If you find yourself daydreaming on your job, you probably simply want to come home and enjoy life's pleasures without having to work for them. Unfortunately, that's not realistic for most of us, and we have to work. And when we have to work, we have to do a good job and be thorough, so we have to remain focused on what were doing. That's not so easy, however.
In case you didn't know, there are 168 hours in a week. That's not a very long time to get everything done that you need to get done. Most of us don't get done what we want to get done and end up putting it off until tomorrow. However, effective time management can change this.
Here are five tips that can help you use your time better.
1. Schedule your day for everything you need to get done. Make time for work and time for play, and put it on your schedule. Follow your schedule religiously, and stick to it. Your schedule should list your priorities in the order you need to get them done. If you want to spend some time at the gym, make sure you put it on your schedule and make it a routine.
2. Before you go to bed every night, list what you are going to do the next day, starting with first thing in the morning. You can also do this right after you get up and before you start your day, but regardless, have a to do list that you follow every day and then stick with it. When you've got one task completed, mark it off and move down to the next thing. Keep going until you get to the very last task you need to complete. If you follow this method, you'll only rarely get behind.
3. Do not allow yourself any distractions such as the television, cell phone, social websites, etc. Remember, there is a time for work, and a time for leisure. Distractions are okay, but only after the work has been completed.
4. Put "must do" before "can do." Organize your list so that the things that have to be done get done, and those that can wait until another day can be moved inside. It's likely that you're not always going to get everything done on your list, especially if you're particularly busy. Stay realistic about what you can and can't handle for a particular day, and just keep checking things off. You will get through it.
5. Mix harder with easier tasks to keep from getting overwhelmed. If you wish, interchanging hard tasks for easy tasks and vice versa throughout the day can help keep you from getting burned out. If you have several big or difficult jobs in a row, see if you can spread them out over the course of a week. You can also make a to-do list for the entire week so that you can spread out the harder jobs on different days, including picking specific days for specific projects.
In short, time management is all about planning ahead. Of course, complications are going to occur in your schedule sometimes, so you'll need to go to "plan B" when necessary. Still, simply having a plan and schedule to begin with is going to help keep you more efficient, effective and productive so that you use your time wisely.
In case you didn't know, there are 168 hours in a week. That's not a very long time to get everything done that you need to get done. Most of us don't get done what we want to get done and end up putting it off until tomorrow. However, effective time management can change this.
Here are five tips that can help you use your time better.
1. Schedule your day for everything you need to get done. Make time for work and time for play, and put it on your schedule. Follow your schedule religiously, and stick to it. Your schedule should list your priorities in the order you need to get them done. If you want to spend some time at the gym, make sure you put it on your schedule and make it a routine.
2. Before you go to bed every night, list what you are going to do the next day, starting with first thing in the morning. You can also do this right after you get up and before you start your day, but regardless, have a to do list that you follow every day and then stick with it. When you've got one task completed, mark it off and move down to the next thing. Keep going until you get to the very last task you need to complete. If you follow this method, you'll only rarely get behind.
3. Do not allow yourself any distractions such as the television, cell phone, social websites, etc. Remember, there is a time for work, and a time for leisure. Distractions are okay, but only after the work has been completed.
4. Put "must do" before "can do." Organize your list so that the things that have to be done get done, and those that can wait until another day can be moved inside. It's likely that you're not always going to get everything done on your list, especially if you're particularly busy. Stay realistic about what you can and can't handle for a particular day, and just keep checking things off. You will get through it.
5. Mix harder with easier tasks to keep from getting overwhelmed. If you wish, interchanging hard tasks for easy tasks and vice versa throughout the day can help keep you from getting burned out. If you have several big or difficult jobs in a row, see if you can spread them out over the course of a week. You can also make a to-do list for the entire week so that you can spread out the harder jobs on different days, including picking specific days for specific projects.
In short, time management is all about planning ahead. Of course, complications are going to occur in your schedule sometimes, so you'll need to go to "plan B" when necessary. Still, simply having a plan and schedule to begin with is going to help keep you more efficient, effective and productive so that you use your time wisely.
About the Author:
About the author: Alison K. Mitchelson introduces motivational techniques and professional facilitation online at Inspired Reality for busy professionals including business training and Executive Coaching. Inspire your staff!
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