Do you have a reputation for being late? Or maybe you feel like you struggle just to keep up and get places feeling prepared? The first step to being a good time manager, is recognizing that time is more than just 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour, etc. Have you ever heard the terms, “time flies when you’re having fun” or “time stood still”? That’s because in real life time, there is an entire mental element that makes time seem faster or slower depending on the circumstances. So time management has to be more than just managing the clock or a schedule.
BE AWARE.
The first thing you have to do is become aware of how you spend your time. You can do this by keeping a record of what you do for about a week. keep a meticulous record of how long things take you, what all you accomplish and what time you start and stop different activities. Be sure to especially track distractions and interruptions.
REMOVE DISTRACTIONS.
If you’ve completed the above step, you might be surprised at how much time is taken by distractions! These days, we are literally bombarded with distractions everywhere we turn. Most of us carry the biggest distraction of all with us at all times– our smartphone. Some distractions are inevitable, but many can be removed simply by paying attention and being disciplined. So the next time you start scrolling through your Facebook timeline or checking Instagram, stop yourself. Focus on the task at hand. Save all the scrolling for your downtime.
UNPRODUCTIVITY.
A close cousin to distraction is unproductively. In your record of what takes up your time, what things are unproductive or unnecessary? What things could be grouped together in the spirit of “killing two birds with one stone” and save some time?
SCHEDULE IT.
Important things need to be scheduled. Be sure to plan an appropriate block of time for important things. Be sure to pad that block of time so you don’t find yourself feeling rushed. Be disciplined to start and stop on time. Set a reminder alert on your phone or computer if necessary!
Equally important to schedule is time for necessary things. You know, those things that need to be done and tend to sneak up and overwhelm us when we don’t make time to do them. Paying bills, renewing your license, doing taxes, cleaning out the car…
Important things left unattended can cause a lot of stress. But if we schedule time to handle them, we’re managing our time, and preventing a stressful situation.
PLAN IT.
Take some time at the beginning of each day to plan your time. That’s right. Plan time to plan time. This is when you schedule the important things and the necessary things. As we’ll talk about next, we also need to plan time for interruptions. If you have to be somewhere, plan extra time for traffic or other unforeseen interruptions.
PREP TIME.
If you have a meeting or phone call, plan a few minutes before to prepare for it. Make a few notes about the goal of the meeting- what you want the outcome to be. This will pave the way for a more productive and efficient meeting with better results. If you have to be somewhere, be sure to give yourself enough time to get ready and make sure you have everything you need.
If you have an early morning, get everything together the night before for a smoother, more efficient morning.
SET BOUNDARIES.
Don’t be afraid to say “no” or at least “not now”. When you are working on completing a task, some interruptions are unavoidable, but some are completely avoidable! Saying no doesn’t have to be cold or rude. You can respectfully decline, or quickly set a future time to circle back around to it, then get back to the task at hand. Maybe a literal “do not disturb” sign is in order!
PLAN DOWNTIME.
Give yourself time to relax and unwind. This will help keep your mind fresh so that you are to be able to focus when there are tasks that need to be completed. This is when you can be free to scroll and post away on social media! Enjoy the distractions you worked hard to avoid earlier!
BE REALISTIC.
Schedules are great, but if you set too rigid a schedule, it’s just going to cause more stress and poor time management. The key to good time management is being realistic and planning enough time for unknowns. Be aware of how long things take, then give yourself extra time. It’s better to set a longer time and finish early than to get behind.
COMMUNICATE.
If you’re running late to meet someone, let them know. Even if it’s only a few minutes late. This shows that you are not only aware of your time, but respect their time as well. Sometimes, things happen, you get behind and it might be necessary to reschedule an appointment or task. Being flexible is all a part of good time management.
Let your superiors or colleagues know what can (or cannot) be expected of you. Communicate how long a task or project will take. And if that changes, communicate the changes as well.
Follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to being a fantastic time manager!
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