Top 10 Tips For Effective Time Management
17/02/16
Whether you are completing a school assignment, doing your Work Integrated Learning placement (internship) or working full-time, how you manage your time determines how much you accomplish each day.
Here are 10 handy tips to help you get things done and to seize the day:
1. Plan your day
Set aside 15-30 minutes at the start of the day to identify and prioritise what needs to be done. It’s important for you to work on this while your mind is fresh – well before the work and distractions come in!
2. Monotask
It might be tempting to multi-task and juggle several things at once. Avoid this if possible, because each time you go from one task to another, there are “switching costs” – the time it takes our minds to go from doing one thing to another.
3. Factor in interruptions
Put interruptions and distractions into consideration when you are planning your day. An unreasonable customer might pick a fight with you on the phone. Your colleague might want to show you pictures from his recent trip to Europe. A new project might come in. And meeting invites might come in. Include some buffer in your day’s schedule.
4. Put up a “Do not disturb” sign
If you really cannot afford to be disturbed, make it known, and do it in a polite manner. People would respect that and understand your situation.
5. Have a journal
This allows you to note down and record any ideas, thoughts or insights obtained as the day goes by. And it will save you time especially when you need to retrace and recollect your thoughts.
6. Be intentional in blocking time off
If you need to get something done badly enough, you would block time off for it, prioritise it and protect the time set aside for it. Sometimes this means being firm in declining meeting invites and cutting meeting times short.
7. Learn how to say no
You don’t have to do everything or carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. What you say yes to is as important as what you say no to. Sometimes declining an offer or opportunity is crucial because it frees up capacity for you to focus on your priorities. For instance, if a colleague needs a hand in editing a report and you have got your plate full, you could politely decline and state that you really need to focus on preparing for your presentation and you could also suggest another team member who is in a better position to help out.
8. Batch your tasks
This means grouping activities together which require similar input or effort. For example, you could work on people-related tasks (making calls, going for meetings, negotiating with clients) at one go and then proceed to do creative activities (brainstorming new ideas, designing the marketing brochure), rather than jumping back and forth from the former and latter.
9. Stop checking emails all the time
Many are guilty of this, including myself. Doing this can be a time-drain because of switching costs. What you could do instead is to set aside certain times within the day to check and respond to your emails at one go.
10. Block out distractions
It’s as simple as that. If you are distracted by Facebook, shut it down. If you are distracted by people talking around you, then find a quiet spot to work in or use headphones to block out the noise.
While it’s true that we can be easily overwhelmed by a seemingly endless to-do list, it’s what we do with our time that makes the difference. How are you managing your time right now?
