Time is a commodity that is valuable to almost everyone these days. Many people each day see a lack of time as something that prevents them from accomplishing all of their tasks. Unfortunately, this creates a lot of stress and makes people unhappy they aren't getting everything necessary done. If you would like to better yourself through proven time management techniques, continue to the following article.

Don't be afraid of division! Many of the tasks that look impossible on your to-do list are composed of several small tasks. To manage your time wisely, break down major tasks into lesser, minor ones. You'll be able to tackle individual parts of a big job one at a time, making progress and maintaining your motivation.

Get a timer. You can set the timer for the period of time you're able to work. For instance, if your goal is to be able to do an hour's work straight, set your timer for 15 minutes to start with. Take a break, and then increase the time on the timer. Repeat this until you work up to your desired length of time.

Try using the calendar feature on your cell phone to manage your time. Since most people always carry their cell phones with them, you will always have your schedule with you. This will help you improve your life because you will never miss another appointment or important date.

Take some time to schedule some time for your interruptions. You need to be able to plan some time that you can be taken away from the tasks you're working on. For instance, maintaining concepts similar to "office hours." Office hours can be thought of as planned interruptions.

To help you reduce stress and stay on task plan each day's activities. Plan the activities that you must complete daily by keeping a calendar. This will help ensure that you allocate enough time for each activity. Additionally, this will help avoid scheduling conflicts that can create unnecessary stress.

Do not be afraid to tell people to leave you alone when you are working. Hang a sign on the door, lock the door and block your phone calls when you need to get something done. This will help you keep your train of thought and focus on the task at hand. You will be far more productive without any interruptions.

Learn to let the little things go when you are overwhelmed by a busy day. People who tend to fuss over less important matters often lose their focus on the big picture, thus wasting time. Have your priorities straight and don't allow minor problems to get in the way of managing time efficiently.

Prioritize each day's activities. Often, unimportant tasks can take up a lot of the day. When you prioritize tasks, you will spend time on more important tasks. Jot down what needs doing and tackle each item in order of priority.

Do not rush through your day. If you rush through things and make mistakes, it will take you far longer to fix those mistakes than it would have for you to do it right the first time. Slow and careful work will be more productive than rushed, sloppy work.

 

Procrastination

One of the biggest obstacles to self-improvement and time management is procrastination. When you put off the things you should be focusing on, you end up pushing other essential things off the schedule. Eventually, something will catch up with you and put you in the wrong position. Try your best never to procrastinate.

Don’t fake yourself, do your best to achieve your daily goals. Some techniques like Pomodoro, are very helpful when you tend to procrastinate.

Photo credits: Unsplash

 

Time management is a simple skill to learn when you are dedicated to following certain proven strategies. If you are a member of the Project Management Institute and want to know more about it, watch the webinar: 3Ts for Better Time Management: Tips, Tools, and Techniques That You Can Use to Manage Your Time Even Better, on this webinar you’ll find out more about this topic. Lastly, make sure you use the things you learned in this article and get started immediately. Soon enough, you will see how simple it is to accomplish everything you set out to do each day. You will be able to live a less stressful life when you remember the steps outlined in this article.

 

 

About the author:

Ivan Moreira, PMP® works in the technology industry. He is an agility enthusiast, international speaker, volunteer, passionate about helping companies and people address changes in their businesses and life with technology. A believer that community growth and progress, that together, could change the world.

 

References:

• https://ivanmoreira.org/about
• https://www.projectmanagement.com/videos/618406/3ts-for-better-time-management--tips--tools--and-techniques-that-you-can-use-to-manage-your-time-even-better
• https://francescocirillo.com/products/the-pomodoro-technique
• https://unsplash.com