12 unbeatable ways to time your day

Do you wonder, why in the world I always have too much of work? Are you constantly under the pressure of duties? Do you feel that you are working hard, but not able to finish things? Then you are at the right place! No matter who we are, where we live, what we do, all of us have only 24 hours a day. Successful people are always smart at managing time. As you know, time poverty is the major cause of stress and frustration.

Let us discuss on how to manage our irrevocable wealth called ‘Time’ which is also considered as the most valuable resource in the planet. There are some practical tips to manage time wisely. These simple tricks may guide you to deal effectively with your time.

1. Plan. Schedule: Plan your schedule for the day well in advance.  It may take 5 to 10 minutes. But will surely help a great deal in increasing productivity. Don’t deviate. Try your best to go by your schedule. Over-scheduling or planning for a week or a month will always give room for errors. It can also create unnecessary stress. So, plan for a short period of time. That would work wonders on you.

2. Categorize: Categorize your tasks based on urgency and importance. Some tasks may be urgent and important which may demand immediate attention. Some others may be neither urgent nor important. These tasks can be attended if you have spare time. But please note that urgent things are not always important.

3. List Time-stealers: List out your routine activities for a day and find out the time-stealers from that list. Try to minimize the time spent on watching TV, unnecessary surfing, chatting, etc. It is not advisable to answer every email as it arrives. Schedule a time for checking mails.  The time spent for recreational activities do not come under this category.

4. Don’t Rush: Managing time smartly doesn’t mean performing tasks fast, in an half-baked manner. Smart time managers respond slowly at times than others. Don’t make a mess of high priority tasks to find time for less important duties. You must dare to be slow at times.

5. Group Tasks: Get done with similar tasks at once. Arrange papers in your desk and clean your cabinet at the same time or handle all unread emails at the same time. This is because similar tasks don’t ask for much time.

6. Use your ‘Waiting Time’: You can’t avoid waiting for doctor’s appointment, client meetings etc. Take something with you. For example, the reports you need to read,  balance sheets you need to check etc. Even mobile phones can keep you busy with your work.

7. Delegate Responsibility: Don’t carry too much burden with you. Learn to delegate others. Delegating responsibility is a skill. Let other people handle some of the load you can’t carry. One-man show doesn’t help you always. Many people delegate less than they should.

8. Don’t involve in other’s work: There is nothing bad about teaching somebody to perform their duty. But don’t do it yourself at any cost. It will never boost your image. On the contrary, it will have its effects on your performance. Stay focused on your responsibilities and projects.

9. Learn to say ‘No’: Before accepting any new assignments, you must check with your schedule and make sure of your previous commitments. Accept it only if you have enough time to perform well with it. Be polite, but firm, while rejecting. Remember that there is nothing bad about saying ‘no’.

10. Recharge: Time management doesn’t stop with completing tasks in time. It is also about recharging yourself. Don’t hesitate to spend some downtime on refreshments like taking tea breaks after small tasks or planning vacation after a big project etc. Schedule time for it.

11. Set Goals: Creating time management goals is important. For example, set a goal like you are not going to text friends while working. These petty things not only waste your time but also keep you distracted from work. It is all about getting rid of bad habits that usurp your time.

12. Sleep Well: Don’t try to get extra hours by cutting off your sleep time. Without proper sleep you can never stay focused on your work. Yawning in front of computer and pushing yourself too hard would eventually lead you to illness.