Are you always tweaking your time management to make it better? Do you wish that there were more hours in the day? Does it sometimes feel like that there is this race against time that you can never quite win? Do all of these questions sound familiar? If so, this article is for you.
Time management always changes from the day to the week to the month and even the year. It also varies at which stage of life you may be. Time management tips for students are vastly differently than those of professionals. Rarely do we ever have the same schedule, or so we are led to believe. Immanuel Kant, the philosopher, and the professor had the same plan for over thirty years: wake up at five am, teach for a few hours, write for a couple of hours, take a break for a few hours, walk around for an hour, and then finish the day by writing or reading before going to bed. Exhausting or brilliant, the man never had a change of schedule even when he was ill. Mark Manson, in his book ‘All Hope is F**ed’ perfectly expresses on time in the modern twenty-first century: Kant was either the poster boy for productivity or madness, depending on who you ask.
A lot of us have an ingrained schedule just like Kant. The difference between us and him though is that Kant had the training and alertness to create productivity. We may not be consciously mindful of how to tweak our schedule and increase our output correctly. This article below is a step-by-step guide for those who want to find their productivity peak and find out how to manage their time wisely.
Time Management Focus Tip #1: Attentive of time
Many of us stick to a schedule that works with our current situation. If you have a job, you probably follow the office hours of where you are currently employed. You get up, get dressed, eat, take time to get to work, and from there, you get to your workspace. What you are probably mindful of is how much of this is on auto-pilot. You automatically do things without thinking about them and how much time it takes. As a result, you can end up doing something or creating habits to respond to things you do not want to do. So, what is the solution? What are some time management tips for work?
First, by reading this article, you are becoming self-aware of your time. So, congratulations, you have completed the most challenging step. Now, as for phase two, there are several things you can do to get an accurate measure to figure out: “where does all the time go?”
Here are some of the things you can do:
1. Create a daily schedule with your current one
Take a piece of paper or type out: what time do you wake up, what do you do in the morning, how long you think everything takes you. If certain days are different from others, make a day for that as well. For example, the workplace tends to have meetings on a specific time and day of the week. This process does not exclude weekends as well. Is there something you have to do during the weekend or even on a particular day? Why? Do you have specific times for your hobbies? How long does it take? Document what you already know about your current schedule in this present moment. If not, don’t worry. Very few of us know what we do precisely every day. Figuring out your plan is different for every person.
2. Time audits
Time yourself and see how long each task takes you during your routine. It might take a day or two because you are consciously mindful of going through your habits and how long they take. But by the end, you can start to figure out how much time you are using.
3. Block out the calendar
Now, this can help with your existing habits: what exactly are you doing during the day? For example, if you know at noon, you will be eating lunch and watching television, but that time in your calendar and block it out every day. Unless something is going on at that time, you are probably doing every day regardless of when. Also, you will be able to start the transition of inputting a calendar.
4. Receive feedback
Ask the people around you how long it takes you to do something. You would be surprised to find out how much something takes you regardless of your opinion of the task. Ask everyone from your co-workers, boss, peers, family members, and more. By doing so, you will be able to figure out where your sense of time does go.
5. Think of time as a limited resource
While time may be infinite, it is essential to note that it is not. The present is quite inconsistent, but if you can think of your time as a limited resource, you will be able to develop and perceive your time as valuable as you are now. Time may be a resource, but it is something you take for granted.
6. Check-in on yourself
Every half hour, review what you are doing and what you’ve done for the past hour. Some people like to write it but it isn’t necessary. I find that this is the best time management tip to double check that I’m being productive.
7. Establish behaviors
If you know what actions you wish to emulate and to avoid, develop a baseline of behaviors for what can be objectively tested against to prevent it. For example, say you want to take only three-minute showers. To do that, start by timing yourself to see how long you are in the shower. From there, you can find ways to cut down on time for it.
To make sure you are keeping up with these new habits, be sure to schedule a time during the week when you can sit down and see what worked and what didn’t. Remember, staying attentive and changing your time habits is going to take work. Your brain has pathways of ingrained habits that remain in your mind. But by slowly working on to change them, you will change for the better.
Time Management Focus Tip #2: Identify A Priority
So now you know where the time goes, here comes the next big step: identify the priority. Focus on one thing at a time. Multi-tasking is a great way to waste your time and energy. It’s also a great diminish when you are at your productive peak in the day, which is something a lot of us are not attentive of when that is. By focusing on one priority at one time, your skillset will grow with the task at hand. Here are some ways you can put this into practice:
8. Most pressing task
Is there a task that you have been avoiding to do that is important or seems essential? Yes? Well, do that task first. If it is a task that requires a lot of energy and time, I will use that as the sign to do that pressing task. Just do it. If you don’t know how to get started, then it’s time to get started researching how to do it or find someone that does. Don’t get hung up on the details. Get to work.
9. Time yourself
Write down how long a task should take to get done. Then, actually start a stop watch and time yourself. Watching the minutes and seconds tick by may give you a greater sense of encouragement to finish the task. This time management tip may not be for everyone though, especially those who don’t like pressure
10. One thing at a time
It might be tempting to switch between tasks like emailing, chatting, or texting. As tempting as it is, ask yourself: Is this related to the task at hand? Does it feel like I have finished the job? If the answer is no, then remember to tell yourself that you need to stick to the task at hand. Once you finish, you can give yourself a break once completing the pressing task.
11. Ask yourself: how much time do I need to spend on this?
If you are working on a task and worry that you are spending too much time on task, take a step back. Then, evaluate the priority of the job. If the job takes too much time and is not essential, find a stopping point and record how long the task takes you. It will give you a better understanding of how much time you were on the job and how much progress you have made on it. Then, you can come back to the task with a fresh mind and body.
12. Three tasks before noon
Say you are someone who likes to know what needs to get done. If so, write out the three tasks, number them, and then set a deadline to have all three done by noon. Many people use this technique to see it like a story: the beginning, middle, and end.
13. Number and categorize tasks
Say you have a lot that needs to get accomplished. The first step would be to list out the jobs that need to get done. Now, categorize them by the urgency of time: A for immediately, B for soon, C for within a week, D for within a month, and so on. Then, number them. For example, completing a project, sending meeting minutes, and starting a new project would be in category A, but the order would go: 1, 2, and 3 depending on your schedule.
Multi-tasking is something we do so much of thanks to this day and age, but by doing one thing at a time, we will improve our skills and manage the flow of time. Not only will we excel, but we will also be able to achieve more of our goals in ways that we did not previously believe that we could. It will not be easy, but to improve and work on your sense of time, you will need these skills to become ready to organize and acclimate your schedule to fit your needs.
Time Management Focus Tip #3: Meeting your goals
Now that you have succeeded in getting your tasks done more efficiently, here comes the fun part: arranging and familiarizing your schedule to reach your goals completed. The reason that many of us look for ways to improve our time management has to do with the fact that we are not meeting the goals that we set out to accomplish. But once we develop and become attentive of the things that need to get done, we can start assembling the goals we have set for ourselves.
To improve your arrangement skills, consider the following:
14. Progress goals
Say, for instance, you want to complete a plan that at first appears to be quite daunting, like writing a book. Instead of fretting, break it up into mini-goals and do a little bit each day. Even if your complete half of a goal, it’s something to celebrate and keep in mind. Remember, there is nothing wrong with looking back at your progress.
15. Eliminate the urgency warning
While urgency is necessary, it is not the same thing as the importance of a task. There is a vast difference between the two, and the difference is timing. The only time that urgency takes precedent is when it is both important and urgent.
You’ve assembled your schedule to fit your needs. But what happens when things go wrong? What can you do to stay on track? Fortunately, adjusting these skills into your routine will also help keep you and your goals on the pathway to success in the following ways:
16. Habit stack attack
Ever heard the phrase of habit stacking? All of our habits come from a few habits that we have developed since we were infants. If you start to associate your skills with other practices, you will pick up on the gift and improve it as a result. For example, you could take five minutes to get done with work to look at what needs to get done tomorrow and write out the priority task. Essentially it’s building one habit on top of another. If interested in learning more, learn it from James Clear.
17. Decrease high dopamine temptations
Scrolling through social media is something that everyone in this day and age struggles with, but you can beat it. Add extensions to your browser during work times on sites that you have spent hours on going through. Put your phone in your desk where it won’t tempt you. Set time limits on apps that you want to spend less time on.
18. Create plans
Before you start to outline for a big project, think of the scenarios of the best thing vs. the worst thing. This way, you know what to avoid and the steps to take to get to the best result when making plans to complete your goals.
Time management is something that can be improved upon and continuously worked to improve. It’s about finding and utilizing the tools needed to get your goals met for it. Is it easy? No. Will it be challenging? Yes. However, are these time management suggestions worth it? Yes, if you put in all the work. You can choose to decide how you would like to use your time and what steps to understand yourself to meet your goals.
To conclude, time management tips are always something that will be around. It is something that will always be around, but it can help you. You can choose to learn to understand and grow instead of trying to fight it. I hope you learned how to manage your time wisely and not constantly question yourself “when did all the time go?”
