7 Ways to Win the Time Management Struggle
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Need some productivity tools to help you get work done efficiently and on time? Whether you’re a nine-to-fiver or an entrepreneur, time management is an essential skill everyone needs to be effective at their job or business. Unfortunately, while developing time management skills often seems simple in theory, many people struggle with procrastination and other factors that hinder their ability to stay on task.
To combat time management challenges, use the following tips to take control of your schedule.
Implement mono-tasking
There’s a common misconception that the ability to multitask is a highly desirable trait. However, multitasking usually limits your ability to devote the necessary time needed to deliver high-quality services or products. Instead, mono-tasking is a better option for accomplishing your tasks. Mono-tasking is simply the act of honing in on one task or project at a time. The process encourages time-blocking, in which a specific task is the sole focus of your attention for a set period of time.
Limit Your Focus
Related to mono-tasking, when your schedule seems overwhelming, sometimes the problem isn’t your inability to manage time, but that you’ve actually committed to too much! Learn how to say no to taking on certain workloads that don’t align with what you value. Or, you can say: not now but later. If you have a full time job, a family and a passion project on the side - are you really able to handle that extra project someone just asked you to do? At times, our culture makes us feel like we should have the time to do infinite tasks, but time is the one thing we can’t get more of. Being precise about your focus and priorities can tremendously help. It’s not always easy to define what you want to focus on, but answering the following questions can get you on the right track:
What are your top five personal and professional goals this year? What are you committed to rather than just kinda interested in? Go with your gut.
Next, ask yourself, how does what you do everyday contribute to these goals or detract from them? If one of your goals is to transition into a new career field - what is a small task you can do daily that will contribute to this end?
If you’re able to answer those things, the next step is to set boundaries and limit taking on work that isn’t aligning with your vision when you can. Life happens! Some things are out of your control and require your attention even when you rather they don’t. It’s best to not get bogged down by that and realign yourself with your vision when you’re able to.
Write it Down
Having trouble keeping your schedule all in your head? You don’t have to! Try to get in the habit of writing down what you’ll be doing each day along with time slots. For example, you could write a schedule that looks like this:
6-8AM - Get ready for work
9-10AM - Commute
1-2PM - Lunch
10-6PM - In the office
8PM- Eat Dinner
9-10PM - Work on Project
ETC…
Once you write it down and actually take stock of what a day looks like on paper, it becomes easier for you to see what you have time to do and how long it actually takes to get certain things done. It’ll also be easier to assess if you have time to do extra tasks and if you’re spending too much or too little time on certain things. It might feel strange at first to plan your day out this way, but it can be a big help.
Have flexibility in your schedule
Avoid scheduling every hour of your day for work. It’s essential to leave empty slots in your daily schedule to take breaks and relax. These breaks can last for a few minutes or an hour, depending on your needs. You can take an extended lunch, spend time with your family, read a book, or do any other activity that eases your mind. Busy professionals often overlook self-care, so take time for a mental reset throughout the day to lower your stress levels.
Set healthy routines
One element of time management that we often don’t talk about is energy management. This refers to how sharp, clear headed and energized we feel each day. If you’re unable to do what you intend to do day after day, the problem might not be managing time, it could be related to your mental or physical health.
As they say, developing a habit can take at least 30 days or up to three months. Creating a morning and nighttime routine can frame your day in a way that promotes health and focus. The benefits of a healthy routine include reduced stress levels, better sleep, improved health, and a happier mood. Once you have a set routine, you’ll feel more energized to tackle your schedule. Some ideas for things to do in the morning or evening include: stretching, drinking water, eating nutrient dense foods, writing in a journal, reading, exercising or doing something that gives you joy.
Assessing fears and taking action anyway
Another factor that impacts time management is fear. It might not be that you can’t get started writing your ebook, it could be that you’re afraid of facing the discomfort of sitting in front of an empty word document, the fear of even proclaiming that you want to do something so creative with your time, or fear that you’re not good enough to commit your ideas to paper. A great way to combat fear is to come up with VERY SMALL tasks that feel easy to approach. For example, if you want to write a book but keep “not having the time”, reframe your goal to: I want to write one sentence a day. You might chuckle, thinking that one sentence a day won’t get you where you need to go, but usually it’s getting started that’s the hardest part. You will often find that the one sentence turns into two, three, four and then all of a sudden you have a paragraph. When you do this repeatedly, you’ll find that overtime the fear goes away and instead you get excited about working on the project you set out to complete. So, what’s your super small task that you’ll do today?
Put your phone in another room and assess your media-diet
Alright, most of us know at this point that we’re all a little (okay, maybe a lot), addicted to our phones. I’m completely floored when my weekly screentime report says that I’ve spent five hours a day on my phone. According to TechJury, 13% of millennials spend over 12 hours on their phones daily and Baby Boomers tend to spend 5 hours using their phones daily. Meaning, phone usage is a HUGE part of the modern struggle with time management. Like a bag of potato chips, apps are engineered to keep us wanting more, stealing our precious time.
If you need to get to work but can’t fight the urge to scroll, one approach could be to put your phone in another room so that you’re less likely to go down the IG rabbit hole. Or, take stock of what I’ll call your “media-diet”. Ask yourself: what am I getting from my screentime? Am I mostly being entertained, connecting with friends and family or finding information pertinent to work? Is there a page that you follow that is entertaining but you also know that once you get going, you can’t stop scrolling (kind of like a nice bag of chips that you can’t stop eating)? Consider unfollowing them so that you are less likely to get totally off track.