Effective planning and time management is the way to success. To become collected, able to concentrate and perform tasks of paramount importance, it is necessary to learn the rules of time management. It is effective time management that allows you to build the right foundation for those who want to learn how to keep up with everything you have planned.
Time management rules for time management
Logical structuring allows you to understand the key points, learn how to manage the work schedule, become as productive as possible:
- Motivation. Always have a clear idea of the end goal. Why? Why? What are you getting? Each task is done to achieve some result. The more important it is, the higher the desire and aspiration to bring the matter to an end. If the work does not go in any way, analyze the situation. There may be several reasons for not completing the task:
- is of no value and seems pointless;
- causes negative emotions while doing it;
- an awareness of hopelessness when it is done just because it has to be done;
- there are many distractions;
- some urgent personal or delegated tasks constantly arise.
Analyze the situation and the answer will give a clue in which direction to act to improve performance efficiency.
- Planning. The cornerstone of time management. The process must begin with a clear vision of the end result, and then prescribe what needs to be done to achieve it. You can draw the analogy of building a house, consisting of a foundation, walls, roof, and a lot of details that allow you to build a structure according to the design. The important thing is not to turn planning into a goal. It is a means.
- Structuring. Divide lengthy and complex tasks into “bricks.” By laying each one, you will methodically achieve the intended result. The main thing is to determine in advance in what time frame it must be performed, not forgetting the order of execution. Firstly, it will allow you to build a strict sequence. Secondly, it gives an additional motivation, seeing how much is already done.
- Knowing the value of your own time. You need to separate multitasking and workflow. The first refers to the skills and abilities, does not imply doing several things at once. Finish one, move on to another. If you try to solve several problems simultaneously, there will be no positive result.
- Personal Productivity. Do not be distracted or agree to help colleagues, when there is an ongoing case. By doing so, you only harm yourself. The result is the failure of deadlines and the alienation of the goal that one wishes to achieve. Do you want to keep up with everything? Do not be distracted by things that do not apply to your competence.
- Evaluate habits. There is a principle of 21 days. During this time, as most experts believe, any habit is formed. It can be good and bad. Alcohol and smoking have a negative impact on the effectiveness of time management. Frequent smoke breaks distract you, and drinking in the evenings reduces productivity the next day.
The usual rhythm of life also often consists of not the most useful rituals for health and performance. Get yourself into the habit of getting enough sleep, eating breakfast, exercising, and relaxing in a healthy way. Already in a month, you will feel better, and the tasks will begin to be performed much faster. Try to get rid of all the unhealthy and unnecessary, make more useful habits.
Understanding these six basic fundamentals is a major step towards good time management. Motivate yourself, set and implement a goal, abandoning what does not bring any benefit.
Remember! Time management is not a science of how to get more done, but a discipline that allows you to discard unnecessary things, focusing on priority goals and tasks. You don’t have to become a jack of all trades. You need to be a professional at what you do.
Effective time management rules
There are a variety of approaches to the problem of time management. Experts distinguish the following types of time-management:
- Personal. Aimed at personal growth, self-development, proper and fruitful organization of the day.
- Social. Aimed at improving interpersonal relations or time management for a group of people, for example, in an office or company.
- Professional. It helps to distribute responsibilities between employees in a reasonable way.
Having set a goal to succeed in time management, it is necessary to clearly understand what it is to select the right tools and methods of self-development.
Who needs the basic rules of time management?
The priority group is managers. Managers must know from and through professional time management, have a good understanding of the social. Initially this was the case. Quite quickly, ordinary employees, housewives, students, self-employed people began to take an interest in discipline. Everyone should be able to manage their personal and working time.
Managers need this knowledge like a diploma of higher education. Others learn it to realize their own ambitions. For housewives, time management helps to establish everyday life, to have free time to devote to husband, children, self, for students – to successfully complete their studies, for businessmen – to become successful and rich, for ordinary employees – to cope with the current work in due time or to be promoted in their career.
Time management rules
Each technique is based on certain principles. To be able to manage your time properly, learn the rules of time management for an effective workday.
Set your goal correctly
High motivation is guaranteed when there is a well-defined outcome. The final result should always be formulated so that there are no “gaps” on the way to implementation. The ideal assistant will be the SMART methodology, according to which the goal should be:
- specific;
- measurable;
- attainable;
- relevant;
- limited in time.
Many experts add another clause to the technique “controlled”, that is, the implementation can be checked at the end. It is wrong to write “enter into a new contract,” the correct wording is “enter into an agreement with the supplier of office supplies to provide the office with everything it needs no later than the end of the next work week.
Plan your actions
To plan your own work schedule or distribute tasks among employees with subsequent control, you need:
- outline a time-management plan;
- draft with the ability to maneuver in a changing situation, taking into account potential problems;
- prescribing each required step;
- Identification of responsible persons and required resources.
The more detailed the plan, the easier it is to implement. Brief tasks are written and then each is analyzed. Often, the need to hire new employees/specialists, purchase materials, and even undergo training is revealed. With the help of various applications, it is possible to make the plan available to all responsible persons, easily controlling the execution of current tasks.
Prioritize
Time is lost by neglecting this rule. It is spent on non-urgent and unimportant tasks. The result is that at the end of the day, one realizes that one has done almost nothing to achieve the final goal, and the clock is ticking.
Prioritization in time management is achieved either through the ability to independently analyze the list of compiled cases (to do this is more difficult than it seems), or with the use of special techniques:
- ABCD;
- Eisenhower matrix;
- Pareto’s law.
The use of any allows you to properly rank the tasks in terms of importance. You should study the features of each, and then give preference to the principle that suits you best.
Stay focused on what’s important
The main mistake is the inability to focus on what is important. The cause is your own inability to concentrate or an unfavorable environment. In order to focus on the priority task, it is required:
- Allocate time to “distractions” before or after work, or during your lunch break. By accustoming yourself to these things, you can see how the schedule will simply be transformed. While working, you should forget about personal texts, calls, social networks, watching videos and so on.
- Learn to say “no” to distractions, unnecessary business, problems, colleagues asking for help with current work. Calls and letters put off for later, except for urgent and important ones. Many people prefer to answer absolutely everything at once, and it just takes up precious time.
Managers can delegate authority. Let the secretary answer to those who call, to those who come. This will immediately eliminate annoyances and distractions.
Automate your actions
Those who work remotely can safely adjust to their internal biorhythms. It is better for the owl to get enough sleep, and for the lark to schedule more important things for the morning. When you have to go to the office at 9:00 sharp, you need to get a good night’s sleep, revise your schedule and determine what time to go to bed in order to feel awake for the next day. Once you get into a certain rhythm, everything starts to work out as if on automatic. You can even learn to get up without an alarm clock.
Relax
Don’t forget to pause for a cup of coffee or tea. You can do a little warm-up. The best option is to alternate short and longer rests. You should not work without rest. This will lead to overstrain, exhaustion, and loss of productivity.
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