Many of us don’t have the luxury of time. As a business person, as a working bee, or any person who has projects due to time constraints. You really have no choice but to manage your time. Here are 10 time management tips to help you with this daunting task and increase productivity.
If you’re looking to get more done in less time, check out these time management tips to increase productivity and enjoy a happier life.
#1 Increase Productivity By Planning Your Day
Planning your day is one of the most critical steps to increasing productivity. You can plan your day in advance or at the end of the day, but you should plan what you will do each day. If you can plan your week, that’s even better!
If you don’t know where to start, try using a planner or creating a list of things that you need to do. The more organised you are, the better your time management skills!
#2 Get Organised
Once you’ve planned out your tasks for the day (or week), it’s time to get organised. Make sure everything is in its place!
Find a place for everything and keep all of your important documents neat and tidy. Start by organising your desk so all the paperwork is out of sight.
Then create at least three folders. One for incoming mail and documents. One for outgoing mail and documents. Then one for ongoing projects or tasks that will take more than a few minutes but less than an hour or two.
When papers arrive that need action, place them in the appropriate folder. So they don’t end up sitting around on your desk getting in the way!
You’ll find it much easier to stay on top of things when they aren’t scattered everywhere!
#3 Set Goals To Increase Productivity
How can you get there if you don’t know where you’re going? Setting goals allows you to see what you need to do. Besides work, this gives you something else to focus on, making achieving those goals so much easier!
Try setting weekly goals and yearly goals so that everything stays in line. For example, if you want to learn how to play the piano, set a goal of learning three new songs by June 30th.
Without goals, it’s easy to get lost in running a business’s day-to-day hustle and bustle. Don’t lose sight of what really matters — which is why setting goals in advance is so important.
#4 Do the Right Thing First
It’s easy to get distracted by urgent tasks or emails when all you want is to take care of more important things first. To avoid this problem, start your day with those things that require your full attention.
Ensure nothing else gets in the way, even if that means temporarily saying “no” to other things until your current tasks are over.
This scenario also applies especially if an urgent task needs immediate attention. This way, there won’t be any surprises later on.
#5 Focus on One Task at a Time
Try to focus on one task at a time and give it your complete attention and concentration. Multitasking is a myth. The human brain can only effectively focus on one thing at a time.
Multitasking will eventually make you inefficient and can decrease your ability to concentrate on one task at a time.
Take advantage of your peak time. People are different in how they work best — some people get up early while others prefer late nights. Find out what works best for you and stick to that schedule as much as possible!
This way, you can prioritise your first task. After completion, you can move ahead.
#6 Work in Sprint Intervals
The Pomodoro Technique is one of the most popular time management tips that many people have used to improve productivity. This technique involves working in sprint intervals with short breaks between them to boost your productivity levels.
You can use this technique by setting the alarm for 25 minutes and working on a specific task till it goes off. Then take a 2-5 minutes break before starting again with another 25-minute session.
If you want to focus on more than one task, divide your total work hours into small parts of 25 minutes each to focus on each element individually without any distractions from others.
#7 Take Regular Breaks
Taking breaks is an integral part of time management. You need to give yourself time to relax and de-stress after a long day at work or school. If you don’t take regular breaks, you may burn out and lose interest in your hobbies or activities.
Those hobbies used to be fun for you before they became part of your daily routine. So, let them stay healthy and joyful with proper schedule management.
#8 Delegate Tasks to Others to Increase Productivity
Delegating tasks is another way to increase productivity when managing your time better. Sometimes, too many things are on our plates, so we try to do everything ourselves.
We should be asking for help from others who could probably do the job more efficiently than we could anyway!
The best thing about delegating tasks is that it allows us more free time for other things like family, friends, or hobbies.
#9 Don’t Let Technology Rule Your Life
Our smartphones and laptops are great tools to increase productivity levels at work — but they’re also very distracting! You’re probably under its control if you’re constantly checking Facebook while on the clock or answering emails while in meetings.
Set a particular time to check emails daily. Then check social media in small breaks after the task competition.
#10 Find a Workplace That Fits You (And Your Brain)
The workplace makes a big difference in how well you perform your job duties. Not all workplaces are created equal.
Some people thrive in open office spaces, while others prefer more privacy and quiet. Some people need lots of distractions around them to stay focused. In contrast, others get distracted when too much is happening around them.
Find out what works best for you by trying different working environments. Eventually, you’ll find one that makes it easier for you to get things done quickly and efficiently. It would be without having to put in extra effort or stress yourself out over distractions that keep popping up.
Ramp Up Your Time Management And Increase Productivity
Time is the only luxury that money can’t buy. Do you still have no idea how to conquer overtime management? Just find a spare some time and read this excellent article!
With these tips, you will be efficient and have time for yourself and your loved ones.
We hope you learned something useful today, and if you did, please share it so others can benefit from it.
Jasmine Pope is the bestselling writer of Perfect Essay Writing. She has been helping students get the best grades in their essays since she was associated with this platform. Jasmine’s each written piece holds identity, but her essay writing, time management, and productivity-increasing tips are favoured among readers.
