With so many hours in a day, it’s a constant battle to try and get everything completed. If you’re looking to improve your time management, we have a list of 6 things you can immediately do to improve how you’re using your time.
Address Procrastination and How It Makes You Feel
Do you begin to dread whatever it is that you’re not doing? If so, you need to address procrastination and how it makes you feel. The longer you hold off on that project you need to work on, the more stress it may cause you. Think about how much better you’ll feel when you get started and when you finish.
Break Down Big Projects into Smaller Tasks
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. If you have a big project, break it down into more manageable steps. This can help reduce the amount of stress you’re feeling. You’ll also be able to devote specific amounts of time to specific parts of the project. Many people find this helpful as opposed to devoting days, weeks, or months to a large project and ignoring other pressing matters.
Be Conscious about How You’re Using Your Time
We are certainly not saying give up everything you love and hold dear. In fact, we here at Clients ARM are advocates for work-life balance and self-care. The time that you invest into yourself can actually keep you motivated, increase your focus, and make you happier. What we are saying is to be conscious about how you use your work time.
How much time are you spending in meetings about things that could be addressed through a quick email or phone call? How much time do you spend each day triaging your email? A study showed that white collar workers use an average of 4.1 hours each day simply to check and address email. Are you on social media instead of working on projects?
You must take an honest look at how your using your time and make the deliberate decision to be more conscious. Make active choices. Turn off your email notifications. Reassess the use of meetings. Make more time to focus on your projects.
Delegate More
If you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, delegate more tasks. Delegation can free you up to handle projects and tasks that only you can handle. Click here to read our 5 delegation tips.
Start Your Day with Your Most Difficult Project
Choose the project you dread the most (or the daily task you dread the most) and work on it first thing. Why? Because no matter what else get done during the day, you’ll feel more successful. You’ll also feel less stressed because you won’t have that dreaded chore hanging over your head.
Save Complex Tasks for Your Most Productive Time
Some people work better in the mornings. Some people work better in the afternoons. Some people work better at night. Find your peak productivity time and reserve that for handling your most complex tasks. You’ll be more alert, focused, and you’ll likely get more done than you expected!
Let Clients ARM Help You Make More Time in Your Day
If you’re looking to make more time in your day, let Clients ARM help! We provide a wide array of remote, U.S. based services for businesses of all sizes. We can help you make more time in your day. To learn more about our services, schedule your free consultation.