We have all said it before, “I wish I had more time”, or “I need more hours in a day”. Being able to get all of the things done on your to-do list can be stressful and you are left thinking “how am I ever going to finish everything.” Then you meet someone who seems to be able to complete twice the tasks as you and still has time for themselves. Time management can be a common problem for a lot of people. Time can be your enemy or your best friend, and we want to make it a best friend.
By developing a few time management skills, we can make time your best friend and make you the one getting everything done.
Make a list and schedule. At first, just deciding to make a list and schedule can seem overwhelming, but by taking advantage of your phones and tablets, this can become the easiest thing. All phones have a calendar and some sort of note app. Take advantage of these. Use the note pad app to put things on your list. You may even start to develop a task list with multiple parts; to do today, to do this week, and to do this month. Put your tasks on the calendar with alarms to help make your schedule. Remember to make your technology work for you.
Time Each Task and Use That Time Efficiently. When entering things into your calendar, take a moment to schedule not only the start time but also the end time. By entering the end time on task, the calendar will block off that time. Remember to include drive time or prep time if needed. This will ensure that you do not “overbook” yourself and you can devote all of that time to that one task.
Learn to say NO. This can be hard, especially if the person has come to rely on you, but your time is precious. Since we now have our schedule and task lists going, don’t be afraid to look at your calendar and say “Unfortunately, there is not enough room in my schedule for that.”
Only Touch It Once. Make sure you schedule enough time to complete each task. By doing so you ensure that you only touch the task once. You have scheduled this time for this task, commit to it, and see it through. When you go back and continually work on a project, you may end up feeling defeated by the task. By completing it and only touching it once, you gain a sense of accomplishment, able to check it off your list, and are ready to take on the next task.
Remove yourself From Time Suckers. Time suckers are just what the name implies. They are tasks that take up too much of your precious time. When a task is discovered to be a time sucker, reevaluate the task. Ask yourself if the task is necessary, and how important it is to you. If the task is unnecessary, do you need to do it? If it is necessary, can you delegate it to someone else, or can it be done on a different day when you have more time to dedicate to it?
Develop a sense of urgency. Remember your time is precious. The sooner you can complete a task the sooner you can start on the next, and thus complete your entire task list. Once your task list is complete for the day you will have time for yourself. Time to go out with a friend or watch that movie you have wanted to see. You may even schedule your time to make sure you don’t skip it. So, it’s not just hard work that will help you accomplish all of your tasks, but time management. By following these simple tips to make time your best friend, you can go from wondering how others get things done to now being the one getting them done.
South Key Inc. offers a full spectrum of outsourced solutions and service offerings to help organizations empower their business.Servicing Pensacola, FL, and the surrounding area; South Key Inc. increases output and communication while optimizing business performance by helping you overcome cost and other perceived complexities.To keep up with everything South Key, follow the brand on Instagram @southkeyinc.1 and Facebook @southkeyinc, or visit www.southkeyinc.com
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