How Do I Efficiently Manage Time While Increasing Productivity?

Most everyone you meet will say “Yes,” when asked if they want to become more productive. It’s a great idea, but how do you go about managing your available time when you are trying to grow more productive? 

Here is a way to become more efficient in time management with an eye toward becoming a more productive person at work and at home.

1.Set Daily Goals:

The thing about setting goals every day is so you can have a record of what you are trying to accomplish, which you can then keep track of to see how well you are actually doing. 

Your productivity goals won’t mean much if you aren’t able to analyze how your time usage matches the goals you set.

2. Focus on One Task at a Time:

Your main issue might have to do with multitasking. Perhaps narrowing your focus will get you better results. Pick the most crucial tasks, with the most looming deadlines to focus on first. 

You might be delightfully surprised to find yourself completing three items on your to-do list faster, one in a row, than if you kept switching back and forth from one to the other, in between taking phone calls or answering emails that keep arriving.

3. Develop a Schedule:

Without a fixed timetable, it’s easy for things to fall through the cracks. Don’t just schedule work tasks or errands such as going to the bank or dry cleaners. You’ll also want to schedule things like going for a run before breakfast or making time to have lunch with a friend mid-week.

4. Find Ways to Deal With Stress:

Coming up with a healthy and smart way to reduce stress will be a big factor in your time management skills. A stressed-out person can’t think as clearly as a calm individual. 

So, when you are feeling stressed, you won’t be able to be as productive. Listening to books on tape, watching an engrossing movie and exercising are all examples of ways to minimize stress wisely.

5. Set More Realistic Deadlines:

If your deadlines are impossible to meet because of time constraints or you need input from someone else and it won’t be available, that’s a sign that you need more efficient time management. Look at past examples of tasks and how long they truly took to accomplish. Then use those times to fill in your schedule with a more realistic timetable.

Now Is the Time to Manage Your Time More Efficiently, for Better Productivity

Procrastination is a state of mind that you’ll want to shake off in order to become more productive as you learn time management skills and practice them. Be kind to yourself. Just recognizing that you need to become more efficient is a great sign that you’ll succeed. 

After all, there are plenty of people who have no clue about why they are always falling behind or never seeming to be as productive as their available time would indicate. With stress reduction techniques and a new plan to make your deadlines actually feasible, you’ll know what keeps you stuck and what things you can do to make better use of your productive time.