Time Management: Ten Ways to Manage Your Time Better

It can be overwhelming to juggle all of the details of your personal and work life.   I could probably work 24/7 and still not get everything done.  But instead of staying in the office, I have been searching for ways to make the time I do spend at work really count because I don’t want to be worrying about work on the weekend or in the evening.  Sound familiar?

I use to work for a woman who would not do any work during the day and then complain about how she had to work all weekend.  Don’t do this.

Heard of the Pareto Principle? 80% of the things you do account for only 20% of the results.  Conversely, 20% of the things you do account for 80% of your results.  Did you also know that balanced individuals have 10% as many serious illnesses as those who are not balanced?  How’s that for a little motivation to get organized!

Here are my top 10 tips to manage your time better:

1. Plan ahead. Eisenhower said “Plans are nothing.  Planning is everything.”  Take a few minutes every day to plan out what you are going to do and set goals.  Try to focus on three really important things that you want to get done each day and then do them!  Focus on the 20% of the things that will account for 80% of your results.  At the end of each workday, I create my to do list for the next day.  That way I can focus on the important items I need to get done right away in the morning when I am the most productive.
2. Focus.  Set a timer for 50 minutes, turn off all your distractions (email, phone, Facebook) and focus intensely on doing as much real work as you can.  Then take a break.
3. Review where you are spending your time.  Do a four quadrant test (recommended by Steven Covey, Author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People). Take a piece of paper and dissect it into 4 quadrants.  Write down everything you did the entire day and put it into one of the four quadrants.  Quadrant 1 is for routine things.  Quadrants 2 is for things that happen unexpectedly.  Quadrant 3 is for things that other people delegate to you. The fourth quadrant is for your dreams and goals. If you aren’t careful, Quadrant 1-3 will will take up most of your time, leaving little time for your dreams and goals.  This will also help you see where you are wasting time.
4. Don’t procrastinate.  Most people look at their to do list and do the thing that is easiest first.  Don’t do this!  Instead, tackle the item that you fear the most.
5. Know when you are at your best.  If you are more productive in the morning, make sure you are focusing on the critical 20% of things you need to get done.  Don’t do the easy tasks during that time that don’t require you to be at your best.  I schedule my important tasks at the very beginning of the day because that is when I am at my best.
6. Learn to say no!  If you learn to be more efficient than the rest of your coworkers, others will ask you to take on their work.  BE AWARE and be ready to say no!
7. Set and respect deadlines.  Have you ever noticed how fast you can get things done the day before you leave for vacation?  That’s because you made a deadline that you HAD to meet.  Make little deadlines for yourself like and feel so great when you accomplish them!
8. Email management.  Email alerts are a great way to get distracted and focus on unimportant things.  Have a certain schedule to check your email everyday instead.  Many times it is important to reflect on emails before responding.  I often leave emails in my inbox to respond to the next day.  When I do this, I always think of a completely different response that is much better while driving home.  Don’t be afraid to wait to respond!
9. Reward yourself.  If you reward yourself for something, it will most likely get done.  Only reward yourself for completing the critical 20% of activities.  Don’t reward yourself for crossing the easy, 1 minute taskers off your to do list. (I am guilty of this, It feels so great when I cross something off my list!  But, most of the time they aren’t really that important:)
10. The world needs you to do what you love.  Make sure you plan out ahead of time when you will make time for yourself each day to exercise or spend time doing what you are passionate about.  By maintaining a healthy lifestyle, you can actually improve your focus and concentration, which will help improve your efficiency.