There are plenty of people who maintain a busy lifestyle and work hard day in and day out, but at the same time, some of these same people lack the proper time management skills to maximize their productivity levels.
Cut out tasks that can drain time, money, and resources. Follow these tips to get going in the right direction.
1. Make an email chain.
If I’m forced to use email to interact with someone on a project, I make it a habit to only reply to the original email. I do this for a number of reasons, especially if I need to use the search bar to locate our correspondence. There won’t be multiple emails floating around to look through. Even if emails are neatly organized in a folder, you still have to open multiple messages if the subject line doesn’t make things crystal clear as to what the email contains.
The next reason why you should adopt this habit is because it shows a chronological sequence of the steps taken. If I forget some of the information or have to remind myself of something like the answer to an important question that came up later in the email chain, everything is right there in order for reference. So even if I have to look through a bit, I know the information will be there.
2. Monitor how much time you spend on your phone
Recent studies show that the average American checks their phone 47 times a day. The number nearly doubles for 18-24-year-olds. While there are certain notifications that you might need to know in real time, many others are just noise. Consider changing notifications from social media platforms or perhaps deleting them altogether from your phone. It can equate to fewer interruptions throughout the day. It will also allow you to use your time wisely and stay focused. Time you can better spend to follow up with a prospect, plan out your errands for the week or complete a complex task in less time.
3. Control what you can
While many jobs can throw curve balls our way on a regular basis, try to stick to a basic routine. Even if that routine just functions like an outline. Get anything vital to your business done at a time when you most likely won’t be interrupted. For some people, this is the early morning while others may carve out this time at night. This will ensure that items that need to be completed will get finished and you can handle whatever comes your way without creating a domino effect that throws off all of your deadlines.
The Bottom Line
By remaining organized, cutting out time-consuming tasks like constantly checking your phone and browsing the internet, along with maximizing your most productive time during the day to complete vital tasks, you can start to improve your time management skills.