Time Management Practices for Busy People
Time management is always talked about but often difficult to implement!
Dictionary.com defines time management as the analysis of how working hours are spent and the prioritization of tasks in order to maximize personal efficiency in the workplace.
Are you a busy person? If so, you might have a few time management issues. Juggling your work life, home life, a business, volunteering for various organizations like Toastmasters, and taking care of aging parents, can be stressful and overwhelming at times. That’s why you need to focus on using your time effectively and prioritizing your tasks.
Time Management Tips to Use
- Make a “to do” list of the top 3 things you want to accomplish the next day. Place the list on your laptop or where you will see it the next morning as you prepare to start your day.
- Clean off your desk. Piles of papers draw your attention and your energy away from your main task at hand.
- Break your project down into bite-size pieces to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Estimate how long each task will take and set target completion dates.
- Use Mind Mapping to get all of those ideas out of your head and on paper.
- Hire an assistant or virtual assistant to do those tasks that you want to outsource. You must know your strengths and weaknesses and focus on the things you are are good at doing.
- Constantly ask yourself, “Is this the best use of my time?”
- Don’t multi-task. Focus on one thing at a time, do it well, then switch to another task.
The best way to insure you get things done is by doing the things you enjoy. If you are happy with your work you will want to see progress. If you are unhappy, you will procrastinate.
Now I know some of you are saying there are some things I need to do but don’t enjoy doing. If that’s the case, you may want to tackle those challenging assignments first or when you are at your highest energy level. Brian Tracy, author of “Eat That Frog” says do that hard thing first and get it over with. Imagine how you will feel when that item is off your plate! You can even build in small rewards for a job well done.
Try a few of these suggestions and figure out what works well for you. Feel free to share your tips with me, when you have the time!