7 WAYS TO EFFECTIVELY MANAGE YOUR TIME

It is often said that time management is one thing that separates successful people from others. That is to say that the importance of wise use of one's time cannot be overestimated. Irrespective of this truth, so many people have allowed laziness and procrastination to get the best of them.

1. TAKE NOTE OF THE TIME YOU SPEND ON EVERYDAY TASK

The first step to effectively manage your time is to understand or make an estimate of how much time each task you perform daily actually take you to complete. The purpose of this is to take note of which task takes most of your time and to also know when you are spending a lot of time on a particular task which isn't supposed to take so much time.

2. PREPARE A TO-DO LIST FOR THE DAY

Now you have had a rough idea of how much time each activity takes you, what you have to do now is prepare a to-do list of those activity allocating the estimated time to each activity. This is a very important aspect of time management because it helps to put you in control when you are deviating from line. It also helps make you focused and less distracted.

3. DON'T JOKE WITH DEADLINES

If you are starting using a to-do list, and not yet used to having one, chances are that you will often be faced with deadlines frequently. You should always take your deadline very serious and even though you maybe tempted to overlap into the next task, always remember why you set the deadline and what you hope to achieve. However you can always adjust your schedule a bit after each day if it's unrealistic.

4. SOMETIMES SAY NO TO THINGS YOU DIDN'T PLAN FOR

It is time to learn how to say no to people and things you didn't plan for since time management involves adjusting your lifestyle for maximum production. These things may come in form of distractions like parties, it may come in form of sleep or even people asking for favors. Remember that you can never please everyone and trying to do that will get you derailed from the path you've chosen for yourself.

5. USE REMINDER ALERTS FOR APPOINTMENTS

As your starting this newly, you will find it difficult to keep track of time and to remember everything you are supposed to do as a result of busy schedule so you should make use of applications out there to keep you on track. Some of such applications should include, a reminder, a digital calendar, an alarm clock and even a stop watch. With time you may not need these applications again as these thing will become natural habits.

6. START PLANNING FOR YOUR NEXT DAY ACTIVITIES THE NIGHT BEFORE

It is very important to start making a sketch of what you want the next day to look like a night before. The reason why it is recommended you make your plans the night before is because you can achieve more planning within a short time during the night than during the day because of less noise and distractions. Planning a night before makes you wake up to a productive day.

7. DELEGATE IF YOU CAN

One of the ways you can effectively manage your time is to delegate some functions to people you trust are capable of doing the work. This can be your subordinates, an apprentice, a family member or a trusted friend. This will give you more time to attend to other chores/tasks and even help you meet up with deadlines. There are fears and challenges involved in delegation so be sure to keep in touch with people you delegate to and supervise their work.

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Time management is one thing that might make this year different from last year in terms of productivity and achieving your set out goals. So if you are a victim of procrastination and laziness, it time to make a change by applying these tips mentioned in this post.