In our fast-paced, constantly connected world, it’s more important than ever to be in control of our time. Yet for many of us, managing our time feels like an impossible task. We’re bombarded with distractions and competing demands on our attention, and it can be hard to stay focused on what’s truly important. 

If you’re struggling to keep on top of your to-do list, it’s time to take control of your time and become your time management. With a few simple strategies, you can start taking back control of your day and get more done in less time. 

Here are four tips to help you become your own time manager:

Set priorities

With so many things vying for our attention, it’s important to have a clear sense of what’s truly important. Spend some time each day identifying your top priorities for the day ahead. This will help you focus your attention on the tasks that matter most and ensure you’re making progress on your most important goals.

Schedule breaks 

Don’t try to work straight through the day without taking any breaks. This will only lead to fatigue and will make it harder to stay focused on your work. Instead, schedule regular breaks into your day so you can take a few minutes to recharge. Take a walk, grab a coffee, or just step away from your desk for a few minutes – whatever helps you relax and refresh yourself. 

Set deadlines

One of the best ways to stay on track is to set deadlines for yourself. When you have a specific date in mind for completing a task, you’re more likely to focus on getting it done. However, be sure to give yourself some flexibility with deadlines – if you’re too rigid, you may find yourself feeling stressed and overwhelmed. 

Delegate and outsource

To be successful, it’s important to learn how to delegate and outsource tasks. You can’t do everything yourself, so identify the tasks that someone else could do just as well (or better). This will free up your time so you can focus on more important things. 

Furthermore, here are some tried and tested time management techniques; 

The pomodoro technique:

This time management strategy suggests working in short bursts of 25 minutes, followed by a 5-minute break. After 4 Pomodoro sessions, you can take a longer break of 15-20 minutes. This strategy can help you stay focused and avoid burnout.  

The Eisenhower Matrix:

This tool helps you prioritise tasks by urgency and importance. Tasks that are both urgent and important should be done first, followed by tasks that are important but not urgent. Tasks that are neither urgent nor important can be delegated or outsourced. 

The ABC method:

This technique involves categorising tasks by urgency. “A“ tasks are urgent and need to be done right away, “B” tasks are important but not urgent, and “C” tasks are neither urgent nor important. This can help you focus on the most important tasks first. 

The Ivy Lee method:

This method suggests writing down your six most important tasks for the day and then working on them in order of importance. Once you’ve completed the first task, move on to the second, and so on. This technique can help you make progress on your most important goals.

Time blocking:

This strategy involves scheduling specific blocks of time for specific tasks. For example, you might block off 2 hours for working on a project, 30 minutes for responding to emails, and 30 minutes for taking a break. This can help you stay focused and avoid burnout. 

Book us to deliver a course on beating time management! trainEQ understands the importance of time management — that’s why we offer a powerful and functional time management training course. Contact us today to find out more about how it can help you or your employees!