January 5th 2022
In recent years, many of us have grown accustomed to the tight deadlines and higher expectations put upon us in our daily work life. With this comes more pressure to deliver great work in shorter and shorter timeframes. There are only 24 hours in a day, and with 8 of those reserved for a good night’s rest, it’s even more important nowadays to plan your time effectively.
In this article, we’re going to help you understand how improving your time management skills can drastically boost your output in a single day. Thorough planning and an understanding of how effective you can be in a certain timeframe will undoubtedly increase not only your achievements each day, but also your motivation to forge on ahead.
What Exactly Do We Mean by Time Management?
When we talk about time management, we’re referring to things like how long certain tasks can (or are supposed to) take to complete. Allocating a specific amount of time in your working day to get that task done, which can then be multiplied across your other tasks. Time management allows you to always make the best use of your resources in the working day, as time is always limited and expectations are usually high.
Managing your time effectively also allows you to pay more attention to high impact tasks that may require more input. Putting in place a hierarchy of things that you need to complete, with the most critical tasks being prioritised.
Time management includes:
- Assigning time to each task for the day
- Setting personal goals per task
- Setting shorter personal deadlines throughout the day
- If you are a manager, delegation of responsibilities and required team input
- Prioritisation of critical tasks first – Setting primary and secondary objectives
Many businesses force time management for their employees in the form of deadlines. Setting personal goals for yourself throughout the day can help to ease the burden of that expectation, giving yourself more time to breathe.
Why Do We Need to Manage Our Time Wisely?
We’re living in a very fast paced society. People want things done quickly and efficiently. You are a single person, not a superhero, so be sure to remember that you can only get so much done. With that being said, adapting to different workloads and assigning time to get them done effectively is where you’ll be able to achieve bigger results in a shorter amount of time.
There are so many benefits to proper time management, such as freeing up more time after tasks are done, less stress and anxiety, more focus and drive, and greater output. With time delegated to each working task, you’re able to beat the procrastination bug and ensure that things get done in quick fashion. This frees you up to spend more time with loved ones, see friends and do other things that you wouldn’t normally have the ability to do.
With many people also now working from home, time management is more important now that it ever has been, so whilst you’re managing to avoid the daily commute, you should also make the most of remote working too.
How Do We Improve Our Time Management Skills?
So how exactly do you plan your time more effectively during the working day? There’s a plethora of ways to do it, but we’ll outline some of our key tips here for you to follow to really make the most of those precious hours.
Create a To-Do List
This may seem rather obvious but creating a daily to-do list can really help you to focus on what needs to be done. Should you prioritise certain tasks first and work down the list? How about completing all of your smaller tasks first to get them out of the way? There are different approaches you can take to completing your list, so you’ll need to pick the best one that suits your personal situation and the expectations of your company/employer.
Prioritise Tasks
As mentioned before, prioritising certain tasks can be a very good way of staying on top of your workload. You can put a focus on those critical, high-impact tasks that your colleagues are expecting ASAP. You can also choose to set that task a bit further along in the day when you are at your most productive or creative. It really is up to you for how to manage your time on these tasks, and if you’re working in a team, make sure to voice your opinion on how you think things should get done – communication is key.
Stay Focused and Time Block
One thing that effective time management is good for, is keeping you focused and driven to get certain things completed. If you have 30 minutes left on a task, it can really boost you up a gear to hit that personal deadline. When that task is completed, you can breathe a sigh of relief and know that you managed it correctly. If you have a group of similar tasks, you can time block them within a certain portion of your day. The advantage of time blocking is that it not only tells you what your tasks are, but the exact parameters of time you must do them in.
Find Your Productivity Zone
If you notice a pattern in your day-to-day activity, where there are certain points that you feel extra motivated and ready to conquer, you can also plan for this time. Why not leave certain tasks until this part of your day, when you know you can breeze through them without a second thought? Finding your productivity zones in the working day can be a great way to get lots of work done in a single timeframe, freeing up more of your day, and improving motivation at work.
Delegate the Workload
If you work as part of a team, it can make time management even easier. You not only have others to contribute and get tasks done faster, but you can also sync up your schedules to always ensure someone is working on a certain thing – even when you’re not. Delegating – or splitting – the workload can lead to much greater results if everyone is motivated and on-board from the get-go. It also allows for flexibility too, meaning no one has to work through their lunch break!
And finally… Don’t Forget to Take a Break!
Speaking of lunch breaks, don’t forget to take one! Even when working alone, it’s vital that you allow yourself some time in the day to take a break, have some rest, or have something to eat and drink. You’ll work much better if you’re satisfied and content, even after taking small breaks, so never underestimate the power they can have on your overall productivity. If you’re in the office, why not take a walk to clear your head? If you’re working from home, why not pop to the shop? Above all else, make sure you plan time for yourself in the day too.
In this day and age, proper time management is becoming a necessity. Faster-paced environments and increasing workloads mean that you’ll need to hone this practice to fully benefit in the future, and we hope you’ve taken something meaningful away from what we’ve discussed today.
If you’re expanding your business and need more office space to accommodate your new employees, why not head over and take a look at our serviced offices and managed office spaces today, to find your ideal new space!
