Luckily, for those who do waste time, effective time management is a habit that can be learned. So let’s see what you can do.
1. Once again, eat that frog
Tackle the hardest thing on your to-do-list as the very first thing during the day. Once you finish what is preying on your mind, you will be much more motivated to complete the other, easier tasks. As Brian Tracy has always recommended, eat that frog.
It takes some discipline to comply with this rule, but once you make it a habit, your performance and productivity will increase.
2. Make a list – and prioritise the items
After eating the frog, go through your plan for the rest of the day. You should list all the items in order based on their urgency and importance. Prioritising tasks will save you some time because it allows you to focus on what really needs to be done.
What must be completed today and what can be dealt with later? Is there something which really needs to be delivered in a matter of hours – or in an even shorter time frame? As soon as you reach the non-urgent items, you are safe.
3. Take breaks
You need to reserve some time for short breaks. It is enough to embed 15-minute time blocks in your daily schedule. That will help you keep your mind fresh and productive. When you have such a break, you need to step away from whatever you are doing and relax with closed eyes for a while, or recharge by chatting informally with colleagues for a few minutes. Just be careful not to interrupt their workflow.
-jk-