How to improve Time Management skills?

A lot of folks in our society have the habit of piling up their work until due dates and then crying later on that we do not have enough time to complete all our tasks. Well,

“Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.” ― H. Jackson Brown Jr.

The only difference is, these great personalities knew very well how to manage their time wisely and we people do not have sufficient skills to manage our time properly. We have the habit of working on the last dates whether it’s about exam preparations, assessment, and assignments, or some other work related to the workplaces. All we do is sit and procrastinate but we often forget that “Lost time can never be found again”. Time is the most valuable and essential resource which should be used carefully and with great consideration.

No doubt everyone wants to be ahead of others, complete all our tasks before time, and prove ourselves to be the best. Some of us even try really hard on that and try to improve our time management skills but don’t get proper guidance about how to actually improve our time management skills. So here are some tips regarding the same which will definitely help everyone to a great extent.

1. Prioritize work and make a schedule

Think wisely and make a list of the tasks before starting your day. Put the essential tasks on the top priority list and rest later which can be done afterward and do not need immediate attention. Putting unimportant tasks first on the list wastes a lot of time and energy. Prioritizing work is very important as it makes it easier for the person to recognize where to use their energy first. After that make a proper schedule to keep a check on your progress which will also help you to keep yourself motivated and focused throughout the day.

2. Set up deadlines and challenge yourself

Once the prioritizing and scheduling is done, set up deadlines in how much time a particular task has to be done and stick to it. Initially, this might get a bit difficult but you will get used to it in some time. In fact, try to complete the tasks before deadlines so that the precious time left can be put to use in the completion of some other tasks. No one likes to lose challenges, so challenge yourself according to your deadlines, meet your deadlines, and reward yourself on completion of it. This will again help you to keep yourself motivated.

3. Avoid unnecessary distractions

The biggest problem faced by everyone is distractions. No matter how hard you try to not get distracted but you will by something or the other. So try to avoid unnecessary distractions like phone calls by friends or social media notifications as it might come as the biggest distraction and veer your focus from your task. Go for good distractions like take a walk outside to freshen up your mind, have a cup of coffee, quick stretching exercises, or meditation. Then, get back to your task, complete it according to your schedule and deadlines, and later on, take breaks for social media and phone calls.

4. Do not panic and overcome procrastination

Time management requires discipline and a strong attitude towards work. This would result in higher productivity and lower stress levels. We often see people get stressed out and start panicking while doing their work and in a result are not able to complete their tasks on time. In this case, you need to take a deep breath and work patiently. Panicking is not going to help in any way. We also see people just sitting and procrastinating about work which has to be done by them but they don’t do it. You really need to overcome that. Overthinking again is not going to help. You will have to stand up and complete your work rather than wasting your precious time. If you have enough time, try to complete the work which has to be done the next day.

5. Avoid multitasking and learn to say No

People think that multitasking helps in completing all the work at the same time and keep on accepting additional tasks. A person works with more efficiency when concentrating on one task at a time because multitasking hampers productivity in most cases. Politely refuse the additional tasks and focus on the ones which you already have. Do not feel shy in saying no as saying no helps you take care of your time and as well as of the others.

6. Stay calm and take regular breaks

We human beings are not machines or robots who can continue with their work 24*7 without taking any breaks. We also have to take care of our mental and physical health along with our responsibilities and that is why taking regular breaks is very important. This helps to keep our body and mind relaxed, calm, and more energetic. It helps to manage our time properly and also spend some time with our family and friends.

Time management has to be done keeping both our personal and professional life in mind. This helps us to stay healthy, productive, and maintain good relationships.