It may seem like you need more time to complete all your tasks. Using time-management techniques and strategies is important to make the most of your day.
This article will cover 18 simple time management strategies and six advanced techniques. Implementing the time management techniques suggested in this article may give you more control over time and productivity.
Why is time management so importfant?
Do you want to accomplish more in a day? You want a better balance between work and life. What would you like to do with your extra time if you could get more done in less time?
No matter your reason for wanting to improve your time management, you will see many benefits.
- Productivity increases
- Stress reduction
- Improve your workflow control
- Consistently meet deadlines
Time management is a critical element of any job.
Here is a list that will help you improve your productivity at work and manage your time.
Plan your day.
It all starts with a good plan. You should plan your day to make the most of it. Making a list of everything you need and want to accomplish is the easiest way to plan your day. To-do lists are familiar but can help you manage your time better.
You should physically cross off each task you finish on your list. This will give you a sense that you’ve accomplished something and allow you to review everything you did.
PrioritizePrioritize your most essential tasks.
It is now time to prioritize your list. PrioritizingPrioritizing lets you focus on your most important tasks and use your time efficiently. There are several ways to prioritize tasks on your list.
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Start by identifying your top three priorities.
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Sort your tasks according to their importance.
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Order your items according to their ranking on a 1-10 scale.
We’ll talk about the Eisenhower Matrix later in this article. This is a sophisticated technique that determines a task’s urgency and priority.
Divide large projects into smaller tasks.
Feeling overwhelmed is one of the main reasons why people need help managing their time effectively on large projects. You may procrastinate or work on something else when you are feeling overwhelmed. Break down large projects into smaller tasks to help you overcome the overwhelming feeling. It’s more accessible to start by focusing on smaller pieces rather than the entire picture. You’ll progress as you break the project into smaller pieces and improve your time management.
Limit distractions
Everyone gets distracted. Email, social media or co-workers can distract you. Kids, random thoughts or even email can. You can’t control them all, but you should try to minimize the distractions.
Self-reflection on time management: Identify what distracts you and find a way to reduce that distraction. Is it necessary to move your phone into another room? Should you turn off notifications for emails or texts? Is it necessary to block social media on your computer at work?
Emails can be left for later.
Email can be a time-sink that you don’t expect. You’re reducing your productivity every time you check your email. Switching between tasks takes mental energy and time. You can either schedule a time to check your email or wait until your current job is complete before checking your email.
If you plan to check email at a particular time, be sure to communicate it to your colleagues and set expectations.
Batch your time
By the batching time, you can maximize the efficiency gained by not switching between tasks. Try to complete similar jobs at the same time if you have them. You can accomplish more quickly by grouping similar tasks. This will save you time and energy in adjusting to your new job. This time-management technique can be applied to any job or industry.
Multitasking could be a better use of time.
Multitasking may make you feel like you need to tackle more tasks on your list, but many studies have shown that it makes you less efficient. The mental energy required to switch from one task to another creates a delay that can be avoided if you focus on a single project. Wait until you have completed the current task before moving on to the next one on your list.
Schedule time off in your calendar
You can save time by keeping all your meetings, events, deadlines and tasks in your calendar. It is easier to keep track of all these things in one place. Even more efficient ways to plan your time are online calendar apps like Google Calendar or Calendly. This time management method is more effective when checking your calendar on different devices.
When to say no to meetings
Meetings don’t always make the best use of your time. It may be a good idea to decline if your number of sessions continues to increase. It would be helpful to explain your busy schedule and ask if an email could replace the meeting. Explain the other tasks on your agenda and how the meeting’s time will affect your deadlines and workload.
Review and summarize your day.
It’s essential to take a moment at the end of each day to reflect and plan for the next day. It’s a good idea to go back and review your daily to-do lists to see what you accomplished that day. This is also an opportunity to reflect on how you spent your day. Self-reflection allows you to identify what is working and how you can improve.
Look ahead – weeks and months.
It can be challenging to see the big picture when you have many things to do. It’s essential to step back to see what lies ahead for the next few months or weeks. You can prepare for future projects by looking at your future pipeline. This will also help to keep you from overloading yourself with tasks.
Recharge your batteries
It is vital to stop working at some point and declare the day over. Humans need to sleep and rest. You will perform better if you are exhausted. Take the time you need to relax and rest. You can accomplish more on your work clock by allowing yourself to reset your energy clock. It is essential for remote workers who are working from home.
Get started Time management techniques for advanced professionals
You can implement these 12 time management techniques today. These tips will help you to get more out of your workday and be more productive. There’s a second layer of time management, which involves using technology and more structured working hours. Here are six advanced techniques for time management:
Outsource and delegate
You don’t need to do it all yourself. Delegate Specific Tasks To Other People Who Can Do Them Faster or Better. It might be time to hire a freelancer or outsource your work if no one can share the burden. Upwork is the largest marketplace for freelancers in the world. You can employ highly-skilled contractors to get more done.
Eisenhower’s Urgent and Important Matrix
In time management strategy number 2, we introduced the Eisenhower Matrix. Now it’s time for a deeper dive. This method, also known as the urgent-important matrix, helps you prioritize and sort your tasks.
(Source: https://luxafor.com/the-eisenhower-matrix/)
How to make the Eisenhower Matrix
- Draw a grid of four quadrants to create four boxes.
- Write Not Urgent and Urgent across the top of the quadrant boxes.
- Write Important on the left-hand side of the grid next to quadrant number one and Not Important beside quadrant number three.
- You can now ask yourself two questions for each task: “Is it important?” and “Is it urgent?”
- Place each task in the appropriate box based on whether you answered yes or no to each question.
Do the most important tasks first. Schedule the quadrant two studies that are urgent but not important to be done later. Quadrant three contains critical but non-important functions that can be delegated. Quadrant four tasks can be removed until they are urgent or essential.
Follow the 80/20 rule.
What are you doing at a particular moment? The 80/20 rule (the Pareto Principle) states that 80% of results result from 20% of work. This principle applies in many areas of life, including time management. This means you can get more done and work smarter by identifying 20% of things that lead to your best results. You can then focus on those tasks which are most valuable for you.
Rapid Planning Method (RPM).
Tony Robbins, motivational speaker and author, created the rapid planning method (RPM) to motivate massive action. This time management method lets you focus on what matters most. You need to ask three questions to use this technique:
- What am I looking for?
- What is my purpose?
- What should I do?
Asking these three questions will help you create a plan of action that will allow you to make the most out of your time and achieve your goals.
Pomodoro, 52/17 and other structured time management techniques
Many different time management methods are designed to maximize your time working by incorporating specific breaks into a pre-planned structure. The Pomodoro technique, for example, divides the work day into 25-minute chunks with a 5-minute gap between each block. This time management technique can help you force yourself to complete a task by allowing for pre-planned vacations. The 52/17 method follows a similar format, but the work period is only 52 minutes, and the break is 17 minutes. This time management technique allows you to work for a sustained period and get into a productive working state.
Flowtime
Everyone is different when it comes down to how much time they can devote to a particular task. The Flowtime method gives you the ability to create your schedule. Instead of a fixed 25-minute or 52-minute working time, you can determine the best time to take a break using your habits and production cycle. You should still outline your blocks of time before starting the clock and keep track of the time you allocate. If you do, the time required to complete a task will stay within the given time.
Time management: Additional methods to organize your time
You can use new technology platforms to enhance your time management abilities. Here are four types of time-management tools you can try, mainly if you work remotely:
Time Trackers
You can log your time using hundreds of different time trackers. It can automatically track the time you spend on specific tasks. This will give you a better picture of how productive and efficient your time is.
Productivity Apps
Productivity apps and tools can be used to reduce distractions and stop you from wasting time. Most productivity apps have different features, but they allow you to block unproductive activities and provide feedback about the task’s productivity based on how much time was spent on it compared to the allocated time.
Project management tools
Online calendars are no longer the only option for managing projects. You can manage your entire project in one place. The single source for project descriptions, deadlines, project information, and file-sharing capabilities allows workers to increase productivity by increasing their task time.
Collaboration platforms
Programs like Slack or Zoom allow remote teams to collaborate on projects even if they’re not in the exact location. Video conferencing is one way to improve communication. Others offer commenting features that allow you to provide feedback directly on documents.
The conclusion of the article is:
This article has covered a variety of time management techniques and strategies. We covered 12 simple and easy-to-implement ideas like creating a list of tasks and reducing distractions. Six other advanced methods, such as the 52/17 and Pomodoro methods, were also discussed. It’s now your turn to implement these time-management strategies into your workflow.
You can hire a virtual assistant for administrative tasks to save more time. Virtual assistants can help with data entry, customer support, web research and writing, scheduling appointments, and more. Hire a virtual assistant today on Upwork!