At the end of each day, do you wish you had several more hours available to get everything done that you need to accomplish? Is making a schedule for all that you need to do difficult? Does getting things done in a timely manner feel impossible to accomplish? If you do, then the following tips may be helpful.
To help you reduce stress and stay on task plan each day’s activities. Plan the activities that you must complete daily by keeping a calendar. This will help ensure that you allot enough time for each activity. Additionally, this will help avoid scheduling conflicts that can create unnecessary stress.
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 you can’t manage your time, look at how you are doing it. You need to understand why you are failing to follow through on tasks and make sure they are completed. This will help you to maximize your efficiency.
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!
Take your activities and prioritize them. Sometimes, meaningless tasks can get in the way of your day. Make sure you do the most important things first. Keep a list on hand at all times with the important tasks on top.
Take about five minutes before your tasks and calls for deciding what results you wish to achieve. This can help you see success before you begin. It can also slow down some time. Try taking about five minutes after every activity and call to figure out if you achieved the desired outcome. If you didn’t, what did you miss? How can add the missing element to the next task?
Learn to let the little things go when you are overwhelmed by a busy day. People who tend to fuss over less important matters often lose their focus on the big picture, thus wasting time. Have your priorities straight and don’t allow small problems to get in the way of managing time efficiently.
If you have a very large task that you are facing, break it up into smaller parts. Create a list of everything that it will take to get the project completed. Once you have the list to work with, use the deadline and create a calendar that includes what you need to get done each day to ensure it is completed in time.
In order to manage your time well, you need to develop a good sense for the prioritization of the different tasks assigned to you. If you can tell whether or not a new task is urgent, you’ll be able to slot it into an appropriate space in your schedule. By giving more attention to the most urgent jobs you have, you’ll become more productive and more efficient.
Just remember that it is fairly impossible to accomplish everything you plan. In fact, it’s almost impossible. There is a chance that only 20% of all your conversations, activities and thoughts are responsible for a full 80% of your actions and results. It is impossible to do everything, so do your best to accomplish what you can realistically.
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.
It is okay to take a break once in awhile. You may feel overwhelmed or stressed by what you are doing. When this occurs, it is important to take a break and have a few minutes to yourself. This makes getting back to and completing the task much easier in the long run.
There is nothing wrong with the word “NO”. You can easily stress your self out by taking on too much. You must be willing to say no to tasks that are going to throw your day into chaos. If you can get to the task on a later day, so be it. Otherwise, stick to your priorities.
No matter what you do, time is always ticking. Each person is only allotted a certain amount of time on Earth; therefore, it is important that we make the best of each moment. Use what you learned here to make the most of your time.