
Time management skills can improve the quality of your life. It can cut down your stress by helping you set aside the appropriate amount of precious time for each task that you need to accomplish. This will take practice, but when you get used to it, you are going to see improvement in your life.
