Most people each day end up not completing important tasks because they don’t know how to effectively manage their time. This can lead to much stress in your life due to not being able to get crucial things done. Then everything snowballs, and before you know it there is too much on your plate. That all changes today, because the following article is here to help you effectively manage your time, so keep on reading!
Try using the calendar feature on your cell phone to manage your time. Since most people carry their cell phones with them at all times, you will always have your schedule with you. This will help you improve your life because you will never miss another appointment or important date.
Start every day by reviewing your schedule and making any adjustments that need to be made to it. If you start the day knowing what you expect or need to get done, you have a better chance of reaching your goals. Look over your plans to ensure you aren’t overbooked.
Prior to calling someone on the phone at work, take a few minutes to plan out the questions that you need answered. Often a lot of time is wasted simply through the rambling that occurs on the telephone when you don’t know what you really need. Having a sense of your goals prior will help keep you on track.
Sometimes, people have problems with time management because they do not set a time limit on tasks they need to accomplish. Write down each task that needs to be finished on your daily schedule. Now, set a time when each task should be finished. As an example, if your have morning correspondence, then set 10am as the time all correspondence must be completed.
Consider not wearing a watch. It sounds counterintuitive to time management, but some people are clock watchers. They get focused on the time, to the detriment of actual time management. You need to free yourself of this to really focus. In fact, you’ll find that it’s quite liberating and effective to just get down to work without being the slave of a clock or watch.
Don’t dismiss the simplicity of a simple pocket sized planner with pages for you to write in appointments, birthdays, lists and other important things. People tend to rely too much on electronic gadgets to help them manage their lives but paper and pen can often be the most effective way to organize your thoughts.
If you’re constantly in a bind for time, start cutting people off. If you let them, your neighbors, co-workers and others will eat more time off the clock than you can afford. Learn how to say no or politely excuse yourself from conversations and other unnecessary situations so that you can devote quality time to your own priorities.
A great tip for self-improvement is to only follow up with clients when absolutely necessary. If you can pass on follow up calls onto a subordinate, then do so. You need to handle what is most important for you and delegate effectively. This will go a long way with managing your time.
Consider Pareto’s Rule when considering time management. Really the lion’s share of your focused work (80%) gets done in 20% of your time. That’s normal and not the sign of someone inefficient. The human brain needs down time to adjust and renew itself. Make sure you give yourself breaks and periods where less is expected.
After reading the above article, your life will be a lot less stressful after taking in these great time management tips. You don’t have to let important things pile up on you at the last minute, now that you have an understanding on how to organize your day. Keep learning, and soon you will see your days becoming much easier to manage.