Time management: 13 tips to make the most of the hours of the day
The demands of work, personal obligations and the rhythm of daily life often mean that we accumulate immense amounts of work that we do not know very well how to deal with.
Thanks to proper time management , we can reduce this accumulation of tasks and relieve the feeling of pressure and stress that they often bring.
Taking advantage of the hours of the day: doing more with less
Optimal time management is a very important skill both at work and in carrying out the activities of our daily lives, and although this seems more than evident, not all people are able to organize their time and tasks in the most efficient way.
Poor time management can almost certainly lead to high levels of stress and obviously to a lack of productivity . Therefore, the moment a person is able to understand and assimilate how to organize his or her time correctly, he or she will also be able to foresee possible conflicts and plan alternative solutions.
As mentioned above, knowing how to manage time correctly is a skill and as such is susceptible to training and improvement. Although this is not difficult, requires discipline and consistency .
The first step will always be to be aware and accept that we are not working well or taking good advantage of our time, and then propose a series of guidelines to follow that will eventually become habits that we will carry out automatically.
Here are some tips to improve time management, which will help us to be much more productive in less time and consequently help us to feel better about ourselves.
13 tips to improve time management
Below is a series of tips that, applied on a daily basis, will enhance our productivity and prevent us from unconsciously wasting time.
1. Positive attitude
Maintaining a positive attitude and disposition towards our work is essential to invest our time efficiently and effectively. This motivating attitude will make it easier for us to have a clearer mind and plan our work better. If a task is set in a way that does not motivate us, we will probably end up looking for excuses to distract ourselves, something that should be avoided .
2. Be realistic
It is illogical to try to cover more tasks than we can actually do. Another important point when it comes to proper time management is being realistic and honest with yourself and knowing what you can and cannot do.
Otherwise, all we’ll get is a lot of frustration and stress.
3. Establishing objectives
Having clear objectives is essential to know where we are going. However, the objectives set must have a series of characteristics that make them viable. To do so, they must be:
- Clear.
- Quantifiable.
- Feasible .
- Affordable.
4. Clarify the tasks
Being clear about what tasks need to be done to achieve the objectives is essential to avoid wasting time in activities that we do not know if they will be useful or not. A good trick is to break them down into smaller and simpler tasks . The reason is that these will cost us less and therefore we will not waste energy on them.
5. Prioritize
It is obvious that not all tasks or objectives are equally important and urgent, so drawing up an action plan and prioritizing tasks will help us to be organized, to be able to track our achievements and to anticipate possible complications.
6. Drawing up an agenda or calendar
Once we have prioritized our tasks, the next step is to plan them. Optimal planning will prevent the occurrence of unforeseen tasks and forgetfulness to a minimum, thus leaving more time for our free time.
7. Perform lighter tasks earlier
There is a law in time management that says that if we have one or more tasks that we can do in two minutes or less, we do them immediately. Otherwise, after a heavy task we still have many small and light tasks for which we no longer have the energy.
Moreover, if we follow this rule too we will feel more fulfilled having done many things in a very short time .
8. Focus on a single task
It is very important not to try to hog several tasks or activities at once. Even though we have many things to do, it is better to do them one by one , ensuring good concentration and optimal performance.
9. Reduce distractions
By distractions we mean any possible external stimulus that diverts our attention from the task at hand. Mobile phones, internet, social networks, other people or tasks can divert our attention from work, so they need to be as little visible or present as possible.
In the event that a problem or task appears, it is better to leave a note of it and do it later, so as not to interrupt the activity .
10. Rest
It’s not worth overloading yourself and putting up with the fatigue just to try to finish earlier or do more tasks. It is necessary to rest from time to time, to change posture and to make our brain rest and get a little distracted. On the contrary, it is more likely that this accumulation of fatigue will make us more tired, less mentally agile and give us the feeling that we cannot cope with everything.
11. Disconnect
Just as it is necessary to rest while carrying out a task, it is essential to disconnect once the day is over. As far as possible, leave the tasks for the working hours and dedicate the free time to disconnect and invest it in ourselves.
12. Caring for the means and the workplace
It is just as important to take care of our attitude as it is to take care of our workplace. We must make sure we have everything we will need ready , as well as making sure everything works properly.
An orderly space or workplace with the right conditions will help us perform better and not waste time on other issues.
13. Avoiding procrastination
Procrastinating means postponing, delaying or postponing all those activities or habits that we feel like doing or are not motivated to do, replacing them with others that stimulate us more or are more irrelevant.