Have you noticed how some workdays are dynamic and productive while others drive you crazy, leave you exhausted, and without even the slightest feeling of accomplishment?
Admittedly, there are factors beyond your control that affect your work; like the weather outside, or how you slept the night before. However, these components can only be blamed to an extent. When it comes to productivity in the workplace, the crux of the issue is actually, how you chose to manage your time.
Time management is an invaluable skill and could be the determining factor of your success, or lack thereof, in any field. Here are four tips to help you be more productive in the workplace that have proven to bring promising results.
Set a daily calendar
Nothing brings more unproductivity than constant interruptions. Whether it’s an email reply that slipped your mind, or a meeting that you had forgotten about. If anything along these lines flashes across your mind when you’re in the middle of another task, it could throw you off your game. Once you’ve lost focus and your inspiration, who knows how long it will take to find again.
To avoid distractions when working on current tasks and ensure you don’t miss anything that should be on your day’s agenda, set a daily calendar to help you keep track of every point that should be checked off your list.
Setting a daily calendar is the first and most important step towards better time management. The sooner you try it, the sooner you’ll discover if it’s a tool that works for you. If it is, that’s great, you now have a starting point to having a more organized work life. After taking the first step, it won’t be long until the results and rewards come to fruition.
Plan ahead
Depending on the time of the month, the ends, and the beginnings of business quarters, there are times when workflow can be lighter and times with a constant stream of new tasks and projects one after another. On top of that, in the latter situation, almost everything seems urgent and like it needed to be done yesterday.
Besides the hard work that needs to be done on such occasions, stress levels are usually through the roof, which is only exacerbated if there’s a lack of good organizational skills.
To avoid missing projects and make sure you have enough time for each task, it’s crucial to plan ahead. Moreover, planning ahead will help you keep your mind as clear and focused as possible during tough workflow periods.
Having a well-established schedule not only helps you keep track of your progress but also prevents you from feeling overwhelmed. Just imagine how relieved you’ll feel once you see you’ve crossed off more and more tasks on your to-do list. It’s a great feeling, isn’t it?
Schedule reminders
While there are plenty of tips for time management on the internet, in trying them, you may discover that some work amazingly for you, while others not so much.
Some time management tips may suggest using a series of time management apps like a time tracker or moving Heaven and Earth to finish your tasks earlier than estimated. When trying them out, check in with yourself, if you feel more stressed out rather than helped, they clearly aren’t the tools for you.
Going back to our list of time management tips for work, we want to emphasize the importance of scheduling reminders. They are particularly helpful when you have a flurry of calls or meetings coming your way.
We all know how easy it is to lose track of time when caught up in other tasks, and scheduling reminders is a great way to ensure you don’t miss any important business meetings.
Whether it’s a call with a client, or a recruitment meeting, punctuality is essential for maintaining your company’s image. Reminders are a powerful ally to help you stay on top of your game.
Establish deadlines for every task within a project
Not mentioning the necessity of setting deadlines for every project and task when discussing time management would miss an essential part of the workflow optimization process. So, in both theory and practice, skipping it may not be the best choice.
If you’re wondering why you should estimate how much time projects delegated to you would take to complete and set specific deadlines for each task, there are two main reasons.
On one hand, you’ll have a clearer vision of your project’s development and your capability to resolve it. This can be an excellent tool when talking with your supervisors about promotions because you’ll be able to highlight your value and strong traits.
Moreover, proving yourself as a responsible and trustworthy employee in the eyes of your managers can lead to you being rewarded with the most interesting projects.
Secondly, establishing deadlines for every task within a project will help you fight procrastination.
Breaking down major projects into smaller tasks and time frames takes a great weight off your shoulders once you have a clear schedule and start to chip away at it. In addition, you’ll be more eager to jump into the next task after the triumph of successfully completing the previous one in the time interval you established yourself.
Final thoughts
Time management is a practice that can change your life for the better and bring you remarkable outcomes in your professional and personal life. However, finding the balance between the two is a common struggle for many people. Applying the proper time management techniques can help you find the work life harmony you crave.
What about you – do you have more time management tips for employees? We’d be very excited to hear them!
