The Golden Rule Of Effective Time Management
One of the major keys to productivity is effective time management. While it may seem like diverting from your work or plan here and there is no big deal, that time adds up. Before you know it, you have no time to get your wish list completed and wonder where the day went. That is why it is important to follow the golden rules of time management. Without them, it can be all too easy to stray off path and wind up wasting more time than you need to.
One of the major keys to productivity is effective time management. While it may seem like diverting from your work or plan here and there is no big deal, that time adds up. Before you know it, you have no time to get your wish list completed and wonder where the day went.
That is why it is important to follow the golden rules of time management. Without them, it can be all too easy to stray off path and wind up wasting more time than you need to.
Have a To-Do List
Having the best intentions is not good enough when it comes to staying on track. It doesn’t matter if you are taking out the dog, decorating your living room, finding the best inflatable hot tubs, or building a house. Without a to-do list, things can get lost in the shuffle and forgotten.
Having a to-do list also means having the resources needed to get that job done. For your digital to-do list, check out Povverful for your tech needs and Valuehunta for everything else. The point being that organization can help keep your eyes on the prize.
Even better, having a to-do list gives you objectives and goals to work towards. When you have definitive goals to work towards, you also get the benefit of checking them off. And who doesn’t like checking things off of a busy to-do list?
Plan Ahead
While it would be great to be able to wake up, look at the to-do list and just go at it, that’s not necessarily how things work. Without proper planning ahead, you may not have what you need to complete those tasks.
You should try planning ahead for the week if at all possible, but the day before should be fine as well. Having a plan lets you know what you will need to get those tasks done and sets you up for efficient success in the coming days.
Staying organized is one of the most important things when it comes to remaining productive and having good time management. Without planning, chaos can reign supreme and make it difficult to get those things done in a timely, effective manner.
Start with the Most Important Tasks First
Like it or not, there are some daily to-do lists that are just not going to get finished. Even with the best time management, tasks take time to complete and there is only so much in the day. So, even the most well-meaning of intentions can result in an unfinished task.
If you think that your list is something that can’t be completed within that timeframe, start with the most important things first. Getting those tasks out of the way first thing in the morning can work well for two reasons.
The first is that the most important things get taken care of. This can include an important report, paying a bill, or whatever. If it has to be done, getting to it first thing means that there is no doubt about whether or not it will get done.
The second is that it can relieve some of the stress of doing the rest of the list. Knowing that a big task has been crossed off the list can be enough to keep energy and confidence up during the day, creating a more effective plan for handling to-do lists.
Delegate Where Possible
Depending on the setting, it won’t be possible to handle all of the tasks in front of you. Whenever there is help available, take that help. It isn’t meant to damage your pride and it doesn’t mean that you are incapable of doing those tasks yourself.
All that means is that those things need to be done and that there are people available to help ensure that they get done. Just because you can’t do everything yourself doesn’t lessen your value. As a matter of fact, delegating at the appropriate time can be an invaluable skill and lead to greater productivity.
Even better, delegating smaller tasks can free you up for some of the bigger goals on the list. All of these factors come together to create superior time management and a greater level of productivity along the way.
Don’t Multi-Task
Contrary to popular belief, multi-tasking is the worst thing that you can do when you have a busy schedule. Even though tackling two projects at once seems like better time management, it often leads to tasks that aren’t done properly.
By splitting your attention between two tasks, you aren’t really doing either of them to the best of your ability. And while it is important to get the job done, doing it well is the number one priority. Better time management means handling one task at a time, giving it your full attention, and doing it right.