One of the most crucial resources that we have, and therefore, need to utilize well is time. We often keep complaining about how the work pressure is piling up every day and how there’s never enough time to complete all the tasks in the day. The real reason we always feel a shortage of time is that we don’t manage it well enough.
Here are eight secrets to better time management we all should know about:
1. Learn to prioritize things.
Good time management is all about learning to prioritize well. As soon as you start your day, you need to think about what you need to accomplish by the end of the day. Once you have an idea about your priorities, it’s easier for you to plan ahead of time. Apart from avoiding wasting time, it also helps ensure that you don’t overlook the important chores.
2. Make a written to-do list.
Instead of merely thinking about what to do and what not to, it’s better to jot everything down on a piece of paper. It’ll help you remember everything and will contribute to ensuring that you make time for whatever’s on your plate. According to this list, you can then allot timelines to each task and get them all done.
3. Keep away from distractions.
Distractions are the chief wasters of time. Small things like a conversation that doesn’t even involve you or a colleague who yells often are enough to distract you. The constant urge to check social media for updates is also one of them.
4. Take small, well-timed breaks.
Taking enough breaks in the day is essential to increasing your productivity. Timing your breaks well is as important as taking them. You don’t want to waste a lot of time in numerous breaks. But you also want to have ample breaks to relax.
Image Source: Visual Science Lab
5. Learn to say no.
If you know you can’t do something, it’s better to say no rather than make futile attempts at doing it and failing. In the end, you just waste a lot of time and get nothing from it. Even the quality of the work suffers. It’s better to say no.
6. Work as a team.
Instead of trying to do it all by yourself and take the credit for it, it’s better to distribute your work and let everyone contribute. As more people work towards a particular thing, the results tend to be better than usual.
7. Ask others for help or advice.
If you’re unable to crack something, don’t shy away from asking for help. There are always some highly experienced people around who can help you in any matter. This advice can help you save a lot of effort and time.
8. Say no to multitasking.
We all try to multitask as we think it helps increase our efficiency. That, however, is not true. It’s better to focus on one thing at a time. Multitasking creates a diversion in your mind, and you lose the ability to focus, which affects your time management.