How to manage your time more effectively

Whether in our personal or professional lives, time management is important to ensure tasks are completed effectively.

Whilst many choose to write a list of tasks to complete, all too often these aren’t completed and even with the best intentions, sometimes things can get in the way of achieving your objectives. We recently held a shared learning session at TPP, sharing struggles and ideas on how to overcome these. It was a great session, so I wanted to share our top tips for managing your time more effectively to help stay as productive as possible.

To Do Lists

Writing a to-do list is often a good way to keep track of any outstanding tasks, however if not structured properly some tasks are often not completed. So don’t just write a list. Instead, categorise your tasks by priority and allocate time in your diary during your day and week to complete them. Structuring in this way will give you a clear focus allowing you to be more productive.

Plan for the Following Day

Being less reactive to tasks will help to keep you more organised. One simple but effective way of doing this is to spend ten minutes at the end of each day to prepare your tasks for the following day. You can then start each day knowing what you need to achieve.

Don't Multitask

Often multitasking is seen as a positive attribute, however research has shown that doing more than one task at a time can lead to mistakes, distractions, and overall less productivity. If you have a lot of tasks that you won't have time to complete without multitasking, ask yourself if any can be delegated or even delayed to a quieter week.

Prioritise Tasks You Dislike

There will inevitably be tasks in your day that you don’t like doing. Most often, people put these to the bottom of their lists meaning you tend to get around to it at the end of the day when you may not be feeling as focused or motivated. This can lead you to procrastinate and often these tasks get left altogether. Instead, get these out of the way first at the start of your day leaving you time to focus on more desirable tasks.

Don't Prioritise Admin

It's easy to get distracted by admin tasks. Whilst admin can be necessary, try to schedule these tasks in the quieter hours of your day to free up more time to complete your main objectives.

Schedule Time for Yourself

It is important to take regular breaks to prevent fatigue. Take time between the jobs on your list to do something for yourself. It will make you more productive for longer and help keep you focused when completing your tasks.

Following these simple tips should help you manage your time more effectively and ensure you are staying focused and productive throughout your day.

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