Time management is one of those things that we could all do a better job at. For some of us, 24 hours just isn't enough time for us to complete our massive to-do lists so having great time management skill is a must! Today, I'm giving you all 5 tips for achieving better time management.
Prioritize Your To-Do List
When it comes to making your to-do list, always plan to do the time-sensitive matters first; this way, you won't be caught off guard with a tight deadline and no time to complete the task! Taking deadlines into consideration when creating your to-do list will also help you out if you happen to run into obstacles along the way - you'll have the extra time you need to problem solve.
I also recommend putting the things that you don't want to do near the top of your to-do list as well. Personally, getting those things out of the way first takes a huge weight off my shoulders and I feel motivated to complete my other tasks. This will also help you feel a lot more accomplished - when there are things on your to-do list that you don't want to do, it can feel like there's a dark cloud over your head. It's as they say, "save the best for last!"
Plan Ahead
Personally, I add things to my calendar as soon as I know about them - this way, I can look ahead and plan out my days respectively. This also helps eliminate forgetting about things that need to get done or plans that have been made. Planning ahead also helps leave room for error, emergencies, lazy days and surprise plans that may arise.
As for my daily to-do list, I write those the day before or in the morning when I wake up. I write my to-do list in the morning because I like to have a completely checked off list at night so I can feel a sense of accomplishment and not like I have a never-ending list of things to do.
Schedule Breaks
Although we all may want to take a break whenever we feel like it throughout the day, this leads to procrastination and your tasks won't get completed in a timely fashion. Instead, I recommend planning out your break times so that you will be motivated to complete your tasks in one sitting and you can look forward to your break!
With that said, breaks are essential to maintaining a healthy relationship with your work and your mental health. Your breaks will help you avoid burnout and will refresh you for completing your next task of the day - so please, take breaks!
Block Distractions
In today's society, it seems that the world of distractions is growing at light speed. When I need to focus on something of utmost importance, I put my phone on DND (Do Not Disturb) so that I don't receive any potentially distracting notifications that will rip my focus away from my work. However, I do know that sometimes emergencies arise so I still allow calls from my family and very close friends - I also tell them that I'm doing something important so they know not to call me unless there's an emergency.
If you're not a fan of putting your phone on DND, then setting your distracting devices on the other side of the room, or in a different room, could be very useful as well.
Work Strategically
Work smarter not harder!
On your busiest days, multitasking can prove to be very useful. Now, I don't mean multitasking between your Sociology paper and watching a documentary for your Diversity class. Studies have shown that multitasking isn't a good alternative to working on things separately because your work will lack important detail. However, if your multitasking involves doing things like checking your email while you wait in a line, or watching part of your lecture while you eat lunch, these can help save time during your day.
Working strategically can also involve splitting up tasks so that you get the important parts out of the way first for your duties and then come back to them later in the day to finish.
How do you manage your time wisely during busy days?
Until next time,
xoxo
"And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in his own power"
Acts 1:7