At the end of your work week, do you ever reflect and wonder, “Where on earth did my time go?!” Well, you are not alone. It is easy for time to fly by, so here are ten of our favorite ways to improve time management skills.
Improve Time Management Skills
Refine Your Goals and Strategy
It is really easy to lose track of time if your goals and strategies are not clearly defined. That said, refine both your long and short-term goals by writing them down. Be sure to identify the ideal end result and the “why” behind your goals! Doing so will help simplify your decision-making and help plan accordingly.
Identify and Focus On Your Top Priorities
It is far easier to accomplish goals once you clearly lay out the top priorities! Do so by identifying and focusing on the areas most important to your business. Then, tackle the fundamentals first.
Schedule Your Time
Whether you use a physical planner or a scheduler such as Google Calendar, it is critical to block out time to work on specific tasks. Literally set appointments for every single task! Doing so will help reduce anxiety and help focus your attention.
“No” Needs to Be Your Favorite Word
Okay, “no” does not literally need to be your favorite word… however, it is important to feel as though you CAN use it! If you struggle with this, we suggest listening to this episode of the Jay Shetty Podcast, On Purpose. In this episode, Jay lays out some of the reasons we, in the “Western World” often struggle with saying no and provides some tips to feel more confident.
Create and Use Systems
By using systems, you can streamline tasks and accomplish more. Systems include:
- Filing
- Information management
- Specific ways to communicate
- And more
You May Need a Reality Check
It can be helpful to ask yourself, “Why am I working on this specific task/activity right now?” The purpose of asking this question is to help identify if the current activity is moving your towards progress or a sneaky trick to avoid something else.
If you find that you are spending time on projects in an effort to mentally “escape”, then you can take actions to combat your avoidance!
You do NOT Have to do Everything
As business owners, it can be tempting to control everything. However, doing so is unnecessary! Thus, it is critical to delegate projects!
If executed properly, delegating projects will save time, motivate your staff, boost their confidence, and help them develop/fine-tune specific skills. This is a win-win for both you and your employees!
Was Something Successful? If So, Repeat It!
It is unnecessary to reinvent the wheel! Therefore, take notes about your specific processes when you have super productive days! By identifying what makes you successful, you can fine-tune these skills and processes and really get a grasp on time management!
![\"This](\"https://nancybrowncoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Automation-300x213.jpg\")
Work-Life Balance
Yes, this phrase is thrown around a lot, but it is important! Spending all of your time on work will lead to burnout. Therefore, it is important that you schedule time for your friends, family, and health (including mental health). Ultimately, time management is life management!
Set Up For Tomorrow
At the end of each workday spend a small amount of time cleaning up your workspace and listing out/prioritizing the must-do tasks for the next day. Doing so will relieve anxiety, and help you enjoy your time outside of work!
Final Thoughts
In order to live a happy and fulfilled life, it is critical to strengthen your time management tools! Hopefully, the above tips are helpful!