The Real Secret to Time Management that No One Tells You
Realistically speaking, everyone has a hard time getting tasks done throughout the day. 99% of employees get distracted from their tasks during their workday. Time management is hard, not going to lie! Everyone has the same 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds each day. You may probably wish for more time so you can get everything done, but time is something you can’t take back.
To make the most of your time, you need to depend on the skills you learned, like planning, evaluation, and self-control.
Those who practice managing their time are more productive and accomplish more things in a day. By practicing good time management techniques, you will find yourself:
- More productive
- Getting tasks done
- Feeling less stressed
- Become more positive
- Have more leisure time
However, not all time management methods work the same for everyone. Depending on your personality, ability to self-motivate, and level of discipline, everyone’s strategies will be different.
Take these time management strategies into consideration to see what works for you!
Stop Being Perfect
If you are a Miss or Mr. Perfectionist, you know it isn’t easy to not be perfect. One of the challenges people have to accept is understanding that they are not perfect. You can’t control certain events that happen in life. If you have things you must do for work, but an emergency arises, you can’t ignore it or make that problem disappear. You might even feel tired or overworked. Unfortunately, reality checks always kick us to the core.
Whether your schedule changes or you make a mistake, remember that it’s not the end of the world. You will make mistakes, and you might hit a dead end. At the end of the day, there is so much a person can do. You can’t do everything yourself in life.
Set Goals and Priorities
When you’re working on a project, it can be easy to get caught up in the details. In managing your time effectively, you need to distinguish between what is important and what is urgent. You might find yourself spending hours trying to fix one small problem instead of focusing on the bigger picture: your goal.
To avoid this issue, create a list of goals and priorities and your to-do list that you want to accomplish. You can do a daily, weekly, or monthly list, depending on your lifestyle. You also don’t want to overwhelm yourself by listing a lot of tasks that cannot be done. List a few manageable tasks that you know you will get done. If you list multiple things, most of the tasks will be left unfinished.
Once you list everything, you can prioritize them. Then make another list of tasks needed to accomplish your goal and prioritize those as well. Finally, make a list of time frames for each task so that you know when they need to be done.
An example can be finishing a writing task at 3:00 pm.
Develop a Routine
When it comes to time management, routines can be your best friend. Having a routine can help you manage your time better. You have an idea of how to spend your time wisely. Of course, not everything can be routine, but some activities can be done regularly.
An example can be checking emails only in the morning when you arrive to work. Once you do this task, you don’t have to waste time deciding when to do it.
Use Time Management Tools
Time management tools or apps are life saviors if you don’t use them! There are many programs you can use to help you stay focused and manage your day. You can’t remember everything in your head. There is so much capacity one can take. Some tools you can start using include:
- Goodnotes (create digital planner)
- Notion
- Toggl
- ClickUp
- Monday
- Google Calendar
Eliminate Distractions
How many times does your phone go off during the day? There are a lot of distractions around you, and it can be challenging to stay focused and productive. The biggest distractions you might face include:
- Phones
- Social Media
- Internet
- Co-workers
To avoid getting distractions, you need to set aside time to focus, which means you need to turn off your phone, close email programs, close the door, and do what you need to do to complete your tasks.
You could also go somewhere else to work, like a library, coffee shop, or an unused room.
Overcoming Procrastination
Procrastination is everyone’s worst enemy, and it seems impossible to pick yourself up when you don’t want to do anything. If you’re prone to procrastination, you must be unaware of your habits. When you realize how much of your day is wasted on needless tasks or things that don’t need doing at all, it might feel like there is no way out.
To overcome procrastination and get your day going, you need to get into the habit of making a list to do every day and prioritizing your tasks.
Keep an eye on yourself and notice when other activities start creeping onto your list. Once asks have been completed, they should be crossed off immediately, so they won’t appear again later on the list. No one wants to do the same task twice.
Learn to Say No
You are not obligated to say “yes” to everyone’s request. If you said yes to everything, will you get every task done? The more task and responsibilities you take on, the harder it will be for you to complete everything.
Be selective on tasks you want to commit to. You want to have boundaries when it comes to working. The next time someone asks you to do something, you need to prioritize yourself. Is it something you want to do? Does it take long to do?
If you feel nervous about rejecting a request, think about it this way. If you accept the task, will you get the other tasks you had on your to-do list? Do you want to work overtime? If you many too many tasks, will you do them all efficiently?
Sometimes it’s better to say no than put more stress on yourself.
Take Breaks
Last but not least, don’t forget to take breaks! Take a 5-minute break every hour. It’s easy to get lost in your work, so give yourself a time-out. Take a few minutes to stretch your legs, get some water or coffee, and do some mindless brainstorming about the next task you need to tackle.
The extra time will help you stay focused by keeping your mind alert, not overworked and drained from staring at the same screen for too long without taking breaks! Your mind can’t keep working when you feel sluggish and tired. Sometimes a mini-break is all you need.
Some people may think it’s a waste of time, but that is not true! By taking breaks regularly, you can avoid burnout, stay focused, and be more productive overall.
Pick What Works for You
Not all these time management strategies will work for you, so you want to evaluate how they affect you. Everyone works differently and what works for someone might not work for you. You can experiment by doing a few strategies a week to see which one suits you. Time management skills can be learned and improved over time with practice, so don’t stress too much.
So what are you waiting for? Start implementing these time management strategies today and see how much more you can accomplish.
