Tips to Creating a More Effective Time Management Schedule
We all have 24 hours in a day that we try to stretch out as far as possible. The battle for balance in our work and personal lives is fought, oftentimes unsuccessfully, due to an ineffective time management schedule. In this article you will find simple ways to assist you with utilizing your time wisely and getting more done.
Be Prepared and Organized
Having an effective time management schedule at all times is essential and being proactive helps. Getting everything ready the night before saves you from having to rush in the morning. Everything from your child’s lunch to your research for a portfolio loses its value if it’s still on the counter while you’re sitting in rush hour traffic.
Write everything down. Desk calendars, although not the most attractive accessory, are a useful tool when you’re at your busiest and most likely to forget an appointment or schedule change. Post-it notes are another way to remind you to grab the report waiting in the printer. Leave a note to yourself on the coffee machine where you’re sure to see it. Don’t rely on just the time management schedule that’s in your journal or on your PC – make sure you use a dynamic system that helps you by reminding you when you need to be reminded.
Prioritize Your Tasks
Large and/or time sensitive projects should always take priority on your time management schedule. Whether at work or home, the importance of a task should be the determining factor in how much time this project is allotted. Get the little things out of the way early, or put them off to free up irreplaceable time and make room for the projects that can’t wait.
Delegate Smaller Projects and Errands
Unnecessarily running around can create schedule delays that tend to throw off your entire schedule. You don’t need an assistant for help in finding a file or report, sending outgoing mail or delivering cookies to a bake sale. More than likely when you’re swamped someone, whether it be a friend or co-worker, will be more than willing to help. If your client’s office is two blocks from the bagel place your co-worker goes for lunch, ask if they’d mind dropping off a package while they’re out. Chances are it won’t be an issue, and it’s one less thing to worry about.
Give Yourself an Extra 30 Minutes
How often has a meeting running later than expected caused you to be late for another? There are two good ways to avoid this mishap especially if you used a time management schedule. The first is to keep thirty minutes free between appointments. If you have an hour scheduled for a meeting and it runs over a few minutes, you aren’t putting yourself behind schedule, leaving yourself time to run back to your desk to return a phone call or grab a cup of coffee between meetings.
Another good way to avoid overlapping your time management schedule is to keep focused on the task. When you spend the first fifteen minutes of an hour long meeting discussing your plans for the weekend, you rob the project of precious time that could have been spent creating a project plan, and you’re more likely to overlook important details. If you attack the task off the mark you tend to get more done and motivate your team to be more productive.
These tips are guaranteed to save time if properly executed and are good habits to pick up. Being able to maintain an effective time management schedule is vital. It not only reduces stress, it also helps keep morale up because of what you manage to get accomplished.
