Time management is one of those elusive skills that everyone wants, but few attain.
Luckily, there are techniques one can deploy that help to increase focus, manage time more efficiently, and squeeze a few extra hours out of the day.
5 Surefire Time Management Tips to Squeeze More Hours into the Day
- Sleep at Least Seven Hours - While sleeping away seven to eight hours each night might seem like a time-waster, sleep keeps you on task. You are more productive, focused, and energized with adequate sleep. Sleep is what helps your brain perform at its best; thus, allowing you to maximize your time.
- Stop Multitasking - Multitasking is a term used along with productivity and time management, but it should not be. In fact, multitasking wastes more time than it helps you gain. According to Forbes, when you multitask, you do those items poorly, you are less productive, and you sabotage your opportunity to do great work.
- Do Similar Tasks Back to Back - Group tasks that require similar steps, trips, and more together. For example, put all your errands out of the office on the same time block as meetings out of the office. That way, you are leaving once and do not break up in-office work.
- Put a Clock on Time Wasting Activities - Allow only ten minutes on email or 20 minutes for your next phone meeting. Put a clock on activities, and stick to that clock for more efficient time management. Doing so prevents you from trailing off topic or spending more time than you should on an activity.
- Identify Productivity Hours - Everyone has that time of day where they are more productive. Identify when you are at your freshest and plan your most difficult tasks for those times. Save natural ones for later.
