One of the biggest frustrations for managers and leaders in the workplace can be a failure to use one’s time properly. You have so many tasks to do, and never seem to have enough time in which to get them all done. Add to that the fact that we have a nasty tendency to procrastinate when the going gets tough, and it shouldn’t be much of a surprise to find that you frequently don’t have enough time.
Thankfully, these tips for effective time management can help.
Set Goals Earlier, Not Later
We all know that we have to set goals to achieve them. Far too often, however, we have a tendency to set those goals too far off into the future, so much so that they become amorphous “maybes” instead of definite courses of action.
To more effectively schedule your time so as to meet these goals, you need to schedule them sooner rather than later. Not only will this help motivate you to reach those goals, rather than putting them off indefinitely, but it can likewise help you be smarter with your time management.
When you need something done in a week, you have a very clear amount of hours in which to get work done. That makes it easier to schedule concrete working time on them than if you simply say you need to get the job done “in a few months” or “eventually.”
Schedule Response Times
Email and phone responses can be sneaky in how much time they take up. Set aside a special time during the day to answer emails and calls, and don’t let it encroach on your productivity time for other tasks.
The Double-Sided Nature of Break Time
You won’t achieve anything burning yourself out. Breaks are an essential and often overlooked element of working life. That said, too much of a good thing can obviously backfire, especially when it comes to non-working time, such as breaks. Make sure to strike a balance between enough break time to keep you refreshed and enough working time to be productive.
With these guides in mind, you can transform your time management skills and become far more effective in the workplace.