Feeling Unproductive At Work? Here Are 7 Tips For Time Management To Help You Be More Productive

1. Track how you are spending your time

Start by tracking where you’re actually spending your time. You have to find out where the time is going. Do you spend too much time scrolling social media, reading emails, or making personal calls?

You easily do this by using a spreadsheet or even on a piece of paper. 

 When you start to track your time, you have an accurate picture of how much you can accomplish in a day by kicking out those time-wasting activities. Moreover, the time tracker will assist you in focusing on activities that provide high returns and find time block areas to improve. This is the first and foremost step to effective time management. 

2. Prioritize 3 daily tasks that you need to accomplish

You should learn to prioritize 3 important tasks daily and let go of rest. Determine which tasks are significant and prioritize them based on importance and urgency. This tip will help you identify the tasks that are worth delegating and support the achievement of your goals. 

Using the Eisenhower Matrix, tasks can be divided into four types. 

(i) urgent and important:

First of all, perform these tasks immediately.

(ii) non-urgent but important:

You can decide when to perform those tasks as they’re not urgent. But it’s wise to do them on time so they can not become “urgent and important.”

(iii) urgent but not important:

Such tasks can be delegated if possible. 

(iv) non-urgent, not important:

Set these tasks aside to do them later.

The first three categories are important to keep in mind while prioritizing your tasks. These categories will help you prioritize everything on your plate, and you’ll be able to separate urgent and important tasks. This step is a key to successful time management at work.

3. Create a calendar and make sure to allocate time slots for those tasks

This tip is highly crucial and helpful in learning time management at work. Create a calendar to manage your daily activities. With the advent of an online calendar such as Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar. you can create a timeslot to allocate to those important and urgent tasks. It would be wise to reserve a timeslot in your calendar for a specific task to prevent any stress. 

When the scheduled time comes, start doing the tasks for the entire reserved time without any distraction. A calendar is one of the basic and fantastic time management tools to keep you ahead of your deadlines.

4. Don’t multitask

This is the simplest time management tip and seems tough to follow. Focus on one task at a time to complete the task quickly. People who avoid the urge to multitask and focus on one perform the tasks with greater quality than those who multitask. According to a study done by Steelcase, a workplace equipment manufacturer, multitasking can lead to up to 50%  error in work and increase stress.

 As the brain is not programmed to do various tasks together, it decreases productivity and loses time & momentum. Give your full focus and attention to present work to avoid these pitfalls. So, breathe in and out and do one task at one time to increase productivity and block distractions. 

5. Take a 10 minute break

Short breaks here and there are good to clear your mind and refresh yourself. When you keep doing tasks without any break, staying motivated and focused will get difficult. Therefore, take a 10-minute break from work after finishing a task to decompress. 

You can go for a mini walk, go to eat something, meditate, or do anything you want to do to clear your head. By trying out this tip, you’ll return to your work with more productivity. It is an enjoyable time management tip that will help you develop effective stress management habits.

6. Learn to say no

If you want to learn time management at work, you need to learn how to say no. Many of us accept many responsibilities to express our devotion to work or make a positive impression. It leads to a tough schedule that can accommodate your challenging tasks. Therefore, don’t take more than you can manage and set limits for active jobs. By trying this tip, you’ll have more time to do your tasks that create greater value. Learn to say no to people to avoid overwhelming responsibilities and spare your time for genuinely important things. 

7. Delegate where possible

Last but certainly not least, learn to delegate or outsource where possible. If there are things that can do someone better, consider delegating. You’re not supported to do everything by yourself. This is one of the greatest things to learn for effective time management for many business owners, either small or big. 

This tip will take the load off you, and you can focus on bigger projects. Also, you can hire an experienced freelancer to make the most of the time you have. You can organize a team activity too. When you have more free time, you will achieve more. That’s why cut yourself some slack and consider delegation. 

The bottom line

There you have it- top seven tips for time management to help you be more productive at work. These tips will take your productivity to a whole new level, can do wonders in your life, and lead to career success. Time management is one of the best skills that leaders & highly professional people possess.

 Effective time management plays a significant role in our lives, and it is all about controlling time & using time wisely. In this way, you can accomplish what you want to accomplish without procrastinating. Also, you’ll have more time to keep yourself happy and motivated.  

Also Read: How to Find Your Passion