Effectively managing your time helps reduce stress and produce quality work. It provides a plan to get more done in less time.
Finding a time management strategy that fits your personality is important. Your planning, evaluation, and self-management skills help you stay organized and productive. This helps you turn in your work by the deadline. It also lets you maintain work-life balance to avoid burnout.
Implement these time management strategies to see which one works best for you.
Create Daily Priorities
Make a list of everything you want to accomplish during the week. Include the due dates and time needed to complete each task. Then, choose what your top two or three priorities are for each day. Schedule them at the appropriate time. Next, determine when your other tasks should be worked on. Schedule them accordingly. Include 5- to 10-minute breaks every hour. Finally, mark off each task when it’s completed.
Focus on One Task at a Time
Give your complete attention to one task before moving on to another task. The brain isn’t designed to concentrate on multiple things at once. It takes time to transition and fully focus. This is why trying to multitask takes more time and results in more errors than finishing one task at a time. The additional time needed to fix the errors makes multitasking even less effective.
Use the Pomodoro Technique
Choose the task you want to work on. Next, set a timer for 25 minutes. Work on your task during this time. When the timer goes off, take a 5-minute break. Repeat the process three times. Then, take a 20- to 30-minute break. Continue to repeat the cycles and breaks throughout your workday.
Implement the ABCD Method
Make a list of the tasks you want to complete for the week. Then, label them A, B, C, D, or E. A tasks you have to finish. B tasks you need to complete because they affect other tasks. C tasks would be nice to finish but aren’t necessary. D tasks you can delegate to a colleague. E tasks should be eliminated. Next, schedule your tasks according to priority. Delegate or eliminate the tasks you don’t need to complete. Finally, cross off each task when it’s finished.
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