Time management is a crucial skill across the board, for employees and freelancers, homebodies and students alike. It can give you clarity and peace of mind, where you might otherwise be struggling to keep abreast of your own to do list. Here are five secrets to help you on your journey to productivity mastery.
Prioritising Tasks
The central tenet of good task management is being able to prioritise tasks in order of importance. This might seem like a simple task, but many of us all too often find ourselves tidying up our email inboxes when we should really be finishing up that project due by the end of the week. Create a system for ranking the importance of tasks, and when you draw up your to do list for a day, order your tasks with it in mind. This way, more important tasks are completed first, and you don’t run the risk of running out of time before you’ve started your most important work of the day.
Setting Yourself Alerts
Good time management starts with a good sense of what time you actually have. Making use of a planner or organiser to keep track of your time, from appointments to obligations and other plans, is all well and good, but near-useless if you are the kind of person to forget to check it when it counts. Make use of the digital calendar on your smartphone, with alerts to remind you when something is due, when you’re expected somewhere or when to make an appointment; whether you need to book in an MOT check or chase up a client, your phone will have you covered.
Learning When to Say No
A big part of time management is managing your workload, and knowing when you have too much on your plate. Saying no to future work until your current load is manageable is a strong skill to have, especially if it involves turning down money in the process – but saying no can extend past work. Sometimes you may have to say no to social events in order to keep time for your tasks. At first this can be difficult, but with practice you you’ll be managing your time well enough not to have to resort to missing out.
Focusing on One Task at a Time
Multitasking is a pervasive invention and a dangerous myth rolled up into one; there is no such thing as multitasking, as it is physically impossible for us to multitask. If you think you’re multitasking, you’re in fact mentally switching between task A and task B quickly – and the results of this switching are detrimental, sub-par results for both tasks. Instead of trying to save time by doubling up your tasks, focus on them one at a time. Not everything is a race, and good time management is knowing to leave enough time for a task to be done well.
Ditching the Distractions
Social media and the instant availability of distractions via your smartphone are the enemy of productivity. Do your best to ditch the smartphone and focus on your to-do list, with regular breaks to scratch that social media itch. If you find yourself struggling to tear away from distractions, try something like the Pomodoro Technique, which requires you to give your undivided attention to a task for 25 minutes, then forces you to take a break for 5 minutes. Rinse, repeat and you may surprise yourself with how much focus a countdown timer can give you.
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