Since the advent of the digital age -- marked by widespread innovation and record-breaking speed of product releases – workers have been forced to hone their time management skills just to keep up with unprecedented demand on their time on a daily basis.
Work is consuming more and more of your daily lives due to the ever-present electronic gadgets that keep employees in regular contact with their supervisors. For example, 94 percent of service professionals in the U.S. spend more than 50 hours working per week. And a large portion of these employees are working on the weekends. Forty-eight percent of Americans consider themselves workaholics.
In many instances, people like you are taking their work home with them. It seems work never stops.
All this is to show that implementing effective time management practices is more important now than ever as we navigate the fast-paced business environment in which many of us operate.
Here, we will present seven tips for effective time management that are designed to help you successfully meet the demands of your job – and get more done in less time. If you implement these recommendations, you have a good chance of greatly increasing your work efficiency.
1) Realize Your Limits
As much as you like to think you can do it all, in the process of attempting to do more than you can handle, you end up wasting valuable time. This can also compromise your effectiveness at your job.
Instead, knowing your limits enables you to redirect your focus to the job goals that you’ve set out to accomplish. Setting realistic priorities that are within your limits allows you to get more done in less time. That makes for improved time management.
Knowing if you’re more productive early or later in the day will also be helpful. Based on this information, you’ll be able to schedule more challenging tasks for when you’re most alert and mentally sharp. This strategy makes it possible for you to use your time better.
Knowing your limits when it comes to the time needed to perform your job duties means you may have to pass on a social activity or a family obligation. While these could be difficult decisions, you are keeping in mind your limits when setting aside a realistic amount of time to get your job duties done on time.
2) Avoid Multitasking
You may think that multitasking makes you more efficient at your job, but that’s not necessarily true. It has been found that working on multiple complex tasks simultaneously can decrease your productivity.
Evidence for the argument against multitasking comes from the American Psychological Association, which reports that “psychologists who study what happens to cognition – mental processes – when people try to perform more than one task at a time have found that the mind and brain were not designed for heavy-duty multitasking.”
Instead of taking more time to do two things at once, section your tasks by type, like replying to customer inquiries and taking actions designed to convert qualified leads into new customers.
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3) Learn the Art of Prioritizing
Prioritization is integral for effective time management. You can begin by focusing on tasks that are urgent or time-sensitive. Assess your list of tasks for the day and organize them based on their importance. Take notice of urgent responsibilities that necessitate immediate attention and are critical to achieving your goals for growing your business.
Try taking on your most important tasks initially at the beginning of the day. That way you won’t be consumed with overwhelming feelings of worry for the remainder of the day. After you have completed the most challenging tasks, you’ll feel inspired to tackle your other duties with a boost of confidence.
4) Show Up at Work Early
It never fails that showing up at work early – ideally before most or all of your employees arrive at the office – and when you’re full of energy will help you build momentum to get more done in a shorter amount of time.
Since there will typically be far fewer people at the office to interrupt you, you’ll be able to complete projects much faster than during the busier times of the day. You may find that you’ll get much of the day’s work done early, allowing you to achieve a better work-life balance while reaping the benefits of better time management.
5) Create a Daily Calendar
Creating a daily calendar is an excellent way to enhance time management.
Adhering closely to the calendar will enable you to be much more organized and get more tasks done faster. With a calendar as your guide, you will be able to expedite the completion of your daily projects regularly.
You may be surprised at how much time you can save during your workday by having an organized list of your job tasks on paper.
6) Group Together Tasks That Are Similar
One sure way to improve time management at work is by completing similar projects together. For example, create separate blocks of time for responding to customer inquiries and working on an email marketing campaign that is designed to convert qualified leads into your newest customers.
Another set of similar tasks could be inventory management and optimizing warehouse capacity and storage.
Grouping tasks in this manner will not only fine-tune time management, but it will also make your daily activities seem less daunting.
7) Build in Breaks
It might seem counterintuitive, but building breaks into your daily schedule is essential for improving your time management. According to research, taking periodic breaks will actually increase productivity, improve decision-making, and boost your memory.
If you don’t take breaks and attempt to push through your tasks, you’re likely to experience much more stress. Higher stress levels negatively affect energy levels and cognitive functioning and lessen productivity.
You’ll find that short breaks will allow you to recharge and give you more stamina throughout the day. Taking more breaks will enable you to be more engaged and alert and will allow you to get more done in less time.
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