It's not just about career matters but also everyday school life, sports activities, and routine tasks. However, not everyone is born with time management skills. If you're not one of them, don't rush to get upset because you can develop this skill.
Motivation is a vital part of time management. You need to make an effort to motivate yourself and develop helpful habits that will help you work and live more efficiently. To adopt proper routines and habits, you can start by learning tips on how to manage time. You can experiment with them to see what works for you. Keep reading to learn more about taking control of your schedule and effective time management.
1. Delegate tasks if possible
Delegating your tasks involves anything that someone else can do without much effort, whether managing your schedule or buying train tickets. Usually, this is the job of an administrative assistant. They serve as a filter between you and requests that could consume your time and energy.
If you're interested in this topic, try the approach of following the 10-80-10 rule. Take on the first 10 percent of the work. Then, delegate the next 80 percent to someone else and complete the remaining 10 percent. This approach allows you to stay engaged in planning and execution while freeing up time and energy for yourself.
2. Plan responsibly and thoughtfully
Plan your "ideal week" by organizing a well-structured and disciplined schedule. One way to do this is by grouping similar types of activities together. For example, schedule all Zoom meetings on Mondays. This helps reduce the time you spend switching between tasks or locations. Consider all aspects, including lunch breaks and date nights, and stick to your plan.
For long-term planning, start by envisioning your goal on a broader scale, then define specific time frames for its achievement. Start thinking ahead, from the future to the present. Mark essential milestones on this path that indicate actions you need to take to achieve your goal. Find more tips in the Buy Back Your Time summary.
3. Try to get rid of perfectionism
Paradoxically, excessive perfectionism hinders work and prevents a holistic view of the situation. To prevent obstacles caused by improper time allocation, you need to let go of this perfectionism. If you find it difficult to wake up early, refrain from postponing work from the evening to the morning. Accept your whims, prioritize wisely, and adapt to them.
Don't think you're the only one who loves to overestimate human capabilities. For example, your boss dumps a week’s worth of tasks on your desk and expects you to complete it by evening. Sounds impossible, right? Try negotiating your tasks with such people.
4. Find your team to work with
Teams is what the Scrum method revolves around and is grounded in. This method flips the script on traditional ways of thinking and approaching work, encouraging creativity, ditching rigid frameworks, and allowing the team to self-organize. While many artists and scientists prefer solo work, this is more of an exception than a rule. Every successful project is born from excellent and coordinated teamwork.
Scrum describes several characteristics of teams in the world's most successful companies. The first of these characteristics is transcendence. The second characteristic of successful teams is autonomy. The final characteristic is multifunctionality.
5. Prioritize correctly
There are incredible companies, ideas, and projects worldwide that could revolutionize their industries, but completing a project is no easy task. Often, teams fail to realize their projects, even being so passionate about them. The most common reason for such failures is incorrect prioritization.
The ability to prioritize is the starting point in the Scrum method and one of the most essential time management tools. To do this, you can use the effective Backlogs technique. This approach involves creating a list of everything needed to implement the project and ranking them in order of importance. You can apply it to any project: launching a cutting-edge headphone model, a business lunch, a conference, or a birthday party.
6. Focus solely on a specific goal
Being a Time Warrior may sound overly harsh, but the note of "violence" is intentionally added to this term. Every time you complete a task or execute a project, you are fighting your enemies: distractions and procrastination. That's why you must be able to channel your inner time warrior spirit and resist these obstacles to win this battle. But how to stop procrastinating?
A good example of a Time Warrior is the famous boxer Rocky Marciano, who became famous for his dedication to boxing. Before stepping into the ring, the boxer would detach himself from everything, including hobbies, friends, and family, for several months. During this time, Rocky zeroed in on his primary task — winning the match. He trained rigorously, ate properly, and put every ounce of his effort into the best result.
7. Always have a plan B
Things often don't go as planned, and the worst part is that such hurdles happen unexpectedly. For example, you can't go to the office and be sure you won't get stuck in traffic. Or fly to another country and hope your flight won't be delayed, and you won't have to wait long at the airport. Such force majeure circumstances are inevitable, but to minimize their impact on you and your success, you should always have a backup plan up your sleeve.
For example, imagine you're going to an important meeting and know your documents are in the office, but you're not sure. First, it's better to make copies of all the necessary documents because you might not even have time to go to the office. Second, bring headphones and an iPad with you in case you get stuck in traffic; this way, you can jump online. Find more effective tips in the Time Warrior summary.
8. Learn to say No to avoid procrastination later
Many people believe that the more tasks they manage to complete in a day, the more productive they are. Unfortunately, personal success is often measured not by what you did but by how much time you spent on it. If you're one of those juggling many tasks daily, how do you deal with procrastination?
Master the art of saying "no" to anything that doesn't align with your goals. Learn to explain politely and immediately to other people why you can't take on new projects or agree to their proposals if they're not your priorities. Choose tasks you can't avoid and tie them to your goals. For example, meeting with friends and attending various events can help you meet your significant other if you want to improve relationships.
Effective time management shapes your lifestyle and dictates your schedule. Don't be a multitasker. Choose what's most important to you and what you desire. By implementing the aforementioned tips on how to manage time, you'll reduce stress and anxiety. You'll see the positive results of your work and feel motivated to conquer new heights.
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