Effective Time Management Tips To Improve Your Life
Priya Johnson
We all have only 24 hours in a day, in which we need to cram in as many things as possible. If we’re smart and selective about what we do, we’ll lead a much more productive and efficient life.
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“It’s not enough to be busy… The question is what are we busy about?” - Henry David Thoreau
To-Do-List
As cliched and boring as it sounds, maintaining a list of tasks keeps us focussed and productive. Keep jotting down things you need to get done and cross them out when done.
Prioritize Tasks
Identify your negotiables and non-negotiables and prioritize activities based on it. Focus on getting the non-negotiables done first, while the rest can wait a little longer.
Important Tasks First
Get the most important things of the day done first. This will leave you less stressed as you tackle the other tasks throughout the day.
Delegate
We can’t be everywhere, we can’t do everything. It’s important to delegate tasks, leaving enough time to deal with the non-negotiables.
Allocate Time
Most household chores are highly time-consuming and repetitive. Assign a time limit and leave the rest for the next day. Move on to the next task of the day.
Avoid Procrastination
Postponing tasks for later may prove detrimental in the long run. Instead of leaving things unattended, take a decision and deal with it.
“Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” - Peter Drucker
Identify Time-Wasters
Do you tend to spend too much time on the phone, playing video games, cleaning, chatting, etc? We all have our vices, so identify your specific time wasters and reduce the time spent on them.
Online Facilities
Take advantage of online shopping and e-payments to avoid travel and shopping time. Avoid physically going to places if the job can be done online.
Think Smart
Think of smart ways of getting your job done. Outsourcing may not always be the solution, so think of faster ways to finish it.
“Even if your watch is full of diamonds, the hour is still 60 minutes.” - Robert Fulgham
Club Activities
Travel consumes too much time in the day, so when you step out make sure you get multiple things done.
Quick Switches
Assess your day’s productivity level. If a certain task is taking longer than usual, restrategize. Think of a smarter way to get the task done faster.
Learn to say ‘No’
We want to cram up as much as possible in the 24 hours we have. However, a crucial aspect of time management is saying ‘no’ when certain tasks are wrecking the balance.
Get Adequate Sleep
Most of us compromise on our sleep when we can’t accomplish all we want in the day. However, lack of adequate sleep will eventually come back to bite us by affecting our health.
Technology and Social Media
One of the biggest time wasters today is social media. Assign only a certain amount of time to all forms of social media. This will keep you connected and entertained, without taking away from your productivity.
Avoid Binge-Watching
Set aside weekend nights for movies. Choose movies over series spanning over various seasons. Movies entertain and do not keep you hooked after the two-hour period.
Personal Time
Set aside some personal time to inspire your inner-self. Ignoring self will result in a burnout, which is unproductive in the long run.
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” - Michael Altshuler