Much has been written and said about time management. Indeed, mastering this skill is useful for everyone. However, there are many nuances to effective time management. But after realizing how this all works, the art of time management will become as simple as successful sports betting on your favourite sports. Let’s explore them together.
Where to Start
Time is one of the most irreplaceable human resources, so it must be handled with great care at work and in daily life.
In general, time management involves several key stages:
- Setting goals.
- Creating a plan to achieve those goals.
- Implementing the plan, making necessary decisions, and monitoring progress.
- Analyzing the results, is sort of “learning from mistakes.”
Each stage is essential for achieving the ultimate goal: efficient time management.
You can start your journey in time management by experimenting. That’s right. Explore various time management techniques and hacks. Try them one by one, even if something initially seems unsuitable. You’ll be surprised by the results you can achieve with approaches you never thought would work for you, and how unexpected tips can come in handy.
What to Try in Time Management
Planning:
- In a paper notebook.
- In your phone’s notes.
- Using a dedicated app.
- In a cloud service.
- On a chalkboard.
Tracking Results:
- Brightly colored points on a whiteboard.
- Diagrams and graphs created in Excel or drawn by hand.
- Pop-up notifications on your smartphone screen.
Maintaining Morale:
- Motivational online lectures.
- Relaxing audio meditations.
- Temporarily switching activities.
Common Time Management Mistakes
You might think that time management is a simple process. However, several mistakes can be made along the way. The main one is denying problems in your time management approach.
It’s often hard for people to admit they aren’t managing their time well. It feels shameful and illogical — after all, it’s your life; how could you not manage it?
Acknowledging this simple fact is half the battle. There’s nothing wrong with not being able to effectively manage your time. After all, countless books have been written about time management, and the topic has been on everyone’s lips for years. This means that many people face the same problem and also struggle with it.
Another common mistake is thinking that time management only applies at work. This is far from true. Effective time management is important in everyday life, even during moments of rest. You could say that balancing work and life is a part of good time management. Proper energy recovery also requires planning how you’ll spend your free time.
What Else to Pay Attention to
The idea of “doing it all” is a direct path to burnout. You should distinguish between truly important tasks and those that are simply urgent. Yes, in that order.
Sometimes getting a good night’s sleep after a hard day is more important than washing the dishes, cleaning the floors, or ironing clothes for the week. At the same time, submitting a major work report to your boss two days before the deadline isn’t always the best idea if it leads to severe burnout.
Other common time management mistakes include:
- Refusing to delegate tasks.
- Lack of compromises with yourself.
- Excessive perfectionism, where you give 110% to even the smallest tasks.
- Not leaving extra time for each task.
- Failing to schedule time for yourself, including proper meals and 15-minute breaks during work.
Trying to follow a one-size-fits-all time management formula is also a questionable idea. Of course, you can use one of the popular time management approaches as a foundation, but creating your own is better. Develop a personal time management system that includes methods that suit you. Each person is unique, so the approach to yourself should also be special, based on your needs, experience, and desires.
4 Time Management Books to Get You Started
To help those new to time management, we’ve selected several books about managing time and a few that offer a more relaxed approach to it.
You don’t need to read all of them; feel free to browse through certain chapters that interest you. This is also an important time management skill — not wasting time on something you don’t want to do if it’s not a mandatory part of the plan.
- Dan Kennedy – No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs: The Ultimate no Holds Barred Kick Butt Take no Prisoners Guide to Time Productivity & Sanity
- Kevin Kruse – 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management
- Staffan Nöteberg – Pomodoro Technique Illustrated: The Easy Way to Do More in Less Time
- Oliver Burkeman – Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals