Useful time management tips
Our struggle with time management – how to be productive…
“There’s not enough hours in the day” – how often have we said or heard that? And you’re probably right; when you have so much to do, time can feel like a precious luxury. However, we have the same number of hours in each of our days as Michelangelo did, as Shakespeare did and the same amount as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos have at this moment. Now, most of us aren’t looking to change the world like these people; we’re just looking to provide for our families and enjoy life as we see it. But, ask yourself this, how can you be more productive?
Urgency, urgency & more urgency
A great measure of time is speed. The best you can do to be more efficient is to have a sense of urgency; the most productive people not only work hard but they work fast. Developing a bias for quick actions is paramount. Developing a reputation for speed, dependability and quality should be your goal. Though, we can’t stress enough: do not let speed impact the quality of your work.
The theft of time
How can you be urgent and proactive in a world with so many distractions? Procrastination is the thief of time. Social media, emails and surfing the web; once you eradicate these from your professional working space, you will see positive change. As a general rule of thumb, all small tasks should be (or at least attempted to be) completed as they arise. Quick action will mean the rate at which tasks are completed will multiply.
Preparation
Take a piece of paper, write down all the tasks you need to complete and include your whole daily itinerary: when you take your kids to school, when you eat, exercise, everything. And build your day around it, filling in the gaps with tasks as you see fit. You’ll see instant rewards, ticking off the tasks as you go along is incredibly gratifying; this action gives the you the visual picture of accomplishment.
Emails
First of all, keep your inboxes clean and organised. Create folders and if you don’t need an email, delete it. Secondly, ensure your only checking your emails twice a day; don’t become a slave to your inbox. Thirdly, when you do respond to emails, make sure they are kept short and sweet; no waffling.
Things to avoid
Not allowing enough time –
- This is a predominant reason why many tasks fail or aren’t at the standard you hoped they’d be at. Don’t hope for the best and don’t think you might get lucky. It’s better to complete work before your expected deadline than rush it so that quality falters.
Not delegating –
- Do you trust your recruitment process and your employees? Well, trust them to complete the work you expect from them regularly and don’t become a one-man band. Employees won’t buy into that philosophy; a lack of responsibility in the workplace stifles progress and productivity.
Anyway, we hope here, at the Buxton Partnership, that there is something valuable to take from this blog.
For more blogs that can help your business grow and improve, make sure you check out our other blogs – you won’t regret it.
