Explode your productivity with these time management tips

Have you ever felt stressed as you have too many pending tasks? Have you started with a couple of tasks at beginning of the day and found out at the end of the day that all those tasks remain pending in spite of having a busy day? The problem could be that we struggle with time management. Let us discuss some simple time management tips for busy professionals that will make a humungous difference to your productivity. .It shall free your time and take away the stress too.

Time management for busy professionals or entrepreneurs

Good time management does not mean that you cramp more work in the time you save. It means you save time to spend it on more meaningful things such as learning new skill or having spare time with your family. Managing time is all about bringing more orderliness to your life and routine.

Simple changes in the way you work will go a long way. here are some simple tips to manage your time and work effectively.

1. List your tasks/brain dump your thoughts 

We have numerous tasks and activities or events that we need to respond to. 

Generally, we have all that in our minds. Sometimes it can make us feel overwhelmed or even forget some of the events. Next comes the guilt trip of not completing the task or attending an event. 

The best way to overcome this is to dump these thoughts or tasks on paper or an app. Writing tasks down brings better clarity. And ticking them off as you complete one by one, can bring immense peace or satisfaction. 

Decide what medium do you like to use for noting down your tasks. It may be on a book/paper or on a digital platform like a word file or an app. Make sure that you use the same medium for the same kind of tasks. Or else you may end up being overwhelmed about where did you write the task.

For the home task, you may use an app and for office tasks, it could be paper and pen mode. It depends on what you prefer. 

Checking off the tasks on the list has mental benefits. It makes you feel productive and encourages you to check off more tasks on your list. 

Just remember to keep your task list clean and organized. Whatever remains unfinished has to be carried forward to another day. Start every item on your task list with an action word. Just writing down events shall make you forget what action you probably intended to take. 

For example – ‘Call grocery store and ask them to deliver tomorrow evening’ is a better task than writing merely ‘Grocery’

2. Eat that frog

This mantra is a big lesson from the book of Brian Tracy – Eat that frog. Here frog is the biggest, most difficult, or most important task. So when you begin tackling the tasks of your list, Choose the most difficult one to be handled first. 

The logic is that when you start your work you are better energized and motivated. So you must use that energy to tackle the most difficult task of the day. 

Also after we finish the most difficult tasks shall boost your motivation. You will save yourself from the overwhelming feeling of the pending task which otherwise would trouble you. 

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3. Just do it now

Many tasks in our mind are too small or trivial. In his book “Getting things done” by David Allen, he has recommended that if any task shall take less than 2 minutes, do not write it in your tasklist but do it now. Finishing the task immediately is a better idea than making the list along with many trivial small tasks.

4. Enjoy the routine. Take breaks

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Mind you, it is not only Jack but we too. We must take regular breaks from our tasks to keep our minds fresh. It may just be about grabbing a coffee or calling a friend. Be mindful that the breaks are planned and do not end up becoming a distraction. As you know mindlessly scrolling mobile can be so engaging that you may easily lose track of time and end up spending hours.

5. Peak time

Naturally, every person has his own circadian rhythm. You need to find out what is your peak productive hours. Are you a morning person or an evening person? 

Design your personal task list accordingly. 

I like to do the thinking work in the morning and action work during the later part of the day. Action work during the early hours makes me feel tired and draggy throughout the day. 

6. Batching

If you are doing a repetitive task, you may check the option of batching. So I practice the concept of batching for my social media execution. I make the social media slides at the same time for the entire week. And then schedule them to be posted daily. 

Some task that you can make use of batching is : 

1. Cutting of vegetable or meal preps
2. Writing or checking emails
3. Assessment of similar documents. 

So set aside a particular time block for similar routine tasks and complete the task in that time as a batch. 

7. Avoid multi-tasking

If you are a woman and a working mom, then I can safely assume that you are the queen of multitasking. Though this seems to be generalizing a statement, Let me tell you this is the way of life when there are too many things at hand. 

However, research has proved that multitasking is not the best way to handle our activities. The attention span is low for each activity so we end up completing lesser tasks or feeling too tired and overwhelmed. At the end of the day, we are left with many unfinished tasks. It leaves us feeling guilty for not being good enough. 

To avoid multitasking. Choose a particular task and finish it with proper concentration. You will end up finishing the tasks faster and more efficiently. 

8. Set deadlines

Parkinson’s law of productivity states that work expands itself to the amount of time allotted to it. If a task is given to you with a deadline of a week, you will notice that you will start working on the tasks only when you are close to the deadline. 

9. Prioritize tasks

You cannot handle every task on your list equally. Try to prioritize the task on basis of importance and urgency. You may also rate it on basis of difficulty and get the most difficult one done earlier than the easy ones. 

An important and urgent task has to be done first. 

Prioritizing helps you avoid the tasks which waste time or do not help you reach your goals. It keeps your focus and makes you more productive.

If you keep randomly jumping from one task to another, you will end up not doing any task completely. Or even the most important tasks may remain unattended. 

So by prioritizing you are actually setting yourself in the right direction. 

10. Remove social media distractions

Distractions during work hours kill your productivity. Social media notifications and pings from apps are some of the common distractions. Distractions not only waste your time but also disturb your focus, your chain of thoughts, and the flow of work. 

So set notifications off, keep the mobile on silent and turn off the notifications of emails. Let your friends and family know when is the right time to call you for a casual chat. 

11. Set reminders

We live in a civilized society that comes with a lot of expectations and responsibilities. We need to remember household chores, birthdays, bill payments, deadlines, events, and invitations. 

No matter how good you think your memory is, it is always a great idea to set reminders for such events. It frees you with the responsibility of remembering every event. It is also a foolproof way of ensuring that you do not miss deadlines or commitments. No more guilt trips for missed birthdays and anniversaries. 

You may use a reminder app on your mobile or Google calendar to keep track of what needs to be done when. 

12. Turn off email alerts / notifications 

Email alerts create a sense of urgency. When you are in the middle of some important tasks which require focus and there pops an email alert, you are tempted to open the email and respond. You think that replying is just going to take a minute. 

Let me tell you something, once you open your email box you are going to be caught up with many more such emails which need response or action. You will enter into a loop of more data and tasks. 

So ideally keep notifications and alerts off. Set designated time for responding to emails. Some emails only need a response while some other emails need action. Instead of starting with action immediately, list it in your to-do list which you can attend after reading all emails in your inbox. 

13. Learn to say no to unwanted commitments

Being people-pleasers backfires. Always. There are many commitments we accept from our bosses, friends, or family which do not align with our goals or priorities. But still, we list them in the category of urgent and important. We do not want to say no. 

But do you realize, that saying yes to all such tasks or events is actually causing or adding to your stress? Learn to say no. Politely, of course. Let the other person know that you are busy at the moment or that this does not align with your goals. 

Setting boundaries is important for your mental health and productivity. Prioritize our needs and responsibilities before undertaking the responsibilities of others. This may make you look selfish but eventually, people around will understand and respect your decision. 

14. Tidy your workspace

Well –organized workspace is the first step to being productive. Designate a workspace that is assigned only for work. Keep all the distractions away. It makes you differentiate between your work time and personal or family time. 

Keep all the things that you need handy such as stationery. When you take a break, move away from your workspace. It is a small change but you will see immense benefit of this clear demarcation. During work, you will be completely focused on your work. While having a break, you can break away from your work easily.

15. Get more organized

You can save a lot of time by being organized. Let me give you some ideas of being organized:

1. Plan your clothes/accessories for the week on the weekend.
2. Set designated place for your stationery, bags, work papers, etc
3. Make a cooking plan for a week or month in advance. Plan and order your grocery accordingly.
4. Automate your regular payments such as society bills, credit card bills, school fees, grocery shopping. 
5. Check out birthdays and anniversaries for the week/month. Shop for gifts online. Chalk out plans of celebrations and make bookings.

You have to set your heart and dedicate About an hour to doing all the above tasks on your weekend. You shall be able to sail smoothly during your week. 

Have you ever argued with your spouse about unpaid bills or forgotten events? You now know how that could have not have happened if you would be organized and planned. 

16. Delegate tasks

We cannot be the best at everything we do. Some tasks are not urgent or not important and yet need to be done. Delegate such unimportant tasks to people who can do it or do it better than you. So that you can afford to pay attention to more important tasks which have to be done specifically by you. At work, you may delegate repetitive tasks to your sub-ordinate

If you cannot afford to pay, delegate small tasks to your spouse or children. Maybe something like household chores or helping you with picking up laundry on weekend. 

No matter how tempted we are to think that we are super-women, it is always a great idea to ask for help when you need it. Believe me; your family will be more than happy to help you. It is just that they haven’t realized that you need it. 

Read more >> How to achieve career goals with time bound plan?
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17. Break big projects into steps / smaller projects

Staring at the face of bigger projects or tasks themselves can be overwhelming. This feeling of being overwhelmed may damper your spirit to finish or even start the task. The simple trick is to break it down into smaller tasks that can be completed in a few hours or a few days. Set deadlines for these smaller tasks and get going.

You will not realize how quick you have accomplished the completion of that bigger project that looked so daunting.

18. Manage your stress

It may seem weird that managing stress is listed in time management. But we indeed are what our mind says we are. If your mind says to you repeatedly that you cannot achieve it, it is more likely that you will not even give it a try or start with a task. Stress is the biggest reason for procrastination. So it is important to manage stress if you wish to be good at time management.

Do what you like to do from time to time. Simple as that. Read a book, go for stroll, indulge in gardening or gaming. Giving yourself a break and using break time to do something you love, rejuvenates your mind.

Practicing mindfulness and meditation is another excellent way to bust that stress. I adore the book “The power of now” by Eckhart Tolle which talks in-depth about being mindful about the present moment. Believe me, this simple mantra of “Be present” will change the way you look at life forever.

19. Eliminate time wasters

As James Clear has said in his book “Atomic habits”…………………, We engage in many tasks which are time wasters. They are not aligned with our goals nor do give us any pleasure.

At times, we take it up as we are informed that these tasks are essential. But you must look at it objectively. Measure the stats of the outcome of such a task and then decide if you should continue with them. Social media for a blogger is one such example. There are multiple social media platforms for bloggers so it is important to choose the ones which work better than the rest.

Every minute saves by eliminating time wasters can be utilized to do something more productive or just to keep you relaxed.

20. Outsource 

As we climb up the ladder in our career or move to take up bigger responsibilities in our personal life, we need to make note of the repetitive tasks that are no longer important to the new role. Such tasks can be outsourced. 

You may hire an assistant at Fiverr or Upwork to handle your repetitive or less important task. This shall free up your time to spend with your family or doing things that you love. 

21. Automate repetitive tasks

There are some tasks which you have to do every day/week or month. Make a 

list of such repetitive tasks and check which of these tasks can be automated. Some repetitive tasks such as Credit cards bill payments or payment of insurance can be automated by issuing standing instructions to the bank. Emails can be automated to be sent to a particular folder. Templates can be built for regular emails that you frame. All of these take little time individually but when done repetitively these tasks take a lot of time. All this time can be saved by making a few tweaks

22. Distractions log

This is something that I recently started practicing and found to be very useful. It is basically about jotting down all actions that are distractions. I went a step ahead and downloaded the “Your hour” app which notes down the usage of mobile and apps. This gives you an exact idea of why you are distracted. Once you identify the causes of distractions, you will be in a better position to make changes in your lifestyle to handle distractions and time drainers.

23. Time blocks

Time blocking is a method where you set a time slot for every activity on your schedule. It makes you more committed to a particular action. You may use Google Calendar to block your time. It allows you to color all your time blocks gives it more visual clarity. Alternatively, even a simple excel sheet shall be equally good.

24. Pomodoro

Pomodoro is a one way of time blocking. The word Pomodoro means “tomato” in Italian. IT was designed and developed by Francesco Cirillo and named after tomato-shaped kitchen timers that start ticking with a twist of the top.

Pomodoro is a technique for breaking down bigger tasks into small and achievable tasks. For each small task, 25 minutes of work time is allotted. Each such section of 25 minutes has intermission with 5 minutes of break time. Each section is called 1 Pomodoro. After 4 Pomodoro sessions, a break of 20 minutes is allotted.

You can plan your own Pomodoro technique with a session of more or less than 25 minutes. I prefer each Pomodoro to be of 40 minutes with a break of 10 minutes in between.

Pomodoro primarily gives two benefits. The first one is that as the task is broken into smaller achievable tasks, we can overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed by bigger tasks. Secondly, it brings better focus on one task at a time.

It is absolutely magic for procrastinators like me who get lost in multitasking

25. Pareto principle

The Pareto principle is based on the observation that 20% of our efforts bring 80% of our success. We need to identify this 20% of tasks which are important to bring crucial results for our activity. 

Identifying these important tasks shall help you focus on what is important and maximize your returns on the time invested

Cut down all the non-productive tasks or shorten them if they are inevitable. This will help you to focus better and get expected results sooner.

26. Set routines

Setting a routine might look like a boring way of living life. Let me assure you that nothing makes it more interesting than building routines. 

Setting a meaningful morning routine shall set your day in motion towards satisfaction and success. Morning routine may include drinking water, building manifestation, journaling, writing to-do tasks for the day, following fitness workouts, praying, meditation, eating a healthy breakfast. This shall help you become calm and prim your mind for the busy day ahead. I know an extra hour of sleep is more tempting. However, by setting your morning routine you will not enter your work-day in grumpy mode. 

You may also set your night routine. It can include an hour without gadgets, family time, reading, skin-care ritual, meditation. You will be ending your day on a positive note. The mind becomes calm before heading for sleep. 

You may build a routine around other repetitive tasks for the day. It shall free your mind from keeping a tab on what to do next. 

27. Focus on outcomes

Work your way backward. Make a list of outcomes that you are expecting and work backward on how can those outcomes be achieved. It shall make you focus on the important things to do to reach that outcome. If you are building your list of actions based on your prior experience or by mimicking what others do, you will have a much bigger to-do list. However, thinking backward shall help you focus on tasks that really matter for that outcome. 

28. Review and change

Reassess your performance and actions periodically. You may do it on a daily or weekly basis. Take feedback and analyze your performance. It would be excellent if you can assess measurable parameters. It shall give you an exact idea about which tasks are bringing in results and which tasks are futile or time-wasters. 

The small activity of reassessment shall help you cut your time by a large measure. As you progress, you will be able to implement better time management techniques. It is all about learning and unlearning. 

29. Manage your social media distractions

In the world, there are multinational companies that are working out different ways of keeping an audience engaged on so many platforms, social media distractions are obvious. 

On average we spend 4 hours on social media platforms. There is no doubt that technology has made communication easier and has brought a sea of information to our fingertips. However, it is double edge sword. It is not managed well, you may drown in a sea of information and entertainment endlessly. 

Keep a tab on how much time you spend on social media. Look into the quantity and quality of social media consumption. “Your Hour” or “freedom” app 

tells me exactly where am I spending my precious time. It warns me when I exceed the limit I have set for myself. 

It surely helps me remain focused and productive.

30. Set ‘me’ time

Setting me time isn’t about being selfish it is about self-care. While you are torn between your responsibilities, it is obvious to ignore your own physical and mental health. Though it may seem to be not part of time management, I cannot emphasize enough how it affects our body and mind. 

Simple actions of personal grooming or 15 minutes of walking or 10 minutes of medication go a long way in keeping your productivity levels high. 

All the above techniques are ineffective if your mindset or health is not at its best. So jot down what makes you happy. Do more of it and do it often. 

Let me know in the comments below which of the above time management tip worked for you. If there is any other time management technique that you swear by, please let us know in the comments below.

You can also learn about ways more about self-improvement on my Pinterest account, Instagram and facebook. Join my facebook group to mingle with like-minded people who are interested in personal growth and self-improvement.

We are in this together!!!