20 Tips for Time Management

Time Management or as I prefer to call it TiMe Management is one of those topics that we can all find difficult to address at times. Am I perfect at managing my time or planning my day, no I’m not, but I do use the tools and tips below to help plan my day and manage my time more effectively. The key to changing most behaviour is awareness, so be aware of when you’re not effectively using your time, and then do something about it!

So to help you, pure and simple here is a list of 20 tips for managing time and setting yourself up for a productive day.

Enjoy!

1. Set deadlines for everything and hold yourself to them!
2. Clear your work area of everything else when working on something – it will help you focus
3. Do just one thing at a time
4. Delegate if you can, but try not to allocate or ‘dump’ on people
5. Give yourself some easy things to start your day with – it will energise and motivate you
6. Take breaks when you need them and without guilt – reward yourself for achieving tasks and getting things done
7. Recognise when you’re wasting time – your own and others – and do something about it
8. Avoid perfectionism but don’t allow standards to drop
9. Seek advice and guidance from people you feel manage time effectively
10. Plan and control telephone calls, make calls yourself when you can as you maintain control of these.
11. Protect your time – be prepared to upset people in the process if this is necessary
12. Be clear about what is important in your life, what your goals or objectives are. Plan time to focus on what you will be measured against
13. Prioritise your work – decide what must and should be done and what can really wait
14. Only start things you can make progress on and be realistic about what you can achieve
15. Identify and make use of your most productive times in the day – we all have them and we’re likely to be different!
16. Feel OK about saying ‘No’ when you need to. Don’t let people steal your time
17. Assume that tasks will always take longer than they should – always give yourself a time margin
18. Be conscious of how you manage your time throughout the day
19. Write lists of tasks in priority order – be careful of overloading yourself
20. End the day by planning the next day, so that you have a structure/plan to follow the next day

TiME Management is one of many management skills programmes that we can help you with, either individually or for your company. To discuss how we might be able to help why not give us a call on 07702 110676 or email us at [email protected].

Martin Smith Learning and Development Ltd is a specialist consultancy working with leaders at all levels to improve their relationships with the people that they interact with both internally and externally to the company. We work with organisations, teams and individuals to identify how they can get the best from their people. We have experience spanning diverse industries and encompassing sectors such as engineering, design, customer service, finance, supply chain, sales and procurement.

To discuss how Martin Smith Learning and Development Ltd can help you and your business please contact us;

Phone; 07702110676, Email; [email protected] Web; www.martin-smith.biz

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