One of the main challenges facing today’s workforce is time management. Practicing time management tips are absolutely vital for employee success, and utilizing time management apps can be extremely beneficial for individuals who feel like they are too busy at work to ever check off all of their to-do list items.
Busyness is just a routine part of our day in this hectic world– and it doesn’t even start when we clock into work! It begins long before as we rush to get ready, eat breakfast, and rush out the door.
While the Covid-19 pandemic has eliminated the need for a harrowing commute, remote workers still feel like they’re unable to spend quality time with family members due to screen fatigue and the complete clash of their professional and personal life.
As soon as we log off a stressful day at work, household chores that have gone neglected all day are waiting, not to mention that there might not even be a log-off option as incoming emails and phone calls bombard you at all hours. The next morning, nearly the same day begins again.
If your schedule runs your life and you cannot keep up with deadlines, or even if you do keep up, if you feel like you haven’t done something “productive” and you’re just saving the day, it’s time to pay attention to time management tips and take action.
10 Tips to Boost Productivity
Now, let’s explore the top ten time management tips to help boost your productivity and better manage your responsibilities throughout your busy workday!
1. Create a Good Old To-Do List
Throughout the day, everyone gets a list of tasks and initiatives that they must complete. It’s not always easy to remember all of them. To avoid forgetting your responsibilities, make a to-do list of all your tasks and rank them in order of priority.
2. Limit Personal Screen Time
On average, you spend 6-9 hours a day on the Internet, watching TV, or staring at your phone screen. Calculate how much you can get done in 9 hours and spend as little time as possible on them. You will notice that the work is completed more quickly.
3. Don’t Rush!
Don’t be in a rush to schedule your time! You should approach time management calmly and reasonably to oversee your time wisely and to spare free time for yourself. When preparing a time plan, keep the following points in mind:
- Start doing things from difficult to easy.
- Complete tasks on the scheduled day and time, rather than dragging them out.
- Do not start the next task before the previous one has been accomplished.
- Focus on the job at hand with utmost consideration and attention.
Sometimes the key to boosting productivity at work is less about doing things more quickly and more about doing things with more purpose and efficiency.
4. Watch Out for Easy Distractions
One workplace time-waster that is built into the very fabric of your day is email. It’s a time waster to review each email as soon as it appears or constantly check your mailbox. Instead of obsessively checking your inbox every time you get a notification, designate two or three times a day that you are allowed to check email.
Do not push yourself to complete a specific task just because it was mentioned in an email. Be careful not to get trapped in busy work. Put stuff away that you will not be able to finish for a while, and focus on your priorities. Learning good time management skills that can boost your productivity means you need to avoid the obvious distractions, but also the ones more prevalent in your workday.
5. Pay Attention to Your Wellbeing
If you’re feeling stuck on a task, or frustrated with the progress you are making, it’s important to take a breather. Set a timer for three, five, or ten minutes, and get up from your desk to take a short walk around your house or office, stretch, or get a glass of water.
When time is up and you return, try looking at the task that you need to complete from a different angle with a fresh perspective. Always observe your energy, attention span, and well-being.
When planning out your days, always keep your mental, physical, and psychological wellbeing in mind. While planning, try to have a relaxed mind and body, and bear these important things in mind:
- You may use your productive time to focus on important tasks.
- You should prepare yourself for the unexpected and don’t stress yourself.
- Every morning, allocate 10-15 minutes to think calmly, plan your day, or review your plan.
- When you meet your objective, you should reward and appreciate yourself.
Also, you should pay attention to results (such as when you implemented your plan, what went wrong, and what you should rearrange). This can help you be more efficient when implementing your plans day in and day out.
6. Avoid Time Wasters
Time wasters are distractions that prevent you from efficiently managing your time. Falling into these traps can be triggered by your social interactions, character, and cultural life.
Here are a few things that you might face in your day-to-day work life that can become massive time-wasters if you’re not careful:
- Meetings with no purpose and that last a long time
- Communication issues
- Managing several tasks at the same time
- Attempting to complete each task on your own
- The inability to say no
- Not listening to others
- Unfavorable business environment
7. Avoid Procrastination and Overconfidence
Procrastination starts with postponing what you set off in your everyday life and continues with repetition, which is dangerous for successful time management.
Believing that you will easily complete the task can lead to you only completing half of it. Not properly calculating the amount of time and effort a certain task will take can lead to major roadblocks and mismanagement of time. That is why you should approach each task in an objective and calculating context and think about your strategy to achieve it, even if it is a blog post writing task that you have done many times. Adhering to simple rules like this can help with task management, and make you more likely to complete your tasks and get work done.
8. Eliminating Insecurity and Anxiety
Thoughts like “there’s no way I can complete this– and even if I do, there’s no way it will be correct” can lead to inconsistencies in how you spend your time by instilling a feeling of alienation and uncertainty. It is incredibly beneficial to think positively about yourself and your work. While many people think that simply believing in yourself is too simplistic to have any real impact, experts would disagree. Positivity and positive thinking can be scientifically linked to all kinds of benefits– from mental health to physical wellness!
Before letting insecurity and anxious thoughts take the driver’s seat, take a breath. Focus on a task, think calmly and clearly about how to do it. You always do it. Everyone does it. It is not rocket science; believe in yourself and make a time management plan.
9. Use Time Management Apps to Assist You
If you want to eliminate the loss of time, you can try using a time management software or app! Once you get used to the system, you can input your plan and have a digital record of what you need to do, when. Instead of writing and looking at your notes every day, let the app manage your daily plan. Try one of these simple to-do list apps:
Todoist
In the digital to-do list category, Todoist is one of the best time management apps available. It helps you schedule all of your tasks and activities and is accessible through a browser and app. Each item can be prioritized and assigned with a deadline. You may also apply notes to all of your tasks using a variety of methods.
Rescue Time
This app will give you weekly reports that will show you what is wasting your time. This software has a diversion avoidance feature and powerful monitoring tools in addition to automated time tracking. RescueTime assists you in avoiding becoming frustrated by a large number of tasks. This app also includes team tools for managing time among team members.
Remember the Milk
This time management app is for you if you have trouble keeping track of what you need to do while working with several devices. It is a fantastic, free app that syncs your phone, computer, Gmail, and Outlook accounts and helps you control your time more effectively across all of your devices. The app will enable you to keep track of your activities and remind you of them no matter where you are. At the same time, an app is a great tool for teams because you can share tasks and lists with others.
10. Keep the Faith in Teamwork
When you look at the big picture, you may realize you are carrying an undue burden. You will likely learn that your teammates are in the same boat as you and that you are even doing the
same things!
We strongly advise you to save your work in a common base, look at the broader perspective, and assign tasks to your colleagues or share them within your team. You don’t have to do it all, and work can get done faster– and even better– when you believe in teamwork.
Final Thoughts
Boosting productivity for yourself and your team is a straightforward goal, but getting there might prove harder than it seems. To help you better manage your time and ignite progress in your organization, use these tips!
A to-do list app is a great way to manage your time. For something more sophisticated that can help you tie tasks to goals, create workflows, designate priorities, set deadlines, and link relevant documents, look for a tasks management software like Profit.co! To learn more about our product, be sure to check out our task management page, or book a free demo with us today! For more information on task management and time management, dive into our blog.