Time management is such an important skill to have and is a key ingredient for successfully achieving your personal and professional goals.
Mastering this skill will help you make every hour count, and ensure you get more things done, as you distribute your time across all the tasks you need to focus on daily, weekly, monthly, and even yearly.
There are few things to keep in my mind as you embark on improving your skillset in this area, however.
I’ve included a few below, but know that there are more, and the only way you’ll see the results you desire is by taking consistent and deliberate action towards your short and long-term goals.
1. Realistic vs. Unrealistic
People who are internally motivated and driven to succeed often find themselves struggling decipher between what’s possible and what’s actually realistic.
The internal belief that they can do anything they put their mind too often clouds the reality that they may not necessarily be able to do all things. This is especially true for most entrepreneurs and those in leadership.
So, the first step to effectively managing your time is to set realistic expectations for yourself.
For example, if you know you struggle to get up in the morning, avoid scheduling big or important tasks first thing in the morning.
You may also consider setting time limits for each task.
I personally am a fan of the Pomodoro Technique. In applying this technique, you’ll literally set aside a specific amount of time (30-90 minutes), where you force yourself to get laser-focused on completing one specific task.
Related: 4 Reasons Why You Aren’t Seeing The Success You Want In Your Life
Once you’re done, take a short break, and tackle another task during the next timed sprint.
You’ll be amazed at how much you can accomplish in a day using this technique.
Additionally, you’ll start to see and understand exactly how much of your time had previously been eaten up through distractions such as checking email, social media, etc.
2. Important vs. Urgent
With so many things fighting for our attention on a daily basis, it can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle, only to end up exhausted, confused, or in a constant state of anxiety.
This is why differentiating between important versus urgent tasks is so critical to your success in managing your time.
Before you can accurately make these distinctions, you’ll want to first consider making a list of all your tasks, and then ranking them in order of importance or deadline.
From there, you can begin knocking off the things at the top and decide which of the things further down on the list can be delegated, reassigned, or removed altogether.
Often times, once you’ve laid everything out on paper, or on a project management tool, such as Trello, you’ll find that many of the “urgent” tasks in your head are really not that urgent.
Or better yet, you may find that there are others on your team who can help out and complete some of the items, freeing up your time to focus on the truly urgent stuff.
You can also leverage your calendar to help you remain organized and on top of deadlines.
3. To-Do List vs. Action Plan
If you’re anything like me, you likely have lists and sticky notes all over your desk, office, fridge, and electronic calendars.
Lists are great visual reminders of all the things we need to get done. But let’s face it, they’re not as helpful as we’d like to believe in actually moving us towards action.
How many times have you looked at a sticky note and thought to yourself “yeah I still have to do that,” only to put it down or walk away and start working on something else?
I do it all the time, so I’m not judging!
Every now and then, however, I’ll pick up one of those visual reminders, and write out an action plan to help me get it done and finally off my plate.
Think of to-do lists like what you need to get done and an action plan as the how you’ll get it done.
In implementing this strategy, I’ve found that more of my tasks actually get done and I’m able to declutter my workspace, making room for my creative juices to flow more easily.
The urge to procrastinate or get distracted by meaningless tasks are always present.
And while it’s natural to get caught up in these behaviors from time to time, there are ways to hedge against them and ensure you get done what you need to and create the life and environment you truly desire.
Everyday we’re given is an opportunity to take small actions which eventually result in big wins and success.
So, don’t let yourself get bogged down or overwhelmed by the seemingly tall mountains in front of you.
Choose instead to focus on three to five things that you can do each day towards the fulfillment of your future goals.
Are You A Procrastinator? Are You Tired Of Constantly Putting Things Off?
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