9 Time management strategies for busy professionals.
Time management helps to boost the the quality of work done and increases the level of production. Time management helps to manage time effectively and also create new opportunities for an advanced career, likewise reducing the level of stress in an individual.
The 9 Time management strategies for busy professionals.
Before proceeding to the 9 time management strategies for busy professionals, please check out this article; 8 pros for a successful remote work.
1. PLANNING:
Planning is very important in our day-to-day activities. Plan ahead how you hope to spend your day. Plan the following days work the day before to ease workload and also help to work on the right path.
It is not really a good idea to just show up to work without planning how the week will go. Planning for the week by midweek is not always advisable. Always take the time to look at your schedule for the week or upcoming week to determine any scheduling conflicts or issues that may arise
Starting your day with planning helps to manage your time effectively use your time. Create a plan for everything you wish to achieve daily. The easiest way to go about this is by making a to-do list of your desires and needs. A to-do list helps to make effective use of your time throughout the day.
2. AVOID DISTRACTIONS:
Distraction is a time waster. Most people tend to get distracted easily. Though, distraction might not be an easy thing to control, but, it can be managed. In our world of social media, distraction easily sets in, even by mere thinking.
To avoid distraction, it is important that one comes up with the list of things that causes these distractions and work fully on them.
3. BEING ORGANIZED:
Organization is a very crucial factor in time management.
Being organized will stop disorder, distractions and chaos from ruining ones day. Also, it is necessary to avoid multitasking. Focusing on one project and completing it at a time is necessary.
Whatever is important to you should be done first, to avoid unnecessary delay.
Also, manage your mailbox, let it be organized as a cluttered inbox can result to spending more time looking for important emails that needs response.
4. SETTING OF GOALS:
For every Professional in their field, setting of goals should be their first target. Setting goals helps to manage time effectively likewise meeting targets. Effective time management will bring the realization of these goals. Setting of goals helps to put the brain to work and puts it on “Focus” mode.
Setting of goals and putting brain to work upon those objectives helps in the management of time. One could help the brain achieve the set goals by placing goal reminders in workplace, like putting a dashboard or a sticky note where it is visible so it can be seen every day. Reading the same message with the set goals every morning will make the goals achievable with time management.
5. TRACKING OF TIME:
As a professional in your field, you may feel like your workday is packed full of productive tasks, but obviously, it may seem like one is probably not spending as much time as one think on some most important tasks, therefore, it is advisable that one tracks time.
Time tracking does not only involve
checking the number of work done by the hour. But, It also help in developing better time management skills. When tracking time, one can learn more about ones daily habits and how long it actually takes to complete a task.
This time tracking lhelps to organize ones calendar accurately and helps to visualize what workload looks like with realistic hours for each project. Humans generally don’t know how time is consumed. So it is important to properly track how much time is spent on some of these important tasks and also how to manage it.
Time tracking encourages one to track how long it takes to complete tasks every week. Especially reoccurring tasks like checking email or writing newsletters. This simple task will make it a lot easier for creating a work schedule
6. USING POMODORO APPROACH:
These POMODORO approach is a popular method among professional careers whereby Using a structured time management technique can be a great help to them, including those who are beginning their careers or know that they struggle with productivity.
This POMODORO technique is also useful for those who prolong things, those who keep on postponing work for the next minute.i.e, those who procrastinates.
Pomodoro approach is a helping technique for work procrastinators, here, intervals of 25 minutes of work followed by a 5-minute break is set. This approach helps to stay focused and gives time to relax and as well remain productive.
Timers can be used to give notification of when to start work and give a break. In situations whereby distractions occur easily, this method is an helpful way to stay focused.
7. DON’T MULTITASK:
As a Professional, in a bid to get work done, most Opt for multitasking, this method is not advisable.
Though, in some situations, multitasking can be a tangible and useful skill, but, when it comes to Productivity it is not always advisable.
When trying to do multiple tasks at the same time, like working on different projects or with different clients, one can end up letting things slip through or not achieving anything at all. It is better to pay full attention to one task so that you can dedicate all ones energy to that specific task.
8. AVOID TOO MANY COMMITMENTS:
When commiting to something, be cautious of saying yes to everything.
Also, avoid committing to something that will require most of your time. When asked to commit to something, respond by saying you will check your schedule and get back to the person. This will give you time to evaluate whether this task aligns with your goals and whether you have the time to give in.
9. BEING PUNCTUAL:
Punctuality is a necessary quality that must be followed for every profession. Stress can be reduced when one is punctual. This does not only apply to meetings but deadlines as well. Always plan to submit your work one day ahead of your schedule.