The concept of time management can be frightening for some people. This is possibly because time is somewhat of an elusive concept; somehow time moves more quickly when people are in a hurry, and time moves too slowly when there is nothing going on. Time management can be straightforward, simply by ushering in the following five tips.
Do the First Things First
Learning to prioritize is something that every business and entrepreneur needs to do. It’s a skill that pays off substantially for the people who take the time to understand it. Not everything needs to be done right now, in this very second. Prioritizing is a skill that takes practice, but it can be done. Every day, look at the things that need to be done today. Really look at each item, and then ask yourself the question, “Is this item top-priority, or could something more urgent come before this?” Before long, prioritization will be a simple process that will require very little contemplation.
Eliminate Time Wasters
What takes your time away your work? Facebook? Twitter? Checking email? Stop checking them so often. One thing you can do is make it hard to check them – remove them from your browser quick links / bookmarks and stuff them in a hard to access bookmarks folder. Replace your browser bookmarks with important work-related sites. While you’ll still check Facebook and Twitter no doubt, you’ll find it’s a lower frequency than before.
Focus on One Task
Is multi-tasking causing you to not getting anything done? If so, focus on just one key task at one time. Close off all the applications you aren’t using. Close off the tabs in your browser that are taking away your attention. Focus solely on what you’re doing. You’ll be more efficient that way.
Inject Personal Time
Time management isn’t only about doing more work in less time, although more work in less time is definitely a goal that is worth striving for. It’s good for a business professional to ask themself what is important. The time is coming to an end where people simply work their lives away, just to find themselves old and regretting that they never spent time on the things they loved in their lives. Now is the time to create a balance of work and play. Now is the time when personal needs, as well as business needs, have to take priority. Inject personal time into your workday and notice how it can be completely revitalizing.
Use a Better Calendar
Every businessperson needs to be using an effective, well-organized, calendar device of some kind. There are numerous applications that can be used on handheld devices that have alerts and notices. Two I recommend and also recommended by CNET are Google Calendar and Sunrise Calendar. These can be really handy, and they can help speed up the amount of time it takes to schedule appointments and make changes to the calendar.
Know that There is Only So Much Time in a Day
Being stressed about time is not fun for anyone. Running here and there without stopping to think about what’s actually important is a trap that many business people fall into. Relax with the understanding that not everything can be done today, and it won’t all get done today. Accomplishing tasks can be done more efficiently and it’s a worthy goal to strive for, but it’s equally true that every person can stop and take a deep breath and remember that there really is only so much time in one day.
Prioritization and balance are integral to time management success. Enjoying each moment while striving to be more efficient will create a more productive workday.
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