By Helene Malmsio
A lot of people think that they have a lot of time in their hands so they go on doing things according to what they see is fit, but at the end of the day, they realize that they have run out of time and there is nothing they can do to salvage things. You always hear this being said over and over again: "Too much to do, too little time", and you wonder how it could be because everybody gets twenty-fours in a day and if others can be highly productive given this amount of time, why can't you?
Time is the one thing in life you can't stockpile, save for a rainy day, hide under your mattress, or give to someone to hold for you. When it's gone, it's gone. The best you can do is make the most of the time you have in any given day. And if you're like most people, you often wish you had more of it.
In today's fast-paced world, time management is more important than ever. Here are some tips to improve your management of your time.
Learn to use your email program's filter system: Set up a priority email folder and have all of the emails from your most important clients and contacts routed to it automatically so you don't have to wade through a mountain of email manually to get to them.
Tackle the task you dislike the most first: Putting this task to the bottom of your to-do list will lead to a lot of wasted time fretting about it. If you get this task out of the way as quickly as possible you will feel such relief that the other tasks on your list will be a breeze.
Have an agenda for each meeting: Make sure that you have a clear list of everything to be discussed at every meeting and that every attendee gets that agenda ahead of time. During the meeting make sure that you keep from becoming sidetracked so that you waste the minimum amount of time.
It's ok to say no: It's easy to get sidetracked when someone asks for a favor. You want to be a good friend or coworker, so you drop what you're doing to lend a hand. Chances are great you'll never get back to what you were doing. Simply tell them you'll be happy to help when you're finished with what you're doing.
Don't take the easy way out: It's tempting to do the easy tasks first. Don't. By tackling the more difficult, urgent, or time-consuming tasks first, you'll be surprised just how easy the others will seem and how quickly you'll get them done.
Keep organized: There are many ways to get things done, but not being able to find anything isn't the most effective way. Not being able to find things creates an overhead of wasted time. That's not to say that clutter is a disadvantage in all circumstances. Research indicates that in creative efforts a messy desk is beneficial as the mess of papers maps out the thoughts and ideas of the creator. Writers, musicians, artists may all benefit. However in a more professional environment a tidy workplace is absolutely an essential. It will help create the right positive feeling of professionalism that can keep things running smoothly. Make sure everything has a place, and it goes back to that place when those using it are done with it. Personal belongings should be taken care of and not left to make a mess of the workspace. Such things have to be worked around. The seconds lost here and there soon build up.
Write down a timetable: You may think you will remember everything but with the number of things that you have to do, in a day, you are bound to forget some. Writing down a timetable is good because it will be a guide that you can refer to from time to time.
Spend Some Quality Time On Your Own: As always, the best alone time that you can give yourself is to soak in a warm bath, scented with your favorite oils and only your favorite book as your company. You may throw in your favorite mood music to complete the package. You can also go for a swim and have a few laps. It's the same as running a mile, only you won't have the risk of having to smile or converse with people that would pass by or take the liberty of running along beside you. Yoga and meditation can help you get into yourself and control your thoughts. If you wish to do your job well and without some distractions from others, you can always place a do-not-disturb sign by your door so no one will needlessly interrupt you.
At The Office: Have a desk organizer or a magazine table top holder and arrange your tasks accordingly. If you want, you can buy different sets of colors to fully categorize each project. Red is for urgent, that you need done within a couple of hours. Yellow would be for projects that can be done at the end of the day. Green would be projects that you have a couple of days to prepare. Prioritization is the key to organizing your work desk. Urgent reports should be done first so you won't have to be stressed at the end of the day when your boss repeatedly demanding for a finished report.
Know how to make painless adjustments: Sometimes, even if you are most careful, you will end up not going according to plan, and you will miss out on something. When this happens, you should learn how to quickly make arrangements that can accommodate things that you were not able to do and still allow for the rest of the stuff to be completed. This is part of your job. You need to know how to make quick adjustments that will not hurt the plan.
Make time to train: If you have assistants or others that help you in your business, take the time to train them in specific tasks that will free up your time. This way, you will spend less time taking over tasks that they cannot complete and interrupting your productivity flow. Keep the things you need to work and to train in places where you can find them rapidly. Keep your filing system organized and don't just file haphazardly, but logically and systematically and you will find that the work flows a lot smoother. Teach your assistants to do the same so that you can access what they do as well.
Putting Plans into Action: An action plan is a list of things that a person must do to reach a goal. The action plan helps you focus on certain responsibilities that need immediate action. Various software programs are available to aid busy people manage their time. These online tools can be used to store important information in a secure platform. Time management software is a sound investment for many big companies since it helps them save time. But this software is costly, so smaller companies may opt for cheaper or free tools for organizing tasks and managing time. Putting your plans into action is easy nowadays, thanks to software programs that can be relied on when it comes to managing your time.
Stress Time Management In The Workplace: Delegating can be another way of preventing stressful situations. Sometimes simple tasks can be passed on to other coworkers thus freeing your time for more complex duties. This can be beneficial in keeping stress at minimum levels. Don't be afraid to say no if you feel like taking on more will overwhelm you. There is nothing wrong with helping others but don't feel like you have to take on more work if you don't think you have plenty of time to get everything done. Even the majority of bosses understand that there are only so many hours in a day and sometimes they tend to ask the impossible. When this happens they often don't even realize they are doing it. One way to handle this situation is to relay what has been asked of you and ask them which they would prefer you complete first. This is often enough to make them realize that you have your hands full and they should turn to someone else for minor tasks.
Signs That You Need Time Management Training: Day in, day out, you always have to do some overtime work at your station but still feel like there's still a lot to be done. Project requests, paper works, staff meetings, all seem to be cluttered and disorganized that you don't know which one would start on what date and what should be finished on this date. At home there is still some laundry to be done, dinner plates still unwashed or dishes still left in the dish washer. What's worse, you don't have the energy to do all of them, or the time for you have brought your work home with you. You are so stressed out, you snap and snarl at anyone who interrupts your work time and you don't have enough energy to simply enjoy the company of your family.
Having an alone time gives you the chance to fully know yourself and what you are capable of. You will find out just what thoughts are cluttering your brain and are actually making you lose track of what you should be doing at home, at school, and at work. How many times did you catch yourself multi-tasking, only to end up either having a job half-baked or totally not done? So many things to do, so many pressures to face, so many deadlines to finish - all can put quite a heavy strain on you mentally, physically, and emotionally.
As difficult as it may be to hear, you and I are masters at letting valuable moments slip through our fingers and disappearing forever. How many times have you heard yourself say "I'll get to it in a minute"? Or "don't worry, we've got plenty of time"? How about when you're at work and you've got a project to get done by the end of the day? By the time you've gotten your coffee, said good morning to your co-workers, checked your email, refilled your coffee, and finally settled down to business -- it's really too close to lunch to start anything serious.
It is important to remember that no matter how much work you need to do you still need time to rest too. If necessary make break times a part of your lists and take them. Also to keep stress at minimum levels try to avoid making important decisions when you are stressed or overly tired.
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