Every day that passes, we accumulate more tasks. Knowing how to be productive and manage the time we have is essential to have a good quality of life. It has nothing to do with “having every detail of the day programmed”, but rather having control over your available time.
People that can manage the time well are much more productive
Social networks, WhatsApp, smartphones and emails are some of the villains of technological distractions, not to mention interruptions at work or study, whether by phone calls or by colleagues requesting our attention.
It may not seem like it, but over time, it is stealing our hours! And then we got to a point where we asked ourselves: Why couldn’t I meet my deadlines if I didn’t stop for a minute?
This feeling of not having fulfilled obligations generates tiredness, frustration and can even turn into psychosocial issues. So it’s critical to learn how to manage your time!
Eliminate self-generated waste.
When we talk about time waste, we have two modalities: the self-generated and the one generated by the environment.
The self-generated is related to WhatsApp messages, emails and things that can be deleted. The main ones are:
- Disorganization: having a disorganized workplace or study area is unfunctional. You have to leave everything organized and always at hand.
- Procrastination: avoid postponing your actions. This can become a problem and prevent your routine from functioning properly.
- Learn to say no: saying yes to everything can leave your routine overloaded, generating more fatigue and reducing your productivity.
- Eliminate distractions: Don’t look at unnecessary emails, stay away from social networks, and separate some time to respond through WhatsApp. It’s very easy for you to lose the notion of time by taking a peek at social networks.
8 ways to better manage your time.
After eliminating all these distractions, it’s time to put in some practices that will help you increase your productivity.
According to some experts, there is a time of day when we are more productive. This time changes from person to person. Some are in the morning, in the afternoon, others at night and even in the early hours.
Try to find out what time of the day you are more productive and schedule the activities that most need your attention for that moment.
1 – Make a daily plan of the activities that must be carried out by level of importance. You can use a system known as the “ABC Priority System”.
A: Tasks that need urgency.
B: Important task, but does not need to be performed immediately.
C: It needs to be done, but without urgency.
But the key is that each task is done well the first time, this prevents you from having to return to it more than once.
2- Reduce distractions as much as possible. If possible, disable notifications of mobile messages, email alerts, and separate a time of day just for that.
3 – Create a plan! Don’t start the week without good planning. Enjoy the weekend and analyze what was done and what was pending. To get organized, you can use a planner, calendar, or mobile app.
4 – Write it all down! Don’t leave information just in your head. Worrying about these thoughts gets in the way of your routine.
5 – Do you have a quick task? Do it! Don’t leave it till tomorrow.
6 – Respect the rest time. If you’re tired, your productivity will drop a lot! So respect your bedtime.
7 – Don’t multitask. Ideally, you focus on one project at a time.
8 – Take breaks throughout the day, at least 5 to 10 minutes. Get up to drink water and even stretch out. These small breaks help increase your productivity and work load.
2 comments
I am a big believer in spreadsheets and organizational charts. I also use KanbanFlow aps and always have a plan and a goal. It keeps me motivated and on track
Good tip. Thank you for your sharing. Time management is very important but it is also difficult to manage it effectively because we have so many problems to deal with and dominate. I find your advice very practical. I like your so called ABC Priority System. I also set tasks every day but don’t categorize them so there will be days when I don’t know what to do first. I should change it and I will adopt this new method from you.