You will find many applications to download to your smartphone to help you manage your time, especially if you run a business. There are software programs and many other high-tech gadgets that promise to add more hours to your day. However, sometimes the old-school methods work even better.
Here are nine of them, no technology needed:
- Set priorities. Know which things are most important or have deadlines and focus on them. Keep these to a minimum so that you don’t start feeling too overwhelmed.
- Learn to say no. If something doesn’t fit with your priorities or schedule, don’t try to make it fit.
- Be willing to change your methods. Just because you’ve always done something a certain way, that doesn’t mean you can’t find a more efficient way to do it now. It’s easy to get in a rut of doing the same thing the same way, but it’s beneficial to take a fresh look and see if you can improve.
- Take care of you. Make time for yourself and form good health habits so you will have more energy. It’s much easier and faster to complete tasks when you feel good physically and mentally. That may mean getting more sleep, eating better, exercising, or just finding time to be quiet and rest. But the benefits will be a clearer focus, sharper mind, and increased energy.
- Look ahead. When you take time to look into the future, you can see potential problems and challenges before they happen. This can allow you to change course and either avoid them or be better prepared to deal with them. For example, if you check your calendar and see an appointment in the afternoon that cuts into your work time, you can either choose to arrive early to get everything completed, ask for help, or find another solution.
- Break projects into tasks. Large projects can seem insurmountable, but they look more manageable when you break them down into separate tasks. You can focus on what needs to be done by what deadline and make sure you stay on track. It also provides a better measurement of how you are coming along on the entire project to know if you need to allocate more time.
- Stop doing what is no longer important. It can be too easy to continue doing tasks that once served a purpose but are no longer worthwhile. Take inventory to find out if there are any tasks that can be removed from your list.
- Know when to complete difficult tasks. You are more productive at certain times of the day, so make that your time to work on critical or important tasks. You’ll give your best effort with less time because you’ll have more energy.
- Ask for help. When you are a manager, it’s called delegating. But everyone can use some help sometime. If you see that you are falling behind on a project, ask for assistance before you are stressed out. It will be easier to maintain your focus and stay productive.
Being a good manager of your time is not just a decision you make; it’s a lifestyle that must be implemented.
Practice these nine habits and you’ll notice how much more time you have, not to mention improve your business habits and online reputation for those running companies.
About the Author: Joyce Morse is an author who writes on a variety of topics, including SEO and small business for MediaShower.com.
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