Top 6 Tips to Level Up Your Time Management Skills!
The Art of Time Management
By definition, time management is the ability to effectively manage and allocate time for your different tasks and activities. In the workplace, it’s a critical skill that employees need to possess in order to be productive and efficient.
However, if you have poor time management skills, it can lead to decreased productivity and lower performance levels: when you are constantly scrambling to complete tasks at the last minute, the quality of your work may suffer, resulting in mistakes, oversights and missed job opportunities.
Additionally, it can seriously hamper your physical and mental health: it can increase stress, which in turn can increase the risk of burnout. It can also lead to fatigue, depression, heart disease and high blood pressure, all of which can lead to a reduced quality of life.
Becoming The Master
To improve your time management skills, it’s important to follow these steps:
- Look At Your Schedule
Schedules can help you stay organised, as you can keep track of your daily tasks, appointments, deadlines and commitments. Carefully go through your schedule, and identify any potentially unnecessary or least important tasks that could be eliminated or delegated to others (more on this in next step!).
By sticking to and co-ordinating your schedule accordingly, you will be able to focus on more important tasks, plus you can free up more time for activities that bring you joy and fulfilment.
- Prioritise!
Some tasks may require your immediate attention, while others can be handled at a later time. That’s why you should prioritise your tasks and activities based on deadlines, importance and urgency. For example, if you have a project that’s due in a week’s time, you should dedicate more time to working on it rather than on less urgent assignments.
To free up your time, schedule your other tasks for later (especially if they have no set deadlines); if you’re unable to complete them yourself, you can always delegate them to someone else, such as one of your colleagues.
- Break It Down
It’s easy to work slowly on tasks, assignments and projects if these are only due in several days or weeks. That’s why you should use this time to plan ahead so that you can get them done instead of leaving them to the last minute.
Create a timeline for each deadline. Once this is done, you’ll be able to calculate how much time you can dedicate to each one. For example, if your first project is due in a week, set aside two hours each day to work on it; if your second project is due at the end of the month, set aside 15-30 minutes a day to focus on it, etc.
Then, break your projects into small chunks. That way, they feel manageable and thus easier to accomplish!
- Limit Multitasking
Most people view multitasking as an important skill. However, while being able to perform two or more tasks at once is known to increase your efficiency and improve your ability to work under pressure, it can also impact the quality of your output. For example, if you prioritise completing minor administrative tasks over an important project, you’re liable to make mistakes by not giving that project your undivided attention.
Instead of working on multiple tasks at once, dedicate yourself to one project at a time within a certain timeframe. For example, spend one hour working on your report, then dedicate 30 minutes to writing and responding to emails, etc.
- Avoid Distractions
Distractions and procrastination go hand-in-hand: they can cause you to lose focus, waste time, and delay the completion of your tasks and projects. As a result, the quality, speed and overall success of your output will be hindered, causing you to feel overwhelmed and stressed.
Try to avoid or eliminate as many distractions as possible. Choose a dedicated area at home or in the office that’s spacious and quiet enough to help ease you into a focused mindset. If there’s background noise, consider using noise-cancelling headphones or listening to music to help you concentrate on the tasks at hand.
Cellphones and social media notifications also manage to pull our attention away from our current projects and activities. Practise putting your phone on silent mode or storing it away in your desk drawer so that you don’t give into the temptation to check it every minute or so. Try to limit the time you spend on social media platforms to specific slots during the day; also, turn off notifications for your social media apps.
- Reward Yourself
Taking breaks is integral to maintaining productivity and preventing burnout. Go outside and take a walk around the block, perform some stretches and exercises, or visit your favourite coffee shop or bookstore during your lunch break – the more relaxed you are, the more energised you’ll be when you return to work.
It’s also important to reward yourself for reaching milestones. For example, for every major project you complete, you could treat yourself to a delicious snack or buy yourself a small gift. This will give you something to look forward to, plus it’ll motivate you to keep working towards your goals.
All In Good Time
With practice, focus and determination, you can hone and improve your time management skills over time. By implementing the above tips into your daily routine, you will boost your productivity and efficiency in the workplace, allowing you to reach your goals and – ultimately – find success. Good luck!