That’s right. In this post you will read a lot about time management – losing time, making time, having time. You might think: “I’m too busy to waste my attention on this” but then that’s the point.
That feeling of being too busy is driven by stress. Wouldn’t it be great if you could still get everything done and more, but leave all that adrenaline for your free time?
Time management is the ability to use one’s time effectively or productively, especially at work. Good time management is often found in happy workplaces. Poor time management is associated with disorganised systems and escalating problems.
Losing time
Everyone’s time is valuable but just the thought of having too little time creates stress. Constantly feeling pressured to get the job done can lead to lack of sleep, unhappiness and poor health. This leads to a downward spiral of deepening stress and worsening performance.
Making time
Self-auditing how you spend your time at work can help you see the bigger picture. The tasks that take up a lot of time are not necessarily the most important or productive. Distractions can also extend finish times without contributing to the outcome.
What you need is a plan. Having a clear set of priorities and allocating times to complete tasks creates better self-awareness.
Having time
It can be hard to see the forest for the trees when you are unable to focus on the tasks in front of you. But when you feel in control of your time there are many upsides. For example:
- Self-discipline improves
- You achieve higher quality in your work
- Negative stress walks out the door
- You see new opportunities
- Decision-making improves
- You get more done
Time management hacks
Whole careers are based on teaching managers and staff about better time management. All you really need to know is that you can’t do it all yourself.
That doesn’t necessarily mean delegating or letting go of tasks. It means being smarter at utilising techniques and tools that make doing your job easier, quicker and more productive.
Here are some things to try:
- You can get that feeling of being “too busy” out of your head by just writing it down. Having a hard copy to-do list means the brain can stop racing and trying to constantly remember everything that needs to be done. Instead, a list allows you to focus on achieving one task at a time.
- Identifying technologies that streamline processes can also help to complete jobs accurately and quickly. A great example are the online tools that simplify staff rostering and keep track of staff time and attendance for you.
- Stop procrastinating by understanding it is driven by stress. You are not being lazy. Rather try to identify what is causing the stress such as not having clear priorities. You will then find it easier to get started.
- Schedule yourself some breaks. As part of planning your day identify when you can break from your tasks. This helps to avoid distractions while you work as you know that you can catch up on what else is going on around you.
What are you waiting for?
