4 Ways to Improve Your Time Management Skills
For many, the thought of time management is daunting. It can sound like an endless task that never gets accomplished. The good news is that there are time management skills that can help anyone handle their day.
It’s important to understand how your brain works when you’re “on the go” and what it needs in order to stay focused and productive. Identifying these needs is a great way to start thinking about developing a strategy for keeping yourself organized.
Learn Your Most Productive Hours
We all are different, and many of us are productive at different times. One of us could be at the top of their game first thing in the morning, while others could be better suited for late nights.
Knowing which hours are your most productive can help save time and energy while planning out your day or week ahead of time.
Try out some different times and see what works best for you!
Break Tasks into Manageable Chunks And Set Deadlines for Them
One of the most important things to do to become more productive is breaking tasks down into manageable chunks and setting deadlines for them. It helps you feel like you are accomplishing something, and it gives you a sense of accomplishment knowing that everything is on track.
No matter how small they may be, it can be so rewarding to check off something from your list.
Prioritize Your Tasks from Most Important to Least Important
It is not productive to work when your mind is set on other tasks. You should prioritize the tasks you need to do to finish.
If you are on your phone often, perhaps an app would be good to help prioritize. Or even a simple pen and paper. Either way, your goal is to create lists of projects or tasks that need to be completed. From there, you can mark the items as being ‘Done,’ ‘In Progress,’ or ‘Waiting.’
Then all that’s left is the satisfying checkmark after a task is completed!
Learn To Say “No”
It can be tempting to want to help people, especially if we are new at a job or if someone we care about who is asking. We may feel obligated to take on any and every project that comes our way. But it is essential to know when and how to say “no.”
It’s important to know the right time and reason to refuse a project or task. The key is balance. You don’t want to be so selective that you don’t take on any new challenges or projects because then you’ll never grow as a person or as a professional. At the same time, if you’re taking on too much work, you can fall victim to burn out. While the balance can be hard to strike, it’s best to always put yourself first!
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