Are punctuality and meeting deadlines real challenges for you? If so, mastering time management might be the missing piece. In this article, we delve into a very important aspect- time management, offering insights on how to manage time.

Well, what is time management? Time management is the ability to use one’s time effectively and productively. Given below are some tips to manage your time efficiently.

Ways To Manage Your Time Efficiently

1. Figure Out Where You Are Spending Your Time

If you need to manage your time better, you should first learn where you spend your time. Try logging your daily routine in a planner. This activity will help you figure out the following things:

How much you can accomplish in a day?
Which activities provide the greatest return?
Where do you lose time?

When you have done this audit, it helps you understand how much time you spend doing unproductive things. You realise how much time a particular task takes to get completed.

2. Create And Stick To Your Daily Schedule

Remembering all the tasks that you do in a day can make you anxious. It is better to create a schedule or to-do list. In the list, prioritise the most important tasks and then other tasks. Keeping a planner helps to organise your thoughts and makes your job less stressful.

3. Prioritise Wisely

When you make your to-do list, write down things you can complete quickly. For making a to-do list, follow the Eisenhower matrix. It is an organisational tool that prioritises your tasks based on importance and urgency. There are four quadrants in this and below are its details:

Important And Urgent – Complete all the urgent tasks with the deadlines.
Important But Not Urgent – Here, mention the tasks that don’t have an immediate deadline but require the most time.
Urgent But Not Important – Delegate tasks to someone else that are urgent but don’t require your attention. These types of tasks create distractions.
Not Urgent, Not Important – Include all those tasks which are not that important and you can complete them quickly.

4. Group Similar Tasks Together

You might receive emails, messages, and notifications while you work. Reserve half an hour or an hour to answer all the emails, messages, and notifications so that it doesn’t hamper your work. Keep in mind to keep your notifications silent so that you are not distracted all the time.

5. Avoid The Urge To Multitask

When you have too many tasks pending, it is natural to feel the need to multitask. You have to avoid the urge to multitask since it lowers the quality of your work. Multitasking can also create confusion and be the reason for mistakes in your work.

6. Assign Time Limits For Tasks

To optimise your planner, ensure that you assign a time limit to the tasks. You can use the Pomodoro Technique which suggests checking off your tasks in 25-minute chunks. You take a break after four stints and a long break after completing four stints. This technique helps reduce mental strain and maintain your motivation to do things.

7. Take Mini Breaks

When you work continuously, it can become tiring, so it is crucial to take breaks. Taking a break reduces mental strain and increases your productivity and focus. Taking mini breaks after completing a chunk of your work refreshes and motivates you.

8. Learn To Say No

If you want to complete all your tasks on time, you should learn to say no. If you cannot say no, then learn to delegate the tasks which helps you manage your time. Remember to follow the 80/20 rule- 80 per cent of your output comes from 20 per cent of your input.

9. Get organised

All the planning won’t help if all the papers related to your work are scattered. Organise the files like you have organised the tasks so that you can complete your tasks quickly. Create a proper filing system, unsubscribe to emails you don’t need, and write important deadlines and information on post-its so that you can remember the details quickly.

10. Eliminate Distractions

Social media, WhatsApp & promotional messages and emails are distractions while you work. Close all the tabs related to social media, keep the notifications on silent and check only if necessary. Check all these notifications during the lunch break.

Summing Up

Managing your time is vital to everyone and makes your life easier and less stressful. This article helps you learn ten ways to manage your time and meet all your deadlines.