First, you need to understand that time is a valuable resource. There are only so many hours in each day, and we as humans want more of it. It’s totally normal to feel stressed about how much time you have left after work, after school activities, and with your family.
That’s why having good time management skills is so important. You should be conscious of how much time you have available for things and try to maximize it. This can mean giving up some TV or other entertainment habits, limiting how long you spend on tasks, and learning how to say “no” to responsibilities.
Time is a limited commodity, and wasting it is harmful not just for yourself, but also others. If you know you will probably run out of time soon, you may want to consider investing in self-management tools or practices. These could include apps, books, and strategies that help you manage your time efficiently.
There are several types of time management, but my favorite is event planning. In this article, I’ll talk about what event planning is, how to do it, and where you can get started.
Assign time values to each task
The next step in optimizing your time is to assign time value to each task. What tasks are worth how much time depends on two things: 1) what the task is and 2) how important it is to you.
For example, writing this article is an easy task that takes little time, but it’s not very significant. It doesn’t make a big difference in your life if you don’t get anything done, so its time value is low.
On the other hand, talking with potential investors about your business or planning a trip to visit your children for the first time both have higher time value because they affect you more directly.
By assigning time values to all of your tasks, you can quickly determine which ones have the most urgent need of your attention.
Make a to-do list
A good time management technique is making a to-do list. This can be done in several ways, but one of the most effective is using an index card or piece of paper with notes and tasks written on it.
Simply make a list of all your current projects and add “follow up” as a note next to each project. When you get some free time, go through this list and see what needs to be done on a given project and how long it will take to complete it.
This way, you are constantly aware of what you have to do, when you can do it, and how much time it takes to complete a task. It also helps prevent new things from getting lost because you have to remember them!
Another option is creating categories for different areas of life such as work, family, etc. Then, organize your daily activities by category to help you focus more on only one area at a time.
Develop your action plan
The second way to manage your time is by developing an effective time management plan. Just because you do not have enough time does not mean that you should keep doing things in the same order!
You need to make changes to how you organize your work so that you maximize your time while still achieving your goals.
Start with asking yourself what you want to achieve and then determine which tasks are necessary for reaching those goals.
Next, evaluate whether your current approach to task completion is efficient. If it is not, try changing it to see if it works better.
Last, consider how you can automate or outsource some of your less important responsibilities to free up more time. For example, instead of checking email every few hours, have someone else check it for you. Or hire someone to take care of certain duties for you.
Be consistent
Consistency is one of the most important things you can have as a time manager. This means no matter what you are doing, you should do it with the same level of intensity every day.
Weekly commitments may be more difficult than making daily ones, but they are much needed if you want to see results.
By having consistency at a weekly level, you create an easier transition into other parts of your life. For example, working during the week gives you more time outside of work during the rest of the days.
You will also notice that your workload decreases slightly over the weeks, which helps you focus on other things in your life.
Time off is another key factor in creating consistency. If you need some down time, try to schedule it consistently throughout the week.
Make it a priority
A lot of people think that being more organized means just making your desk look pretty, or creating extra file folders. Nope! That’s only the very beginning. The next step is actually spending time organizing and planning.
It takes work to make good organizational habits so don’t expect them to stick immediately. You will need to invest some time in establishing routines and practices that help you achieve your goal.
Take this week for example. This morning I woke up early and took my dog for a walk. I then made myself a breakfast sandwich before getting ready for school. While I was eating lunch, I gathered all of my assignments and things I needed for tomorrow from my bag and put them in order by category.
After class I went directly home where I started to organize all of my homework into individual files and categories using an easy-to-find computer software program called Best Folder For Files.
I also made a checklist with important dates like exams and due dates and notes about each assignment. After doing both of these things, I left the house at a reasonable hour for me which is 9:30 AM.
Take breaks
A few years ago, I heard a very interesting theory about time management. It was called “the fleeting moment” theory of time perception. According to this theory, we perceive there to be less time left before we run out when we are in short bursts of activity separated by long periods of downtime.
When you are sitting down to have lunch after work, for example, you may feel like you have more time until dinner than if you were working all day without a break. The same thing happens when you leave the house early in the morning for an appointment or trip. You may think you have more time till your return home, but then it occurs, you need to get ready for that!
This can put stress on us, because we may not realize how much time is really left before our next event. We may feel pressed for time even though there seems to be enough time ahead of us. If this sounds familiar, try breaking up large blocks of time with shorter ones to make sure you do not over-estimate how much time is left.
Also, take breaks. Make sure you schedule some time each week to relax, whether it’s reading a book, doing yoga, going to a movie, whatever makes you happy. This will help you reset and reenergize, which will aid in keeping time under control.
Automate tasks
A lot of time lost in most people’s work lives is spent doing things manually, from taking notes during a meeting to emailing someone back to organizing all their files and documents.
By automating these processes, you can free up your time for more important activities.
You can create routines and practices that help you perform these functions automatically, which cuts down on wasted time re-doing them.
For example, if you are ever asked a question at a conference event or seminar, you can use an app like Audible to get you through the presentation as quickly as possible while also listening to a book or audio course you have been wanting to read or listen to.
This way, you don’t need to remember what was said last week or spend hours trying to follow along, and you can save yourself some time.
Learn to prioritize
A crucial part of time management is learning how to prioritize your tasks. You will need to do this whether you are an over-management or under-control person, because no one else will!
It is very difficult for people with poor time management control to understand why someone who seems to have more responsibility can feel that they do not get enough done. It is also hard to come to terms with the fact that others in the workplace may not respect their priorities unless something changes.
If you find yourself constantly rushing from one task to another, then it’s time to take a look at your own workload and see if there are any opportunities to reduce what you are asking of yourself.