Not many of us can boast that we are experts at managing our time. At best, most of us can be organised, but this doesn’t always translate to good time management. But what exactly is time management, and why is it crucial to handle our time well? As you must know, time management is the organising and planning of the structure of your business (or personal life) so that you can optimise efficiency. In other words, it’s how you spend or manage your time. Since time is a resource that cannot be grown, cannot be renewed, and cannot be extended, when you manage your time well, it could very much result in your most significant return on investment. But what can you do to help yourself? Here’s your expert guide to better time management: tips and tricks to remember.
- Prioritise
The first tip you need to know is how to prioritise. You need to organise your schedule so that the most urgent tasks or in need of doing are done first. So it follows that the first on your list is the most critical, the second item is the 2nd most vital, and so on. Once you have this approach every day, you will not have as much anxiety near the day’s end.
- Utilise S.M.A.R.T objectives
If you have decided to enlist the services of a virtual assistant (and this should be high on your list of priorities, according to virtual assistant agencies like www.pink-spaghetti.co.uk), utilise S.M.A.R.T objectives. What does S.M.A.R.T stand for? S means specific, M means measurable, A stands for attainable, R is for relevant, and T is for time. So when you work on your tasks, make sure they fit these variables – and ensure your virtual assistant understands them – otherwise, the work may be too unclear and vague.
- Break it up
Another thing you can do to make the most of your time is to break your bigger tasks into smaller, more easily accomplished tasks. It makes them easier to tackle. For instance, you can let your virtual assistant deal with smaller, more doable tasks, and you can work together to accomplish each task. You can also quickly progress and take it milestone by milestone until you finish it.
- Begin classifying your time into ‘chunks’
As you may already be aware, distractions are one of your biggest enemies regarding time management. You have to eliminate them so you can be sure that your time is not wasted. But one way you can use this is by classifying your time into ‘chunks’ rather than working on something for a few minutes and then moving forward into the next task. When you work in ‘chunks,’ you can work free from distractions and concentrate more readily, which means the time you have is well-spent.
- Create a system that works for you
It would be fantastic if you read this and try it out for a day or two. But it would be even better if you could establish them as part of your routine and if you can create a system that works for you. Having a system makes it easier to follow your new habits consistently; this way, you can easily realise the potential of better time management. Set reminders to deal with the tasks at hand, and follow a routine to make it an everyday habit.
