At the end of the day, do you feel like you didn’t get everything done that you wanted to? If you’re like most people, the answer is yes. If you learned some time management skills, you would be able to get everything done and still have time for you. Read the following tips to learn how.
If you’re always pressed for time, start trying to be early for everything. If you aim to be on time, even a little traffic can mess up your entire schedule by making you late. However, when you do your best to be early, you are often left with a little extra time, which you can then put to good use!
An area that many people have trouble with in time management is setting deadlines. You have to set deadlines and stick to them. Any task you have is going to take a certain amount of time and if you have a deadline for your tasks, your life will run smoothly.
When planning each task of the day, allot some time for interruptions. If your tasks or appointments are all scheduled one after the other, without any time allowance for traffic or unexpected call, you could be throwing off your whole day. Planning ahead for those interruptions will help you stay on track.
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!
Look into taking a time management class. Maybe you just aren’t sure how to organize your time. Taking a class can help you figure out what is important and what isn’t. You can find these classes at local colleges and even online. Usually they are low cost or even free.
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?
When you are going through a tough time managing your time, consider how you use your time. You must be smart about it. Only take the time to read emails or your voice mail when you have allowed time for that. In this way, you can avoid being distracted by them throughout the day.
After reading everything in this article, you will be well-equipped to manage your time well. Once you begin, you’ll see that you have more time than you thought. You will be able to add activities to your life instead of cutting down. Time management is a great way to make your life fuller, so use these tips and get out there!