Improve Your Productivity With These Essential Time Management Hacks
It seems that the one thing that technology can’t help us create is more time. There are only 24 hours in a day, so if you want to increase your productivity, you need to have a better sense regarding time management. When it comes to managing your time, it is essential to understand that time management isn’t about trying to squeeze as many tasks as possible into a day but instead finding a way to work smarter. If you’re looking to improve your productivity, here are some essential time management hacks to help you along the way.
Get Enough Sleep
Often, our rest and sleep are sacrificed to gain more time in the day. Being well-rested, well-fed, and having a healthy body removes the distractions that will rob us of our time. When you can get enough sleep every night, your focus is sharper, your attention span is longer, and your quality of work is higher, which lends itself to an increase in productivity.
Plan Ahead
When you can take the time to outline the events of the coming day, you provide your mind with the time to work through the tasks while you are sleeping. This allows you to start your day with many of the subtle details already worked out. Before you go to bed each night, take a few minutes to evaluate what you achieved. Spend a few minutes clearing your workspace and create a list of the tasks that you need to complete the following day.
Create Work Bundles
Various tasks that you must perform require different skills and different ways of executing them. To save yourself time with re-orienting yourself between jobs, create work bundles. Grouping similar tasks together that require related skill sets will allow you to flow from one segment or tasks more easily to the next without a break.
Create Routines That Work For You
There are some tasks that you work on that require little to no thought. You can create a routine for these kinds of functions that will allow you to accomplish them without becoming distracted from the real tasks at hand. Establishing routines is like your overall planning and execution, but with the sole intention of automation.
Know What Works For You For Task Management
We tend to tackle the easy tasks on our lists first because they don’t take much time to complete, which will leave you with more time to work on more involved things.
That method is exactly what some people need. Get a strong start to your day with an easy win. But, other people will actively avoid tackling the harder tasks, or procrastinate on the hardest task of the day until it doesn’t get done.
Figure out which type of person you are. Do you want the easy win of a quick task completed first thing? Or, will you feel better all day long and get more accomplished if you can check-off the hardest task for the day straight away?
Of course, if you’re a morning person, full of energy and vibrancy well before noon, consider tackling the more difficult tasks first. This way, you’re handling them with fresh and fiery energy. Your productivity will increase the rest of the day with the hardest tasks out of the way, which will make the lighter tasks flow quickly.
When it comes to time management, there is always time for improvement. Try to consider the above tips, and you will find yourself getting more done in less time. Now, we’re going to move on and discuss the most powerful and productive habits you can develop to guarantee your time management skills are always strong.
Increase Your Productivity By Developing These Daily Habits
Everybody wants to get more done and feel like they accomplished something at the end of the day. While there are millions of different tips for productivity out there, you can increase your productivity levels by changing a few daily habits.
Here’s how you can improve your productivity by changing the following daily habits.
Arrive Early, Stay Later
If you live in a congested city, you can save some time and beat traffic by starting your day earlier. When you’re not wasting your time sitting in traffic, you can start working on your most essential tasks sooner. Your ability to save hours not sitting in traffic will drastically increase your productivity. Make it a habit to arrive early and stay a bit later, and you’ll notice an increase in your productivity.
Plan The Night Before
Spending just 15 minutes before you go to bed creating and prioritizing your to-do list for the next day will give you a head start the following day. After you create your to-do list, spend a few minutes marking the tasks that are important to remind you that those tasks must be done to push you forward in achieving your goals.
Have Lunch Outside The Office
While small, this habit can have a huge and powerful effect on how you work for the rest of the day. Using your lunch to get out of your work environment can refresh your creativity, significantly reduce your stress levels, and help you re-focus when it’s time to get back to work.
Consider taking a short walk to help clear your head and think about what you want to accomplish the rest of the day.
Minimize Distractions
Distractions are everywhere. If you work from a computer, you have the temptation of checking your social media and surfing the Internet, among other things. There are plenty of tools that can help you minimize these distractions. If you work in an office with a door, place a do not disturb sign up, so your coworkers know not to bother you.
Always Keep Your Goals In Sight
After you’ve set your goals, always keep them in sight. You want to write your goals down and keep them in a place where you will end up seeing them throughout your day. Being able to see your goals throughout the day will give you the motivation to get tasks done that move you closer to accomplishing them.
Changing these five habits will move you toward being a more productive person. Keep track of your results and watch as the small daily victories start to transform your life.
The Most Important Hack/Habit...
Take action!
Regardless of which hacks and habits you agree with from above, if you do nothing and change nothing, you are guaranteed to accomplish nothing.
Print out this article, make a few choices of which hacks and habits you’re going to commit to following for the next two weeks.
Now follow them. Stick to your choices no matter what, and you will see a difference in your efficiency and productivity, both in your professional life and your personal.
