Good time management allows you to have more time for yourself, makes you feel more secure, improves your relations, and above all, improves your efficiency, allowing you to get better results and be more productive.
These eight time management techniques will allow you to have greater professional and personal satisfaction throughout your life.
1. Set goals
One of the reasons that we loose time unnecessarily is not having clear goals! Before we start carrying out tasks, it is important to know what you want to achieve, define what you want to do and what needs to be done. Define professional and personal goals that are clear, realistic and achievable.
2. Make a task list and create a daily plan
Once you define what needs to be done, it is important to make a list of your professional and personal tasks, establish a daily plan with schedules and deadlines and be disciplined and rigorous in following your planned schedule.
Task listing is essential, especially when you have a lot to do, it allows you to remember all your tasks and will guide you in how to approach your work. Creating a daily plan allows you to set priorities and achieve better productivity.
3. Define your priorities
Knowing what your priorities are allows you to distinguish between what is important, and what is urgent. Urgent tasks are those that you have to perform first, you cannot delay them and if you do, there may be consequences. Important tasks are those that need to be done, but there will be no consequences if you they are done on another day.
4. Get to know yourself
Not every person works in the same way, we all have different energy levels as well as personal motivations. Therefore, having self-knowledge helps us to understand what we need to accomplish our tasks with more motivation and efficiency.
In order to obtain good time management, it is important to know your professional and personal motivations, how to control your time and your energy levels: when you need to rest and for how long, when to eat and when you need a break.
5. Take breaks
No matter how much work you have to do, it’s not advisable to work many hours straight. Studies indicate that not taking breaks reduces concentration and performance. Know when to stop but be disciplined!
6. Perform one task at a time
Planning to execute several tasks at the same time is not recommended. As much as we think we have the ability to multi-task well, in the end we don’t apply 100% in each task at one given time.
Performing one task at a time will allow better concentration and consequently better results.
7. Avoid distractions and interruptions
The TV turned on, unnecessary phone calls and noises within your work environment are opponents of good time management, and the main cause of distractions.
For better productivity, maintain focus and avoid distractions through phone calls, messages, internet searches and excess conversations with other colleagues, unless they are related to your work.
8. Be organised
One person spends an average of 30 minutes per day searching for things that should be easily located. Each person has his own method of organization and archive. Be organized and you will be able to locate what you need in a faster way. Keep the materials that you need in your close vicinity and be mindful of where everything is placed.
