Simple steps to effective time management
Posted on May 05, 2016 by Christoph Nauer, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.
By properly organizing your work schedule, you can manage your time and stress levels: make a list, prioritize and schedule.
Do you ever feel as though there are not enough hours in the day; that you don’t have the time to do everything you need to do and still have time for yourself? If you feel overwhelmed by commitments and obligations, you are not alone. The feeling that you are so busy you no longer have a life affects many people in business and those with stressful careers. It can also have a negative impact on spouses and the wider family circle.
Being over-committed can severely damage your quality of life and have a detrimental effect on your health. It can also affect how successful you are in achieving your goals by sapping your energy and promoting negative thoughts. It is important to recognize the signs of stress and take action to manage your time more efficiently.
Take back control of your time
Prioritizing your workload and recognizing when to delegate can dramatically enhance your work-life balance. Some people make lists to help them stick to a manageable schedule. It is important to have an action plan and set goals. It is equally important to review those goals and to adjust routines to make sure stress is not allowed to creep back into your life.
By properly organizing your work schedule, you can manage your time and stress levels. Many people ask, ‘What are some Simple steps to effective time management?’ The answer is: effectively carrying out priority tasks while reducing the the amount of time wasted on non-priority actions – boosting your productivity and freeing up time for you to do the things that make you happy in life.
Simple changes can make a big difference, such as:
Sharing tasks.
Organizing work to comfortably meet deadlines.
Avoiding distractions. Switch off social media and schedule set times to read emails. Don’t accept non-essential phone calls as they come in – schedule in call backs.
Revise your goals periodically and don’t be afraid to change them.
Make sure relaxation time is on your schedule and stick to it.
Reducing interruptions, increasing productivity
In business, you cannot eliminate interruptions completely. However, you can reduce them. Do you read emails as they are delivered, for example? You can save time and avoid constant distractions by only checking your email account every two to three hours. Constantly breaking away from what you are working on to deal with emails can reduce your productivity and the quality of your output.
Similarly, unless social media is essential to your work, switch off Facebook and Twitter. If a phone conversation is not essential, schedule a call back for later in the day. You could even set time aside in your schedule specifically for ‘call backs’.
By putting most of your energy into the things that gain you the highest results you will ensure you meet your goals, boost your productivity and achieve success. These are some simple steps to effective time management.
