Time management at work is reflected in your quality of life , as it depends on your ability to fulfill all your priorities. In the following article, we will explain the concept of time management and how it will help you become a more fulfilled person. Let’s start organizing your routine!
What is time management?
To manage means to manage something, that is, to optimize the use of resources, minimizing losses. Therefore, time management is about making good use of the time available to perform your tasks with quality and within the deadlines. In this way, it is about managing things with a focus on producing with quality and efficiency . It is the concept of doing more and better.
The idea is to analyze the moments when time is potentially wasted and how they can be redefined. For example, imagine a person who spends two hours commuting on a bus every day. During this time, they can try to fit in some task, such as listening to a podcast on a relevant topic or even reading.
However, it is essential to clarify that the concept of time management goes beyond this redefinition . There are techniques that contribute not only to organizing tasks, but also to transforming people’s lives. Carrying out this transformation has direct repercussions on the personal and professional lives of individuals and companies.
Managing your time: check out important tips
Good time management not only saves precious minutes, but also our energy. Without organization, we don’t have the focus needed to carry out our agenda commitments or complete tasks on time, and we end up wearing ourselves out more than we should.
Therefore, it is very possible to organize life setting priorities, and the amount of time which may be devoted to each activity. In this way, there will be more hours for family and friends, more time for studying, or playing sports, or doing many other things that add up to improving the quality of life.
To help you better manage your time at work and improve your quality of life, it’s worth taking note of some tips, follow along!
1. Plan ahead
So, you should plan ahead for your time; not ahead again in a big way. It’s lovely if you can make a plan of what you are going to do tomorrow at the end of the day.
Prioritize your tasks, grade them in order, and attach a deadline to each. Add some buffer so that you get to do whatever you may want to do with enough time left over for unexpected things.
2. Follow your plan
Try to follow what you have planned for the day. Unforeseen events happen, as do adaptations, but try to execute your priorities and follow your schedule whenever possible. That is why we mentioned above the importance of adding safety margins that will allow you to expand the time you will dedicate to each activity. If you are unable to accomplish everything you planned for the day, think about how you can rearrange it without losing out.
3. Avoid stress during your workday
Don’t schedule large activities to be carried out one after the other. Try to distribute your demands in a way that doesn’t require 100% focus and concentration all the time, alternating difficult tasks with easy ones.
The secret is to give your brain some breathing space. After a great effort, it is important to have a moment to relax, but without giving up on some relevant activity.
4. Keep your desk, calendar and emails organized
We need information from emails and calendars all the time. To avoid wasting hours looking for scattered information, keep everything in folders. Organize yourself so you don’t get lost among scattered papers and objects. This organization should be for both the digital and physical spheres.
Use files and organizers to help you store everything you need without getting lost. A practical way to organize is to consider what needs to be most accessible, that is, what should be on your desk. What you don’t use as often can be stored in drawers or boxes. Simply knowing where everything is can help you save a lot of time.
5. Avoid procrastination
Stress and overwhelm are certain when tasks that can be completed today are put off until tomorrow. Procrastination must be avoided if you wish to spend your time more effectively. Have you have any work to do? Then, finish it right away; don’t let chores accumulate. Here’s an advice for individuals who struggle to resist procrastinating: Determine what causes you to behave in this manner. Get rid of them and finish everything on your list.
6. Eliminate “time thieves”
Many people believe that there is no big deal in putting aside their tasks for five minutes to check social media updates. However, these breaks rarely last just five minutes and have a great potential to distract them.
To manage your time better, it is essential to eliminate these “time thieves”. Analyze which unnecessary activities steal the most time from priority tasks and eliminate them.
7. Set incentives
Would you like to spend more time with your family? Do you wish to schedule some reading time? Would you want to schedule some time to watch that hit show that everyone is raving about?
Remind yourself of the cause when you cannot find anything in yourself to put into practice changes. Having something that will bring improvement to your life is very important in not losing what you have to do.
It’s also a good idea to create small incentives between tasks. For example, when you complete an important task, you can reward yourself with a coffee break. After completing a long project, allow yourself to celebrate by going out with friends.