We often hear people complain about not having enough time to complete tasks. If you experience the same, don't worry! You can make the most of your available time by mastering some basic organizational and time management skills. The more wisely you manage your time, the more tasks will be completed.
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Method 1 of 3: Identifying How You Use Your Time
Step 1. Record all daily activities
Observe what activities you do every day and note how long it takes you to complete them. Maybe you don't think that the time that is wasted turns out to be far more than the time that is actually used to complete daily tasks.
Don't forget to record your routine activities at home, such as preparing breakfast, sweeping the house, taking a shower, etc
Step 2. Record all activities in a notebook
Once you know the activities you do throughout the day and the time it takes, write them down in a notebook. If all the information is combined and presented in 1 page, you will see patterns and activities that have the potential to trigger a waste of time.
- Keep complete and clear notes. Don't record multiple activities in one entry, don't ignore seemingly trivial tasks, and keep track of time accurately when monitoring the implementation of daily activities.
- Group activities into categories. For example, note household tasks in blue, office work in red, and leisure activities in black. This method helps you estimate how much time each group will take.
Step 3. Find out how you use your time
Do you spend: 1 hour a day daydreaming? 2 hours to decide where to eat? 8 hours to access the internet? Find patterns that describe how you use your time and then determine what activities are useful and what are not.
- Are you wasting time because you lack self-control? Are you used to procrastinating work? Do you carry a huge responsibility? Ask yourself these questions when evaluating how you use your time.
- Maybe you schedule your daily activities in an irrational way. For example, you haven't managed your time wisely if you work for 30 minutes, take a 10 minute break to take care of trivial things, then come back to work for 30 minutes. You will be more focused and productive if you work for 1 hour and then take care of trivial things.
- Complete tasks by setting deadlines. This is done by specifying the length of time to complete certain tasks without getting distracted.
Step 4. Make schedule adjustments
Once you know exactly what activities to do and what you're spending your time on, adjust your daily schedule. Make sure you know what activities you can't or won't eliminate due to lack of time. Activities that take up a lot of time do not always waste time.
Step 5. If it takes you 3 hours a day to send work-related emails, it's unlikely to reduce the time allotted for this activity
However, if you reply to 4-5 personal emails while sending work emails, reduce the time allotted.
Step 6. Change your habits and perspective
Even if you have trouble managing your time, there is always a solution. Now that you know why you're wasting your time or how you should use your time, the next step is to change how you manage your time to form new habits.
- If you spend a lot of time cleaning the house or cooking, it's a good idea to hire a maid or subscribe to a catering service. For some people, time is more valuable than money.
- Maybe you use a little time to access the internet without any specific purpose. Limit the time you access certain websites or social media if you have more important tasks to do.
Method 2 of 3: Avoiding Diversions
Step 1. Determine the things that distract you during your daily activities
Consistent distraction is a major obstacle to managing time wisely. Find out which activities or people take up a lot of your time, such as friends who like to chat or want to relax so you neglect work. Try to avoid things that make you waste time.
- If you're wasting a lot of time, but not getting the results you hoped for, there may be distractions to avoid.
- While working in the office, you may encounter some distracting coworkers. Don't make small talk or aimlessly chat during business hours. However, be polite to them because behavior in the office is as important as the ability to manage time for career success.
Step 2. Don't stay on the phone for too long
If you spend some of your time on long phone conversations, change that habit. Often, speaking face-to-face is more effective than over the phone. So, get rid of the habit of long talk on the phone.
When discussing over the phone, the beginning or end of the conversation is usually only about trivial things. Many people are unable to focus and daydream on the phone. So, try to be aware of this. For best results, hold a face-to-face meeting if you need to discuss work-related matters as both parties can discuss without being distracted during the meeting
Step 3. Don't access the website too often
Many people need the internet as the main means to complete tasks. However, many also waste time without the benefit of simply looking for articles, sports news, artist photos, pictures of kittens or puppies. Focus on using the internet. There are various programs to block certain apps, websites, and media to reduce internet-sourced redirects.
- Shut down Facebook, Twitter, and other social media when you need to focus on more important things.
- Searching for topics through Google is also very time consuming. At first, you just want to find some information, but before you know it, you've been browsing various websites for 3 hours.
Step 4. Put up a "Please Calm Down" sign
Maybe you've seen the sign hanging on the hotel room door. Post this sign in your office or workspace. Instead of asking for it at the hotel, print it yourself and then hang it on the workspace door if needed. That way, no one invites you to chat so you can focus on work.
If you work from home, set up a special room for work. Do not work in a place that is usually used for activities with family members. It's easy to get distracted when you hear the sound from the TV, the ringing of the phone, or the sound of a video game
Step 5. Be prepared for unexpected diversions
Sometimes, diversions come unavoidably, for example because your boss invites you to chat via WA or your parents ask for help to complete light tasks. If you have scheduled, these things don't make you short of time to complete tasks and carry out priority activities.
Method 3 of 3: Using Time Efficiently
Step 1. Write down all the things that need to be done
Don't rely on memory for daily tasks. Make a list of activities that must be done and read it as often as possible so that all work goals are achieved.
- Even if certain tasks seem trivial or light, just write them down. The schedule on the agenda will contain something like "Call Steve," "Calculate profit margin," or "Send email to boss."
- Make it a habit to take notes with you during your daily activities so that you are ready to take notes on new activities or tasks. While you can write it down later, it's best not to delay it so you don't forget it.
Step 2. Use a calendar
Using a calendar or agenda as a means to schedule daily activities helps you manage your time efficiently. Make a note of anything new that needs to be included in your schedule, such as a deadline, task, or meeting. Set aside time each morning to read through your agenda to find out what activities to do throughout the day.
Step 3. Don't make appointments with the same schedule
In order to manage time wisely, arrange a schedule of activities that are not too crowded. Don't meet deadlines or make appointments with the same schedule. Read the agenda first before agreeing to a new schedule to ensure time availability. This way, you will be able to manage your time well and stick to a consistent daily schedule.
Step 4. Avoid distractions
Make the most of your time productively by eliminating things that distract you or keep you from straying from your schedule and delaying other activities. Turn off the TV and video games so you can focus on your priority tasks and have fun later.
Step 5. Prioritize the tasks to be completed
Organize your time as best you can by scheduling the most important tasks or must come first. Write this task down on a schedule using bright colors or small stickers. Schedule top priority tasks first so that there is enough time to complete them and then list other activities that can be done later.
- Be prepared to change priorities at any time. There are things that arise suddenly and must be addressed immediately so that you are forced to stop working to direct attention and allocate time to meet very urgent deadlines with maximum results. Make sure events like this are rare.
- If you change your daily priorities frequently, it looks like something needs to be fixed. While it's normal to make small adjustments to your schedule, changing your schedule too often indicates an inability to set priorities properly.
Step 6. Be realistic
Determine a realistic time allocation so that each task is completed properly. If it takes you 30-60 minutes to complete a task, schedule 60 minutes. By making realistic time estimates, you don't feel overwhelmed or need to change your work schedule.
Better to be careful with giving more time than needed. If a task is finished early, work on the next one and this has absolutely no impact on productivity
Step 7. Schedule daily routine activities
Don't forget to schedule your daily routine, such as eating and bathing. This will likely work itself out, but you need to allocate time between scheduled tasks so you don't miss or postpone other scheduled activities.
Step 8. Use reminders
In addition to your agenda, use other tools to remind you of important tasks or deadlines, such as Post-it sheets or setting a reminder on your phone that will ring or pop up a message at a certain time to remind you to do something or prepare for the next schedule. This way you don't forget the scheduled activities.
- Don't rely on other people to remind you because there's a good chance they'll forget as well as you.
- If there is a very important activity scheduled, set a few reminders in case a small note or cell phone alarm is ignored.
Step 9. Ask for help
You may ask others for help or delegate light work if needed. You can make a good schedule if you don't hesitate to ask someone else to help clean the house or prepare dinner if you are still busy working late into the night.
- Delegate responsibility to someone you can count on. Instead of asking for help from people who are able to complete the task, choose someone who is ready to work well to completion.
- Don't get used to shifting tasks to other people. In addition to showing an inability to manage time, you may appear lazy and unmotivated.
Step 10. Find out your productivity
Periodically, you need to set aside time to analyze what you've accomplished, how well you're performing, and how much time it takes. By evaluating various aspects of your personal and professional life, you can adjust your work schedule and daily lifestyle so that you can deliver results that exceed your goals.
Step 11. Give yourself a gift
Working too hard or for too long tends to lead to boredom, making it difficult for you to focus on even the easiest tasks. So, take time to celebrate your accomplishments and give yourself a gift you love.
- Take the time to rest to relax yourself. Turn off your phone and don't reply to emails. If work and leisure are combined, this is not a way to reward yourself or prevent burnout.
- If you work Monday through Friday, take the weekend to rest. For example, if you are completing a project that took 3 months in a row, set aside time for a short vacation after the project is complete.
