3 Time Management Tricks that will Change how you Work
Does this scenario seem familiar to you?
You are sitting at your desk, staring at the three words on your computer screen. The same three words that have been there for the past hour.
You still have seven things to finish, but no time to do it. How are you supposed to manage your time and get your work done efficiently and well?
Most people I know spend all day working and have no time to spend with their family or to themselves. This article will hopefully increase your productivity and allow you to better manage your time.
So, what is time management? The term gets tossed around so much but do you actually understand what it entails?
“Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities” (The Mind Tools Content Team By the Mind Tools Content Team, et al.)
Time management helps you achieve your goals by excavating a specific path for what you need to get done. Through proper management of your time, you can get more work done much more effectively and also have time to focus on your personal life.
“It is not enough to be busy… The question is: what are we busy about?” — Henry David Thoreau
Time management helps reduce your stress by making your time spent working more valuable and increasing your productivity. So, here are a few tips that allowed me to stop procrastinating and get work done.
- Set realistic deadlines.
In order to massively increase productivity let’s look at a important law called “Parkinson’s law.” Parkinson’s law “is the adage that work expands to fill the time allotted” (Boogaard, Kat.). Essentially, the amount of work you have to complete adjusts (usually increasing) to the time available for its completion.
In other words, if you do not set yourself deadlines your brain will automatically assume you have infinite time to get work done, resulting in delay and procrastination.
However,
The deadlines you set yourself must be realistic. Giving yourself 10 massive tasks to finish in 3 hours is simply illogical. You need to plan your time realistically in order to reduce stress and accomplish your goals. By giving yourself a specific, realistic timeline to complete one task, you are more likely to finish it.
2. Prioritizing Work
Not everything needs to be done at once. It may seem like it, but it does not. Prioritizing your goals means being able to say ‘no’ to tasks that are not as important, or you know you will not focus on.
For example, if you are working on a task that you know you are not focusing on, move on. Do not fixate on one task if you know you are not getting it done. Simply, move on to another, take a break and then re-approach the task with a clear mind. It is far better to save your time than stress over a task endlessly. Choose either which task is worth the most or what is due first and finish one. This will motivate you to keep working and allow you to check one item off the list.
3. Taking Breaks
Your brain needs breaks. This is a fact that will make you happier and more productive. Taking breaks between tasks allows your brain to refresh so you can later re-approach a task and work much more effectively. Working for long periods of time without breaks leads to stress and exhaustion which will increase procrastination. It is scientifically proven that your prefrontal cortex, the part of your mind that keeps you focused on your goals, needs breaks to increase productivity.
Breaks can be anything from naps, to exercise or even eating. Taking a break to move around or do something you enjoy increases endorphins and reduces the negative health effects. The need to make frequent decisions throughout you day can also wear down your reasoning ability and lead to decision fatigue. Taking a break restores your motivation for both short and long term goals.
All in all, time is the most valuable part of our day. Time creates value and by properly managing your time it allows you to be happier and less stressed. Three simple tasks help increase productivity massively. By setting realistic deadlines, prioritizing your work, and taking breaks you will be overall happier and less stressed.
- Abbigail Hollett
References:
Boogaard, Kat. “How to Overcome Parkinson’s Law.” Work Life by Atlassian, Atlassian, 15 Apr. 2020, www.atlassian.com/blog/productivity/what-is-parkinsons-law#:~:text=Parkinson's Law is the old,for the Economist in 1955.
The Mind Tools Content Team By the Mind Tools Content Team, et al. “What Is Time Management?: Working Smarter to Enhance Productivity.” Time Management Skills From MindTools.com, www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_00.htm.
