Managing time has become more important than ever for busy professionals in this world full of distractions. You may be spending your peak working hours distracted by different tasks due to mismanagement of time.
You can be far more productive if you have a little awareness about using the working hours. There are different time management techniques to improve productivity.
I am going to explain the top 10 of them in this article. These techniques will let you complete the work more efficiently.
Let’s start.
10 Proven Time Management Techniques
I have discussed these tips in the information given below:
Tip #1 – Know how Much Time you Have:
Working nonstop is not what professionals do. You might be involved in other activities as well such as spending time with your family, sleeping, eating, meditating, etc.
So, know how much time you have for actual work. The number of these working hours is different for everyone. But knowing this number for you will help you manage them properly.
Tip #2 – Make a to-do List:
Making a to-do list is one of the most controversial productivity tips. Some experts believe it’s useful, while others disagree. For me personally, making a to-do list helps me know what I am actually supposed to do on a specific day. You can do the same.
Get a pen and paper or just a digital notepad. After that, write all the things you need to accomplish in a day. Write every little and big task that is to be completed. One of the best ways to make this list is without thinking a lot. Just keep on adding the tasks without any order. Now, you know what you’ve got to do to spend the day successfully.
Tip #3 – Prioritize your Tasks:
Setting priorities for your work is important for professionals. The things that must be completed first should be your priority. Here is a little example.
Let’s say you have a business meeting in a different city and you need to book a train ticket. Another task on the list is to send your colleague an email reminder about something.
Now, booking the train ticket is more important than sending an email. You can send the email on your way to the station or while being on the train.
If you spend time on the email first, you might miss the chance to get the earliest train and end up wasting time. It’s just a general example, but prioritizing and completing the urgent tasks can be a complete game changer.
Tip# 4 – Limit What Distracts You:
Nowadays, we are easily distracted. Many small things can divert our attention from our task. It could be a humorous cat video you saw while browsing social media or a text message from a buddy.
You need to make sure you limit what distracts you the most. For example, If you think you’re distracted by your mobile phone, put it away while working. Limiting such things is useful to focus properly on your work and be productive.
Tip#5 – Do a Large Project in Chunks:
We always have a large project to work on in our daily professional lives. Since it’s large, it can exhaust you very quickly. The thought of being exhausted is one of the reasons why people procrastinate.
Now, dividing these large projects into little chunks is useful. You can accomplish some of them in the morning and do the rest in the afternoon or in the evening. It gives free time periods to do other things on the to-do list as well.
Tip #6 – Batch your Time:
Another time management technique that is of a great use is batching your time. As a professional, create a few time batches on your schedule. Dedicate these batches to different tasks of the day. The benefit of doing this is simple. It helps you focus only on a few tasks in a specific time batch.
Let’s say you have a few small tasks you need to do along with a large project. You can batch your time into two parts. The first one will focus only on completing small projects. The second batch will be dedicated to the large project. In this way, you can ensure you give proper time to each of your tasks.
Tip #7 – Avoid Multitasking:
People think multitasking saves time. But that’s not true. It just divides your focus. As a result, you generate poor work. Sometimes, it can waste your time as well. So, it is necessary to avoid it.
It can not only exhaust you but also generate poor results since your focus is divided. So, avoid multitaskng unless you absolutely need to.
Tip #8 – Deal with Emails in the Morning:
Many experts believe dealing with emails should be the very last thing you should do. But it really gets on my nerves. I like to respond to my emails first thing in the morning, and I suggest you follow it as well. It will help you get rid of them so you can concentrate on other things.
Tip #9 – Delegate your Tasks:
Many professionals think of it as one of the most important time management strategies. There’s a lot of time you can save by delegating your tasks. There are people who can do some of your work faster and better than you.
For example, giving your proxy for an simple meeting to your colleague can save you time.
If your tasks are complicated, hiring a freelancer can be a good idea. Let’s say you are a YouTube video editor. You can hire a graphic designer to edit the video’s thumbnail instead of doing it yourself.
Tip #10 – Review and Improve:
You should review your whole day daily. Note down all the tasks you completed along with the ones you couldn’t.
Analyze the reasons why these tasks remained unfinished on the schedule. After that, make improvements in the daily plan for the next day and make sure not to repeat the productivity mistakes you made.
Conclusion
Proper time management has become a necessity in this busy world. Many professionals spend their day doing unimportant things and end up wasting a lot of time.
With a little awareness, they can improve their schedule and do more work. I have mentioned some of my best tips related to work and managing time in the information given above. Following them can be useful for achieving peak productivity daily.
FAQs
Does a daily schedule need to be definite?
No. A daily schedule should be flexible. Not all days are the same. There should always be room for flexibility in the schedule.
Is using planner apps useful for time management?
Yes. These types of apps can be very useful.
Is making a to-do list useful for a work-from-home professional?
Absolutely. Making a to-do list is useful for all types of professionals.
