Time management: 13 tips to take advantage of the hours of the day

The demands of work, personal obligations and the rhythm of daily life mean that in many cases Sometimes immense amounts of work accumulate to which we do not know very well how face us.

Thanks to proper time management, we can reduce this accumulation of tasks and alleviate the feeling of pressure and stress that they usually carry. Here we will see several tips to improve our skills when making good use of time available and perform better in everyday tasks, such as professional work, training sessions, study, etc.

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Seize the hours of the day: do more with less

Optimal time management is a very important skill both at work and when carrying out the activities of our life daily and, although this seems more than obvious, not all people are capable of organizing their time and tasks in the most effective.

Poor time management can almost certainly lead to high levels of stress and obviously lack of productivity. Therefore, as soon as the person is able to understand and assimilate how to organize his time correctly, he will also be able to anticipate possible conflicts and plan alternative solutions.

As mentioned above, knowing how to manage time correctly is a skill and as such it is susceptible to being trained and improved. Even though this is not difficult, requires discipline and perseverance.

The first step will always be to be aware and accept that we are not working well or making good use of our time, and then propose a series of guidelines to follow that over time they will end up becoming habits that we will do automatically.

Below we suggest a series of tips to improve time management, which will help us to be much more productive in less time and consequently, they will help us feel better about ourselves themselves.

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13 tips to improve time management

Here are a series of tips that, applied daily, will boost our productivity and prevent us from wasting time unconsciously.

1. Positive attitude

Maintaining a positive disposition and attitude towards our work is essential to invest our time in an efficient and effective way. This motivational posture will make it easier for us to have a clearer mind and to better plan our work.

If a task is posed in a way that does not motivate, surely Let's end up looking for excuses to distract ourselves, something to avoid. Therefore, before we get to work we must promote self-motivation strategies, which can even happen by stopping to close your eyes and imagine the feeling of having finished what we have to do, so that that feeling of satisfaction.

2. Be realistic

It is illogical to try to cover more tasks than we can actually do. Another important point when it comes to correct time management is be realistic and honest with yourself and know what we can do and what not.

Otherwise, the only thing we will achieve is that frustration and stress invade us.

Thus, it is best to take into account both our skills and what we do not excel at. positively, to create concrete goals and adjusted to what we know about what we are capable of make.

3. To establish objectives

Having clear objectives is essential to know where we are going. Nevertheless, the objectives set must have a series of characteristics that makes them viable. For this they must be:

• Clear.
• Quantifiable.
• Feasible.
• Affordable.

4. Clarify tasks

Being clear about what tasks have to be carried out to achieve the objectives is essential so as not to waste time on activities that we do not know if they will be of any use to us or not. A good trick is break them down and turn them into smaller, simpler tasks. The reason is that these will cost us less and therefore we will not waste energy on them.

5. Prioritize

It is obvious that not all tasks or objectives are equally important and urgent, so draw up an action plan and rank the tasks It will help us stay organized, keep track of our achievements, and anticipate potential complications.

6. Make an agenda or calendar

Once our tasks have been prioritized, the next step is to plan them. Optimal planning will minimize the occurrence of unforeseen tasks and forgetfulness, thus leaving us more time for our free time.

7. Get lighter tasks done sooner

There is a law in time management that says that if we have one or more tasks that we can do in two minutes or less, we do them immediately. Otherwise, after a heavy task we still have many small and light tasks for which we no longer have energy.

Also, if we follow this rule as well we will feel more fulfilled having done many things in a very short time.

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8. Focus on a single task

It is very important not to try to monopolize several tasks or activities at the same time. Although we have many things to do, it is better to do them one by one, thus ensuring good concentration and optimal performance.

9. Reduce distractions

By distractions we understand any possible external stimulus that diverts our attention from the task we are doing. Mobile phone, internet, social networks, other people or tasks, can divert our attention from work, so it is necessary that they be as less visible or present as possible.

In the event that an unforeseen event or task to be carried out appears, it is better to write it down and do it later, to do not interrupt the activity.

10. Rest well

It's not worth overloading yourself and putting up with fatigue just to try to finish earlier or do more tasks. It is necessary to rest from time to time, change posture and make our brain rest and get distracted a bit. On the contrary, it is most likely that this accumulation of fatigue will end up tiring us more, becoming less mentally agile and giving us the feeling that we cannot do everything.

11. Disconnect

Just as it is necessary to rest while we carry out a task, it is essential to disconnect once we have finished the day. As far as possible, leave tasks for work or work hours and dedicate free time to disconnect and invest it in ourselves.

12. Take care of the media and the workplace

Just as important is taking care of our attitude as well as our workplace. We must make sure we have everything we will need prepared, as well as ensuring that everything works correctly.

An orderly space or workplace with the right conditions will help us to perform better and not waste time on other matters.

13. Avoid procrastination

Procrastinate means postpone, delay or postpone all those activities or habits that we feel like do or not we feel motivated, replacing them with others that stimulate us more or are more irrelevant.

• Related article: "Procrastination or the "I'll do it tomorrow" syndrome: what it is and how to prevent it"

Bibliographic references:

• LeBoeuf, M. (1979). Working Smart. New York: Warner Books.
• Morgenstern, J. (2004). Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule — and Your Life. New York: Henry Holt / Owl Books.
• Richard, W. (2008). Time Management: Proven Techniques for Making Every Minute Count. Adams Media. pp. 232 - 238.
• Sandberg, J. (2004). To-Do Lists Can Take More Time Than Doing, But That Isn't the Point. The Wall Street Journal.
• Stella, C. (2013). The Study Skills Handbook. London: Palgrave Macmillan.