Do you find yourself daydreaming on the job? If you are like most people, you just want to be able to come home and enjoy the pleasures of life. Unfortunately, we all have a job to do, and in order to do it thoroughly, we must learn how to remain focused on what we should be doing. But that is not always so easy to do.
In case you didn't know, there are 168 hours in a week. That's not a very long time to get everything done that you need to get done. Most of us don't get done what we want to get done and end up putting it off until tomorrow. However, effective time management can change this.
Here are five tips that can help you use your time better.
1. Put it on your schedule. For everything you need to get done during the day, literally put it on your schedule. In addition, make time for both work and play. Schedule everything and then follow the schedule to the letter. If you want to spend some time at the gym, for example, make sure you put on the schedule, and make it part of your routine.
2. Every night before you go to bed, make out your schedule for the next day. If you wish calm you can construct it in the morning instead, but then stick to it once you have it down. When a task has been completed, mark it off until you've gone down your list. You can begin your list by writing of the things that need to get done right as you get up, and then go on down through your day until you get the last task checked off. If you follow this method, you'll keep yourself from getting behind.
3. DON'T make television, your cell phone, social websites, etc., part of your day. In other words, these things should not go on your schedule. If you get everything else done and want to play a little bit, then you can do some surfing or watch a little television. However, wait until you've gotten everything else complete to do this.
4. Take care of your required tasks first, and leave the ones that can wait until another day. We are not superhuman, and no one says that you can take on a mountain of projects in one day. Try to remain realistic of what you can handle and cannot for that particular day.
5. Alternate harder and easier tasks if you feel too overwhelmed. Remember that it is about effective time management, not about how many difficult tasks that you can complete in one day. Also see if your list of more difficult projects can be spread out over the course of a week. You might also want to try making a list of things to do for the week so you can pick what days will be best for different projects.
In short, time management is all about planning ahead. Of course, complications are going to occur in your schedule sometimes, so you'll need to go to "plan B" when necessary. Still, simply having a plan and schedule to begin with is going to help keep you more efficient, effective and productive so that you use your time wisely.
In case you didn't know, there are 168 hours in a week. That's not a very long time to get everything done that you need to get done. Most of us don't get done what we want to get done and end up putting it off until tomorrow. However, effective time management can change this.
Here are five tips that can help you use your time better.
1. Put it on your schedule. For everything you need to get done during the day, literally put it on your schedule. In addition, make time for both work and play. Schedule everything and then follow the schedule to the letter. If you want to spend some time at the gym, for example, make sure you put on the schedule, and make it part of your routine.
2. Every night before you go to bed, make out your schedule for the next day. If you wish calm you can construct it in the morning instead, but then stick to it once you have it down. When a task has been completed, mark it off until you've gone down your list. You can begin your list by writing of the things that need to get done right as you get up, and then go on down through your day until you get the last task checked off. If you follow this method, you'll keep yourself from getting behind.
3. DON'T make television, your cell phone, social websites, etc., part of your day. In other words, these things should not go on your schedule. If you get everything else done and want to play a little bit, then you can do some surfing or watch a little television. However, wait until you've gotten everything else complete to do this.
4. Take care of your required tasks first, and leave the ones that can wait until another day. We are not superhuman, and no one says that you can take on a mountain of projects in one day. Try to remain realistic of what you can handle and cannot for that particular day.
5. Alternate harder and easier tasks if you feel too overwhelmed. Remember that it is about effective time management, not about how many difficult tasks that you can complete in one day. Also see if your list of more difficult projects can be spread out over the course of a week. You might also want to try making a list of things to do for the week so you can pick what days will be best for different projects.
In short, time management is all about planning ahead. Of course, complications are going to occur in your schedule sometimes, so you'll need to go to "plan B" when necessary. Still, simply having a plan and schedule to begin with is going to help keep you more efficient, effective and productive so that you use your time wisely.
About the Author:
Author Details: Alison K. Mitchelson tells us about business motivation and professional facilitation online at Inspired Reality for busy professionals including business training and Executive Coaching. Inspire your staff!
