We all have 24 hours in the day, but there are people who seem to make those hours count more than others. The reason is simple: they manage their time more efficiently and make the most of every moment. This is crucial for everyone, knowing how to use time well is essential, both on an individual level and in the business world. For this reason, some time ago, we recommended you some online tools that could help you with your organization and improve both your productivity and your team productivity.
Today we delve a bit better into this topic and in this post we will talk about time management and how to improve it through some advice and techniques. Take note!
What is time management?
Time management is the process in which you organize your day in a way that it can be more productive and efficient. In other words, it is the way in which we use our time to make the most of it.
A bad management of the time in the workday can lead you to various problems such as unfinished projects, missed deadlines, dissatisfied clients, increased overtime, lack of productivity, stress, etc. This is why we talked about the importance of knowing how to use well the hours that we have throughout the day. Moreover, having good management will not only prevent these issues, but also it will allow you to feel more satisfied at the end of your workday, reduce stress, improve productivity and have more time for your personal life. Therefore, it is clear that knowing how to organize our daily routines is essential.
Tips and techniques for managing your time
We have all felt overwhelmed and overwhelmed by the number of tasks we have to do and wished we could have more hours in our day. Unfortunately, you can’t extend the day as you wish to have enough time to do everything you want, but you can learn how to better manage your hours to make the most of your day and enjoy your free time without thinking about everything you still have to do. To achieve this, here are some essential tips you can start applying today:
- Manage your attention. Yes, we are talking about time management, but this is closely tied to attention. Many times we don’t make the most of our working hours because we constantly get distracted or try to tackle the most difficult tasks when we have the least energy. In this regard, it is important to organize well and to know when you have the most concentration and motivation to work. Additionally, be aware of what distracts you from completing your tasks and try to avoid it during your workday; we give you a hint: it’s probably your phone.
- Make a task list and set priorities. During your workday, you will have more than one thing to do. Having in your head memorized all the tasks you have ahead of you isn't the best way to stay organized. Always have with you an agenda or notebook where you can write everything you have to do. We recommend you to do it in a list format, starting with the most urgent and leaving simpler ones for later, as you will be more rested at the beginning of the day and you will have more concentration and energy for your work.
- Learn how to say “no”. Sometimes you need to say no. No matter how hard it may be, knowing to delegate is crucial. If every time that someone asks you for help, you agree to do it even though you have a long list of tasks ahead of you, you will never finish what you need to do.
- Organize your space. Having a messy workspace can affect your productivity and make it harder to concentrate. For this reason, you need to organize and tidy up your desk, leaving in it only the essentials.
- Don’t multitask. Contrary to what many people believe, multitasking will not make your productivity improve. It is better that you employ all your attention to just one task at a time and, once completed, move on to the next. If you try to do several tasks at once, you’re likely to finish neither or that their quality will suffer.
- Take breaks. Rest is crucial for improving productivity, since it avoids fatigue and exhaustion. Make sure to take breaks regularly so you can come stronger, but don’t use those moments to stay in your chair and grab your phone. Instead, it’s better to get up, take a short walk to move around a bit, do some stretching, talk to a colleague who is also on a break, etc.
On the other hand, as we mentioned earlier, there are also techniques that help you to improve your productivity. We bring you some of them:
- Pomodoro technique. One of the most well-known productivity techniques. It involves taking short breaks between work sessions of a set duration. Usually, it is established that with this method you have to work for 25 minutes and then take a five minute break. However, if you know you can maintain full attention and concentration for more than 25 minutes, you can establish longer periods, use a timer and for that time and when the alarm goes off, take a five minute break. Do this four times and, after the fourth session, take a longer break of about 15 minutes.
- Eat the frog. This oddly named technique comes from a quote of Mark Twain: “If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.” In other words, tackle the most complex tasks first, no matter how much you dislike them, to get rid of them and everything else that comes before will be much better.
- Get Things Done method. This method of David Allen consists in that a person must clear their mind of the tasks they have to do. Allen says that specific lists for each context must be done. This method is based on five principles.
- Collect. Write down everything you have to do.
- Process. Analyze what you need for each task.
- Organize. Classify tasks into lists such as projects, on hold, to-do, etc.
- Review. Track the lists and your progress to see if you're completing them.
- Do. Execute the tasks on the lists.
One last tip, if while classifying the tasks on lists you realize that you can make one of them in less than five minutes, forget about including it in a list and do it directly to get rid of it.
In short, managing your time in an efficient way is an essential ability for both your personal and professional life, and through these tips and techniques you would be able to improve your productivity and performance, making the most of your hours.