10 Rules to Improve Time-Management

Time management is a quality and skill that many of us pick up because of it's importance in our lives, however, it's not always used efficiently.

If you have ever felt that you have more things to do than you have time, or that you're wasting a lot of the day, then time management can be a potent tool in your arsenal.

When learning a skill like time management, perseverance and determination is needed otherwise bad practices can slowly creep in and damage the effectiveness of your personal management of time.

You may not be able to productively use all of these tips because they just don't work for you, but maybe just one or two. Stick to the methods that work best for you, making full use of your day.

A few benefits of time management

• Increased productivity,
• Better use of time, 
• Easier to meet deadlines,
• Better organisation,
• Ability to plan ahead,
• Improved concentration.

1. Schedule 

Having a schedule enables you to have a clear outline and understanding of the day's objectives. They can aid hugely in productivity and motivation. You will also be warned about any upcoming deadlines and the amount of time you can invest into them.   

2. Lists 

A sub category of a schedule, lists are a more in depth guide to specific jobs. Carrying around a pen and some paper (preferably a small notebook) will allow you to jot down things that come to mind without the boundaries of your average planner.

You can tick things off throughout the day, spurring you on to complete the rest of the days jobs.

Try to avoid huge lists that are the length of your arm! These only put you off and have an overwhelming feeling to them.

3. Make use of spare time 

Whenever you have spare time e.g.: waiting for someone; queueing; travelling etc. Think about the things that you have to get done and how you're going to go about doing them. These are great for quick planning sessions and can save you time in the long run.

4. Schedule breaks 

I've mentioned this in other posts, but taking regular short breaks will prevent your body and mind from burning out. You will have a higher degree of concentration in the task you are committing to if you have these quick re-energizing intervals.

5. Don't over-estimate 

Over-estimation can harm your time management and is commonly the #1 reason for quitting a particular subject. If we feel too overwhelmed and have a lack of confidence in our ability to perform at this high level of expectation..... we're of course more than likely going to desert it. So set targets you know you can cope with, and then if you feel you can handle more - add some more.

6. Rise early 

Rising early in the morning can seriously contribute towards time-management and because of this - it's surprising how many people sleep in late. 

Getting up at 5 or 6 can add two or more hours to the day, meaning you have those extra two+ hours to get things done in.

I've wrote an article about the benefits of being an early riser and gives you the reasons why you should consider getting up early.

7. Organisation 

If everything is neatly organised and your surroundings are tidy, then your morale; productivity and commitment levels will become more abundant.

8. Thoughtful planning 

Sometimes planning in our spare time (point #3) isn't quite enough. Some things need a longer more in-depth analysis.

Planning is essential for avoiding obstacles that may be unforeseen if you dive straight in. Making sure you have everything ready so that you don't have unwanted gaps of wasted time, is definitely the intelligent thing to do . 

You also won't be as inclined to think negatively if you know exactly what to expect.

9. Avoid watching t.v 

Watching t.v is one of the biggest wastes of time there is. The amount of time people waste vegetating is unbelievable! 

Whenever you come away from watching a few hours worth of t.v, slight depression and tiredness takes hold of you, reminding you of your wasted day. I remember this feeling as I used to watch a lot of t.v.

T.V also has an influence over your habits, even if you don't realise it. If you constantly watch immoral programmes or hear things of that nature, then: What you constantly hear will become what you think, what you think will become what you say, what you say will become your habits, what your habits are determine what your character is. 

It's a slow process, but t.v definitely influences you.

10. Personal goals and deadlines 

Having set goals and deadlines can be good incentives to motivate ourselves. Nobody likes deadlines, but providing yourself with personal deadlines is different. You can be sensible about when the deadline is, try to make it more interesting by having a challenge, but not something that is out of your limits.

Try to be hard on yourself if you don't invest time or complete your required goal. Make it so that you miss out on something nice whenever you deliberately abuse your deadline. This is where a high ability of self-discipline is necessary.