Effective Time Management

Time is the most valuable resource, when it is gone then it is gone forever. Every body have to manage his or her time wisely. Effective time management can be acheived by doing the small things in the right way. Small changes in the way you do your daily tasks can make a huge difference. If you feel:

Stressed
Occasionally, you do not finish your planned tasks
Barely find a way putting unexpected tasks in your schedule
Your mind is busy with work issues in the after hours

Then it means that you have to change the way you manage your time.

Time is a resource that cannot be recycled; therefore, you have to use it wisely.

Benefits of Efficient Time Management

Find out that there is time
Reduce stress level
Increase your productivity
Increase your efficiency

Practical Actions

Set your weekly objectives in advance.
Schedule the weekly objectives in advance -
Plan the time frame for each objective.
Set your fixed tasks first then set the other tasks -
Define which tasks are fixed (i.e. pick up your children from kindergarten at 16:00) and schedule them first, then schedule the rest of the tasks in between the fixed tasks.
Manage the tasks by importance and not by urgency -
Define three importance's levels and attach each task the appropriate level.
Start your day with a review of all tasks channels (Email, voice mail, notes, secretary…) and put them all in one place -
You must have one source of tasks list that you work with.
Take care of higher priority first -
Handle higher priority task before lower priority task.
Make a little "ceremony" every end of day, update your tasks list and pass it over to a new tasks list for tomorrow -
This "ceremony" represent the end of the working day and draw a line between working hours and the "other life".
When scheduling meetings, make sure that there will be a time window between two meetings -
This way you will avoid the domino effect that will influence other tasks as well.

It is not easy to make a change of habit but if you want to reduce tension, be more productive and improve your efficiency then you have to start implement these principles. You do not have to implement all of them tomorrow morning, even if you implement some of them, you will see results right away.

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