Some days, it seems as if time just rushes past you. You feel as if there is no way to get everything done. Before you know it, the sun is setting and you have barely achieved anything. If this seems familiar to you, the following time management tips may prove quite useful.
When you find yourself constantly late and missing deadlines, consider getting a bigger clock and putting it in a place where it stares you down all the time. Studies show that when people can see a clock during the day, they mentally gravitate toward more time-saving efforts! Try this at home and the office to better manage your time.
Keep a diary of how you are spending your time. Do this for about 3 days. You will be able to see what you are spending time on. You can then determine what is necessary to spend time doing and what isn’t necessary. Figure out how to manage your time better.
If effective time management is a problem for you, take a look at how your current work procedure is working for you. You need to understand why you are failing to follow through on tasks and make sure they are completed. If you wish to better your time management skills, you need to find what you get out of the current process.
Try eliminating distractions in your life if you’re always running out of time for things. For example, it’s difficult to finish a report for your boss if your email is constantly dinging and cell phone always ringing. Turn off technology and learn to tune out distractions. You should be able to focus much better!
If you stress out on time management, pre-plan the day before. This will help you know what must be accomplished before the day even begins. When you do so, you’ll put your mind at ease, and you’ll be a lot more ready to face the time pressures of the next day.
Create a list of all of the tasks you have for a day. Once you have the list, go through and prioritize each item on the list. If you get behind on the day, you can knock off something that is at the bottom of the list and reschedule it for another day.
Everyone needs to learn how to say “no”. Many people get overly stressed simply because they do not know how to say no when asked to do something. When you find yourself overbooked, look at your schedule. Are there things that you can delegate to others? If yes, ask your family and friends for help.
Close your door so you are free to focus. This will show that you do not want anyone coming in. Close the door, your privacy is restored. They will know that you desire focus, which lets you finish what you need to.
Does your life seem to rush past you in a blur? Are there never enough hours in the day? If so, the time management tips you have just read may be invaluable to you. By putting them to use in your life, you can use your time more efficiently so that you are not as stressed.