Time goes by so fast, so it’s great to learn new time management tips to help you get more done faster to be able to do what you actually want. Like, spend time with family, going out with friends, etc. We are all busy with our overbooked daily schedules that we find it hard to find time for essential things in life. Today I will be sharing with you seven best time management tips to get more done faster, and I will also share with you books that will also help with this topic.
Let’s begin! 🙂
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1. PRIORITIZE
Write down your top 3 priorities for the day, you can either do this the night before or the day of. I usually write it down the night before, so I don’t forget the following day. But you can do what works best for you!
Just make sure to write the three tasks that will make you feel satisfied at the end of the day.
2. LIMIT DISTRACTIONS
This is something I work on every day since my blog involves a lot of social media and reading emails which can get me easily distracted. So I intentionally limit my distractions now, and I have gotten better and better as time goes by. For everyone else it might be different, maybe someone might need to limit how much time they watch TV, videos, etc.
So really think of what area in your life you need to work on limiting distractions. This is so important because if you let yourself become distracted all the time, at some point you will feel so lost and it will be a lot harder to focus on what you need to get done.
By doing this, you will get back more time in your life, and you will have more time for the important things in life.
Here is a book that can help you limit your distractions and get rid of procrastination:
Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It Now
3. TIME BLOCK
Time blocking is an effective way to use your time wisely during the day. I never thought I would like this since your pretty much planning out each hour of your day. But I LOVE IT! This helps you stay on track all day and makes you the most productive.
For example:
8am-9am: Eat breakfast & clean the house
10am-11am: Do stretches & work out
Etc…
It’s such a simple strategy that works to keep you productive all day!
4. SAY NO MORE OFTEN
Saying no more often doesn’t mean you will be saying no to everything, you will just say no to things that are not aligned with you need to achieve. You will be able to be twice as more productive because you have more spare time to do things that are important to you.
I have learned to say yes more wisely now, and it has helped me stay focused on what I need to get done. I no longer say yes just because I feel bad. If you value your time, others will too
5. USE THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE
This technique was used many years ago to increase productivity and help you save time by completing a task sooner by not procrastinating.
“The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. The technique uses a timer to break down work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks.”
Sometimes the hardest part is to simply start a task, but knowing you only need to work on that specific task for 25 minutes, gives you motivation to just start since you won’t be working for too long.
What I found when doing this is that I would work much more than just those 25 minutes. I would start to feel in flow, and I would just get the task done. This will vary by each task that you need to do.
The Productivity Planner uses the Pomodoro technique and it helps you keep track of all the tasks you need to get done and stay productive. I explain more about the planner in this post: How To Increase Your Productivity Using The Productivity Planner
6. BATCH SIMILAR TASKS
Batching similar tasks also helps tremendously! I have designated days where I batch certain tasks.
For example, I have a day where I schedule my posts for social media for the week, schedule my next blog post, etc. I have another day where I write similar blog posts the same day. I have a designated day where I spend some time commenting on other blogs and while doing this I look for a blog to guest post for or collaborate with.
It saves you a lot of time in the long run to batch similar tasks together.
7. CLEAR UP YOUR SCHEDULE
There are people who overbook themselves with way too many tasks and responsibilities. So look at your planner or calendar and ask yourself if all those To Do’s that you need to get done are really that important. You need to have some space between tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed. We need to learn that we can’t get everything done in just a day, it is best to take it one day at a time. If you find that you’ve overbooked your day with too many things, then try to prioritize them and see which ones can get done the next day.
We need to learn that we can’t get everything done in just a day, it is best to take it one day at a time. If you find that you’ve overbooked your day with too many things, then try to prioritize them and see which ones can get done the next day.
This might mean having to say No more often. Instead of having 10 important things to do in one day, maybe you could drop it down to 5 things. It all depends on your life and what makes you feel good. The point is not to be so busy that you always feel stressed or overwhelmed.
What are some time management tips you can give us? Feel free to let us know in the comments! 🙂
I have a hard time with the distractions – and with getting myself to do anything!
If you work on it, little by little you will get much better! Just give it a try 🙂
Great tips, I will be checking out your suggestions!
Currently, I block out my time and try to batch tasks together… but I feel like I could be doing more!
Thanks for sharing!
The Girl! x
http://www.girlbehindthelook.com/blog
Thank you!! Batching has really helped me get more done faster as well 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Now if I could only stick to a schedule!
This is some great advice. I’m guilty of overbooking myself. I always think it will take me less time to complete a task and boy do I get into trouble that way. I need to organize myself better lately.
I used to overbook myself a lot before as well and I sometimes still do but learning to cut back on things that aren’t as important really helps you focus on what matters most and getting it done faster 🙂
Thanks for sharing Kasia!
I’ve recently gotten more in the habit of making sure I get at least 3 top priority things accomplished during the day. It does make a difference in how productive I feel!
I’ve tried batching before, and I really liked it, but I’m not quite in the habit of doing it regularly, even though I need to be. Something to work on! 🙂
I agree with having your top 3 priorities for the day. It does help you be more productive! Thanks for your comment, Bria 🙂
Great tips specially the Pomodoro method.
Thank you very much! 🙂
Hi Janett,
I’m happy to inform you that this post is featured in the recent part of TimeCamp’s weekly Productivity Articles roundup! Find “Getting Things Done Smarter: 10 Best Productivity Articles! 8/10/27” on https://www.timecamp.com/blog/.
Thank you for sharing these excellent productivity and time management tips!
Ola Rybacka, SM Manager at TimeCamp
Hello Ola,
Thank you so much! That is very sweet of you. I will definitely check it out right now 🙂
Thanks again!
I’ve definitely had to limit distractions! I used to watch YouTube while working on my blog but I ended up getting sucked into it so now I just listen to music! 🙂
That’s great Amber! Glad to know you found something that works for you 🙂
Thanks for commenting 🙂
all great ideas! I do all of these!
Great tips! I’m big on time management. I love these tips. I’ve never heard of the Promodoro method, I’m excited to try it out. The idea of multitasking – which I like to call switch tasking – is one I’m working to over come. When it comes to time management single tasking is super effective because you pour all your effort and focus into that tasks. Goes right along with limiting distractions and time blocking!
Naomi
http://www.myfairolinda.com/2017/09/05/stop-multitasking-today/