Time management at work...have you got it mastered? If you are still complaining there are not enough hours in a day then we have a simple solution to your problem. In fact, it could be as easy as reading an activity statement after a few days. Few people realize being productive is not simply a matter of being busy; if you are not focusing on results then anything else you try may be a waste of time.
Can You Make Time Management Work?
Sure you can. However, it will take a little discipline on your part but once you get the wheels in motion, it's amazing what a difference it can make in just about all facets of your life.
A common answer to most people's time management and organizational problems is to get a diary. While they have their place in our day-to-day responsibilities, diaries are really just a superficial fix. Why? Because unless your diary can speak to you and remind you you haven't completed a task you've written in there then you may as well just try and commit things to memory.
Time Management Facts
Recent studies have shown people will have at least 50 interruptions during the course of a day. In fact, given a working day is still eight hours, this can equate to almost half the working day being wasted because of unproductive distractions.
Time Management At Work - Doing The Productive Stuff
This is an area where most people will get into trouble. Distinguishing between low and high priority tasks. You know what I mean in fact, I was notorious at getting the priority stuff done ahead of the high value stuff and couldn't figure out why I was so busy all the time but achieved very little.
Concentrating on results is the answer and until I was introduced to an activity statement, I was forever sailing around like a ship without a destination. They are a wonderful thing these activity statements believe me! They don't lie. Every minute of your working day is recorded and if you have an ego, then be warned, it could get dented. But all in the name of getting you to make some necessary adjustments to your schedule to get you on the path to becoming a more productive and less stressed person.
Auditing Your Activities To Make Time Management Work
For self employed people they are an excellent way to identify the areas that need attention. After all, if you are the one responsible for generating your own income then doesn't it make sense to know where you're wasting time on low producing tasks but ignoring potentially high productivity areas.
You record each and every activity you perform during working hours including seemingly insignificant things like checking email. After a week, analyze your statement and you will immediately see where you are most productive and when you are unproductive. You can then schedule the higher value and more difficult tasks for your high production times. You can also cut down or completely eliminate wasteful tasks from your day.
Time Management At Work - Achieving Results
It will take a little discipline at first but a time management activity statement can really help you to turn your productivity levels around. Once you perform the exercise, it becomes addictive and in most cases, it's a process many will continue to apply. Are you ready to know the truth?
Time Management At Work
So what exactly is time management? How do you manage time and more importantly, can time actually be managed? Well, I'm here to tell you time management is real; implement it correctly and it doesn't matter what field of work you are in, you'll attain both short and long term goals and lift productivity to a whole new level. And the best part is, it will seem as if you expend very little extra energy doing it.
Over Committment In The Work Environment
One of the biggest ravages of a person's productive time schedules is over committing. Why people do it remains somewhat of a mystery. Maybe it's the old story of not wanting to say no; trying to please everyone yet realising there is just no way you'll perform every task you've set yourself in the allotted time. This then leads to half-finished projects and a reputation in some eyes that you are unreliable. In the end, it ultimately leads to stress and diminished feelings of achievement. Know the feeling?
Set Your Time Management At Work Priorities
Prioritising is such an important aspect of effective time management it can't be understated. I can relate my story which will probably "strike a chord" with many where I had a habit of trying to get everything done yesterday. You know what I mean. If it gets done today then I won't have to do it tomorrow. But do you know what? I worked myself into a state of mind where my sub conscious used to take over and I found myself buried under a mountain of work one day and walking aimlessly around the office the next trying to look busy. My reasoning then was if it is finished today, I can relax tomorrow. Wrong attitude.
This gradually led to a distinct dislike for my job, unnecessary stress and believe it or not, laziness. How? Well, while I initially liked the idea of going to work and having nothing to do, I developed an over zealousness which saw me become agitated and frustrated whenever extra work was dumped on my desk. "How dare they? Don't they know this is my free time that I earnt because I put in all that extra effort early in the week to get things completed?" I soon became unpopular. And the reality was yes, though I had completed all my work in a couple of days, you couldn't blame people for noticing when I wasn't busy. I had to change and I did!
Prioritising my work committments virtually gave me a new lifeline. I implemented strict time management principles and followed them to the letter. Soon, it became second nature. Here's what I did:
- I planned my day the night before. I got myself a diary. Yes, I know, how could I have lived without one!
- I listed tasks in order of importance. Sounds simple and straight forward but you won't believe how many people get this wrong!
- I didn't over-commit myself and learned to politely say no. There was no grey area here. It was yes or no and do you know I started to get some long awaited respect as a decision-maker.
- When I started a project, I would tackle the more difficult areas first. This makes good time management sense because a fresh mind gives you sharper judgement and you are less likely to make mistakes.
- I set short term goals, sometimes every hour and would give myself some sort of reward every time I achieved them. Rewards can be whatever you like, it's up to you.
It didn't take me long to climb "out of the rut" I had worked myself into. Applying time management at work principles virtually saved my career, gave me new found confidence and more importantly, I started enjoying it again. You can too!
Dean Caporella has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Golf Guide and Surveys. Dean Caporella is a professional broadcaster. There is an easy answer to more effective Get. Dean Caporella's top article generates over 74000 views. to your Favourites.
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