In business, you have to be the best at managing your time. This is the only way you will stay ahead and get the work done. However, I’m surprised how many people simply don’t know how to manage their time and this leads to a decrease in productivity. If you simply can’t get the job done, then your business won’t grow and begin to suffer so you have to make sure you manage your time effectively. I’m always trying different things trying to find the right combination that works for me. I write a lot of content and have many side projects so my day needs to be organized or I won’t get the work done. I’m always trying different strategies and documenting which ones work the best. I’ll like to share some of the lessons I learned so you can apply them to your time management.
Let’s get started.
Always Track Your Time
No matter what type of business you’re involved with it’s important to keep track of your time. This way you know what tasks are taking up the MOST time compared to others. Once you know what work takes up the MOST time you can try and get them done early so you don’t have to deal with them when you are tired late in the day. I’ve noticed if I don’t get the longest tasks out of the way early there is a high likely I won’t get them done. When the evening hits, I’m very tired and can’t handle long jobs. However, implementing this strategy doesn’t have to be tedious. For example,
I simply use my timer on my iPhone and keep track of time from the starting to the end. Then I’ll go through each tasks organizing them from longest to least.
Take Breaks
I’ve noticed when I work right through I end up getting more frustrated and my work suffers. However, over time I’ve learned to give myself breaks and this has increased my productivity. With higher productivity, I am able to effectively manage my time better. I encourage all of you who spend hours on your computer to take regular breaks so you have a chance to relax and think things through. I’ve noticed when taking breaks I’m actually more productive because I’m able to step back from my work and find a better way to do something.
Make Use of Technology
We’re very lucky because we have technology which will help us streamline many of the tasks which once took hours. However, I’m shocked at how many people don’t take advantage of what they have at their disposal. If your business requires you to stay organized, then you might want to consider implementing some of these awesome tools and applications into your business. From my experience there are applications for:
- Research
- Tasks management
- Productivity
- Blogging
- Much more
You have to first figure out what you need then implement it into your business. However, once you have done that you still have to test each one making sure they help you. If not, then you can always change the app to something you find better.
Have Set Hours
Once you have implemented all of these strategies, one of the best ways to stay productive is to always have set times for your work. If you work way too much and every day, then MOST will simply get burned out. In my experience ONLY very few people have been able to keep consistently working 7 days a week and it can get tough. However, if you know your schedule and have managed your time correctly, then you shouldn’t have NO problem sticking to a schedule while being able to complete tasks along the way.
Find out what works and then implement what you’ve learned in your business.