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As Warren Buffet said, “time is money”. Time is a good that we all want more of, but which we can never get enough of. However, there are a few helpful tips that can easily improve your time management. Take into account how you spend the hours of your day, maximizing your productivity, and giving yourself more time to rest and relax.
Although we all work within the same 24 hours, there are simple ways to make each day more fulfilling. It’s about getting rid of the things that are wasting our time and focusing on the things that make the most of it. You don’t know where to start or you need a new motivation boost? Here are seven tips to move you in the right direction.
1. Create a routine
Even if your lifestyle calls for a slightly different schedule each day, there are still parts of a regular routine that can help you feel on track by optimizing your time. Start the day with a workout, healthy breakfast, journal, or meditation to get your brain into productivity mode.
Likewise, creating a relaxation routine by cooking a nice dinner or taking a long bath can become a part of your daily routine that signals the end of the day. Implementing healthy habits provides a foundation that will allow you to be more conscious of your time.
Related: 15 Time Management Tips to Help You Achieve Your Goals
2. Prioritize activities
At the end of the day, take 10-20 minutes to prepare for the next morning. Make a list starting with the top three things you want to accomplish each day, then prioritize the rest of your tasks based on their importance.
Of course, there are unexpected moments that cannot be taken into account, but having a set amount of planning time helps create a central focus that you can return to when you are pulled in multiple directions. Time management is about efficiency and effectiveness. While we all want to get as much done as possible, too many tasks can leave us scattered and left behind all day.
3. Rate the hours with peak productivity
Take the time to evaluate your peak productivity hours. Not everyone runs on the same 9-5 schedule. There are times during the day that some feel more productive than others. Do you feel at your best in the morning? Then schedule your most daunting tasks during this time when you have the energy and focus to give them the attention they deserve. Leave the easier or more casual tasks for the afternoon, or take time for planning, strategy, relaxation, or time with the family.
Knowing the times of the day when your energy is at its peak will limit the amount of “time wasters” you will experience. Slowly start shifting your schedule according to your prime productivity hours and assess how you are feeling with the changes. Do you feel more focused? Are you making better progress with your goals?
4. Optimize technology
Online calendars, digital timers and smartphone apps can help you keep track of things. Google Calendar is a handy scheduling tool that lets you color-code and set notifications for meeting reminders and project deadlines. Toggl Track is also a free time management app (for up to five users). It allows you to keep track of your time on tasks and run reports that show you where you are spending the most time.
Apps can also help you out when trying to limit your time wasters. If you are easily distracted by social media, a lot of time can go by without you realizing it. This also applies to housekeeping when you are working remotely, or longer desk chats with colleagues when you are in the office. Find the distractions that affect you the most and limit yourself to the time you spend on them.
In addition, online project management tools like Trello and Basecamp offer a central overview of all your tasks and deadlines. Remember, these tools aren’t just for work. They are helpful in managing your time and achieving your set goals, such as: For example, write a book, train for a marathon, or even synchronize family plans. When used in a targeted manner, technology can make a major contribution to improving time management.
Related: 101 Time Management Tips to Increase Productivity Every Day
5. Find your own rhythm
While there are online tools and apps to help with time tracking, sometimes using pen and paper to make a list works just as well. I make a list of all the things I need to do with pen and paper and cross off a task on my list when I finish the task.
Additionally, some of us have days when we need to prioritize family life while other days we need to focus on our careers. There is no single path that everyone has to follow. The aim is to create a system that allows you to find your own rhythm.
6. Avoid interruptions
Interruptions take away valuable time from the day and make it difficult to get into a good flow. Avoiding them will help you manage your time better and stay in the zone. Find a quiet spot or invest in noise-canceling headphones to cut out background noise and let others know that you don’t want to be interrupted.
Put your phone on airplane mode or move it to another room to avoid looking at incoming messages. And close any tabs on your computer that you are not actively using, as incoming chats, emails, and notifications are all small interruptions that take up more time in the day than you might think.
7. Block your time
In theory, planning by the hour one day sounds like it will help with time management, but more likely it will leave you feeling overwhelmed and eventually burned out. After all, meetings last long, interruptions are inevitable, and tasks can take longer than originally expected. However, time blocking is a strategy that allows you to spend several hours in a block of time completing your daily to-do list.
For example, plan a block of hours in the morning to exercise, read and answer e-mails, and hold meetings. Take another block of time to focus on the work that requires full focus, like writing, strategy, or research, or whatever that means to you. This system is also helpful in making sure you are taking breaks and practicing self-care. By dividing your daily tasks into categories with allotted blocks of time, you can focus your attention on a few things at once instead of trying to do everything at once.
Related: 7 Time Management Strategies For Busy Entrepreneurs
Improving time management begins with implementing daily habits that are geared towards making an impactful change. By following these tips you can build a sense of structure and examine where you are spending your time so you can know where to make cuts that will ultimately add more to your life.
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