“Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the thing that he can least afford to waste.” –Thomas Edison.
Anyone managing projects, regardless of their professional field, can relate to Thomas Edison's statement and has likely experienced it firsthand. In many areas we deal with daily, such as achieving goals and meeting targets, time management remains a domain where most of us struggle despite it being an immediately available resource under our exclusive control, unlike budget, scope, and resource prioritization. Being productive doesn't just "happen" to certain people; it involves a set of learnable skills that anyone can practice and master.
There are countless theories and strategies for time management, but I’ve decided to offer a few tips that can help you manage your time better:
1. Assess Your Daily Time Investment
Before you can start optimizing your time, it’s important to know exactly how and where you’re "wasting" time during the day. Some people find it useful to use existing tools on the market to manage a diary. Try to be aware of your daily activities and note where your distractions and obstacles lie. Are you spending time on social media sites? Are you being sidetracked by colleagues’ tasks? Do you find your focus waning at a certain time of day? Being aware of where your time is spent, both personally and professionally, will help you manage it better.
2. Create Task Lists (Daily, Weekly, etc.)
To avoid constantly trying to remember your next tasks or prevent tasks from falling through the cracks, write down everything you need to do, big or small, including emails, phone calls, projects, ideas, meetings, etc. Break large tasks into smaller goals. Once you have a tangible list of tasks, the burden of trying to remember everything will be lifted, allowing you to focus on what needs to be done at the right time.
3. Prioritize Your Lists
After creating a list, it’s time to prioritize tasks. Ask yourself which tasks are most important and decide on the best order to complete them. There are several tactics for prioritizing tasks. Personally, I like to classify them by urgency and importance, dividing them into four categories: urgent, not urgent, important, and not important. Naturally, a task that falls into urgent and important will be ranked first, while not urgent and not important will be ranked last.
4. Set Schedules
After prioritizing tasks, create schedules in your calendar, allocating time for each task. Estimating the time required for each task sounds simple, but this is where many of us falter. We tend to overestimate the time needed for short tasks and underestimate the time for long tasks, a phenomenon known as the "planning fallacy." Personally, I’m aware of the times when I’m more effective at writing documents and reading emails versus the times when I’m less effective and prefer to be on-site for tours and inspections, alongside managing daily life at home.
5. Use Technological Tools for Performance Control
Technophobes like myself might continue managing task lists in a notebook, but unfortunately, we are exposed to simple Google tools that allow task management alongside a business calendar, improving both daily and weekly schedule control and task management by project.
6. Learn to Say "No"
Many of us want to please others and often say "yes" to clients or colleagues even if it comes at the expense of critical and quality time. However, if the requests do not align with your priorities and goals, you must develop the ability to say "no." This doesn’t have to be done rudely or uncooperatively—just explain the reasons for declining and offer a helpful and alternative solution.
7. Reward Yourself
It’s very important to plan breaks at work or to maintain time for yourself in your schedule to engage in hobbies or spend time with your family. Once you can balance work schedules and tasks with personal hobbies and home tasks, you will become more efficient, creating a win-win situation.
In conclusion, whether you integrate all these tips or just some into your routine, I’m confident they will help you manage your time more efficiently and make your life a bit easier and more pleasant.
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