Good time management is as important in the home as it is in the workplace. It is a recommended strategy for increasing your efficiency and productivity. You need to learn good time management tips for a balanced lifestyle. Putting good time management tips to work can save you from burnout and stress. You must learn to work smart – not work hard. It pays off in the long run.
Time management is all about the best ways to share your daily time between different tasks. otherwise you will achieve little even after burning so much energy at the end of the day. Wherever you find yourself – whether in Nigeria or some other place, you will have to deal with several small and big tasks. Sometimes they threaten to overwhelm you, when you fail to sensibly plan and allocate your time between or tasks. But by following the recommended time management tips below, you will achieve more without overburdening your mind and body.
First things First – Start Your Day Early
There is something refreshing about starting the day early, before others wake up to interrupt your thoughts and workflow. Be purposeful about sleeping at a reasonable time of the day (not too late). And of course getting up in the cool, quiet, wee hours of the morning. You get the opportunity to plan ahead for the day’s tasks – and plan with adequate time on your hands.
It’s a Great Idea to Regularly Declutter Your Brain
Trying to keep a lot of ideas in your head can be overwhelming. Similarly is the attempt to focus on finishing several tasks; it is self-defeating. You only end up over-stressing your brain and mind, and you are likely not to finish the day’s tasks. So – begin by preparing a list of all the tasks you set out to do (within a particular period). Then cancel out those ones that are not very critical or demanding. You can now proceed to handle the tasks one after the other – one for each day until complete. Ensure you check the list again and again to evaluate your progress.
Use the Previous Evening to Plan for The Next Day’s Tasks
You need to carve out some time every evening to decide (and write down) the tasks that need to be handled the next day. You should also allocate a sensible estimated time needed to complete each task.You may have other major engagements or appointments to attend to as well. Thus, you should distribute and schedule those tasks in-between your appointments, on your calendar. This is one of the useful time management tips that helps you to stay in control of your time.
Very Important – Do a Regular Time Audit
Are you really achieving your daily and periodic goals? One way to be sure is to keep track of how actually you have been spending your time. Get a simple card or sheet of paper, and write down the major tasks that you succeeded in getting done. On the reverse side, write down the tasks that you did, which were not initially planned for the previous day.
By the time you examine your list, decide if you were able to complete the essential tasks you actually planned to do. Find out how much extra work you took on, and if they impeded your planned tasks. This will help you to become more determined in focusing on your original plan, and avoid distractions. You can also make use of time management apps to monitor your time and activities even better.
Create A Daily To-Do List and Allocate /Schedule Time to Each One
You can perform what is generally called ‘time blocking’. Create a To-do list of your planned tasks, as we have explained above. Then proceed to allocate an average of one hour to each planned task for the day. In essence, every hour of your day must have a purpose, just as you would have on a daily time-table or schedule. Include lunch breaks and free time to handle other relaxation ideas on your schedule.
You probably may not use up the time block for a task. In that case, learning to relax and recover before the next task is a good idea. That way, you do not overstretch yourself.
Put the Most Important Tasks First – and Do Them Early in the Morning
It is always best to have the most important tasks for the day at the top of your To-do list. Use that fresh burst of morning energy to handle those important tasks, and as early as possible. You can undertake the simpler tasks later in the day, while you rest and refresh in-between. But by all means, focus on getting the important tasks done. You may choose to ignore, drop or postpone the lesser ones if necessary.
You might even delegate some of your tasks to an assistant, or some dependable person to lessen your burden.
Group Similar Tasks and Handle Them Together
Check your To-do list again. Are there chores that are related? Proceed to group them and handle them together (or one after the other). It will be a quick way of sorting out your To-do list, as the brain will not think too wide to handle diverse jobs. Thus, you can handle such jobs much faster.
Do Away with Multitasking
If you really want to help your mind, learn to to ONE THING AT A TIME. it is much easier for the brain to focus on one task and get it completed, than trying to juggle several tasks. Multitasking will only waste your energy and slow you down. In fact, it is medically proven that multitasking can increase your stress levels; thus you should avoid it.
Don’t Joke With Your Breaks: You Need Them
While you move from one task to another, it is important to take some minutes to cool down and rest. One of the best time management tips is to take regular breaks in-between chores or jobs. This habit will not only help you recover your energy, but also restore your attention and zeal to continue working. On the whole, it will improve your productivity.
Put Away All Distractions
Allowing things and people around you to take away your attention when you should focus on the present task, is similar to multitasking. The effect is the same. Controlling your attention and putting it on that one important task before you, will eliminate wastage of time. So put your phone on silence; close your door; shut out noises anyway you choose. And get that job done in the quickest, most efficient time.
Conclusion
The Time management tips prescribed above are vital ways of organizing your time and conserving your energy. They will equally add up to improving your mental, emotional and physical health, thus prolonging your lifespan. You need time management tips absolutely everywhere, even in handling household chores and personal commitments.
