One of the problems most people have, which leads to underperformance, procrastination, and the likes, is time management. Everyone have 24-hours in a day, but the difference between top performers, and low performers, is the ability top manage the 24 hours in order to be more productive. There have been a lot of tips on how you can manage your time. However, we dug dip to find out a few more tips you might not have heard of, that will help you manage and utilize your 24 hours per day, in order to be more productive. Want to find them? Keep reading.
- You don’t need to be perfect.
Done is better than perfect. To become exceptional, you must learn from your mistakes, this means, you must make mistakes. Don’t waste time striving for perfection. Look at every effort as an experiment, and a valuable step on your journey, no matter what the outcome. Perfectionist, never see anything as good enough. So, they keep going back to redo what they have done over again, thereby wasting time. Don’t be a perfectionist. Do what you can, and move on to the next task.
- Maximize your waiting time.
When you find yourself waiting for an even to happen, or someone defaulted on their appointment time and you had to wait, or you are in transit, don’t waste time waiting. Instead of wasting this time, read an inspirational book, listen to a podcast, write.
- Apply the Swiss cheese method.
When you have a workload that seems intimidating, you can apply the Swiss cheese method. This method, coined by Alan Lakein, says that the best way to overcome being overwhelmed and confused about work, is to break down larger projects into either smaller tasks or time chunks. By completing a single, small task in a lesser time, you will make the project less intimidating and more likely to be finished on time.
- Batch related task together.
When you have tasks that are related to each other, batch and do them together. For example, you can schedule time to make calls and send or reply emails together. One of the importance of this is, different tasks demand different types of thinking. By batching related tasks together, your brain isn’t switching, which means you will cut out the time it takes to re-orient.
- Always plan your week on Sunday.
For most people, work starts on Monday. So, it is ideal to plan your week on Sunday, so that you won’t spend Monday morning, planning the week.
So, take a few minutes on Sunday to create a plan for your whole week. Break down your weekly goals into daily tasks. That way you’ll be able to see what you need to do every day at a glance. You can also schedule low-priority tasks for Fridays and other low-energy times.
- Don’t multitask.
Multitasking is a trap, and has a negative impact on productivity. Those who multitask have greater difficulty averting distractions than those who focus on one task. Also, multitasking can impact your cognitive ability. Pick one thing to do, set a timer and work on only that thing until either you finish or the timer goes off. This will help ensure both your focus and your quality standards.
My name is Chigozie Japhet. I am a content writer, and a brand strategist. I like writing, reading, researching and watching football, especially my team, Man United. i believe in working hard, and also in relaxation as all work without play, makes Chigozie a dull boy.
