How to Maximize Your Time Without Compromising Quality
Photo by Marvin Meyer
Do you find yourself feeling like a hamster on a wheel, trying to complete daily tasks but getting bogged down and overwhelmed? Between meetings, events and emails, it's hard to stay ahead of the game. Here are five tips to help you maximize your time without compromising the quality of your work.
1. Figure out where you're spending your time.
When it comes to time management, the first step is to figure out where you're spending your time. For one week, make a conscious effort to record how long you spend on various tasks. How long are you in meetings each day? How long do you spend responding to emails? How much time is spent looking at social media apps? How long are you working on a specific project? Having a break down of how you currently manage your time will be helpful when implementing new time management strategies. Once you've narrowed down the time spent on each task, examine the list and figure out where you can trim down.
2. Set a time limit for each task.
After doing an audit of how you spend your time during the work week, set a time limit for each task you need to accomplish. Be realistic in the amount of time you allot for each task, but don't be too gracious. Setting a time limit for each task prevents you from getting distracted or procrastinating. It also helps you designate a good stopping point and allows you to focus on the next task at hand. Be sure to put buffers between each task or activity, that way if you don't complete the task in your allotted time, you can still work on it without eating into the time reserved for something else.
3. Create a to-do-list and prioritize your tasks.
Manually writing down a to-do-list can help ease stress, as it gives you a clear defined task list. Having a to-do-list is motivating because you can see what you've already achieved, and what you still need to work on. Prioritize your to-do-list with the most important and pressing tasks listed first, followed by tasks that can be completed later in the week. Be sure you aren't including simple tasks on your to-do-list just to cross them off. Be concrete in your goals to help maximize your time.
4. Don't think about everything you have to do, focus on the task at hand.
It's easy to get overwhelmed by your workload, but creating your to-do-list and prioritizing your time can help ease some of your stress. Don't look at your entire to-do-list and feel overwhelmed, look at the list one task at a time. Once you start to check off items on your to-do-list you will feel accomplished and ready to take on your next task.
5. Block time on your calendar to catch up.
Are you constantly in meetings and feel like you can never keep up with emails? Block time on your calendar a couple days a week to catch up on emails and projects. It's important to be flexible with this time when necessary, but also hold firm in the amount of time you give yourself. If something comes up during your blocked time, reschedule for a different time of day or different day of the week. Allowing yourself the opportunity to sit at your desk or laptop and crank out emails or tasks you've been putting off will help you destress and feel more accomplished.