10 Strategies for Effective Time Management

With more businesses opening back up, let’s talk about effective time management. With the economy ramping up and all the other work that needs to be done, it’s easy to fall back into old habits of staying in the (home)office longer in the evening to get everything done and even at the weekends just to ‘catch up.’

However no matter how much time we spend working, there never seems to be an end to the list of things that need to be done.

Consciously we may be saying to ourselves, the business isn’t going so well so I’ve got to work longer hours. If I work longer hours it will come right again. Sound familiar?

But unconsciously we know that working longer hours won’t make a difference to the business in the long term. We know we should be doing things better, smarter, prioritising, planning, developing.

We know it’s the right thing to do. However, it’s easier to do what we’re comfortable with – working harder and longer.

You may not be doing this yourself, but I’m sure you know some people that are. So, let’s remind ourselves of some of the habits we need to instill in ourselves to really be productive and motivated to bring the business forward.

Tips for Effective Time Management

1. Your Top 3

Having a long to-do list is really only a ‘wish list’ of all the things we would like to get done. Rule number one of effective time management is that we can’t do everything at the same time. So, out of your ‘to-do’ list, what are the top three things you need to get done today?

Ask yourself this question every day. Tackle those items first before you get into any routine tasks. If you’ve completed your top three at the end of the day, how will that make you feel compared to looking at the long list of items you didn’t get done on your to-do list?

2. Say No

Anyone can say YES. Saying YES is easy. People like us when we say YES. We avoid confrontation or argument. But our YESs also account for a lot of stress, overwhelm, and disappointment. If we cannot say No, what value does our Yes really have?

3. Zone your diary

Have you ever noticed you have meetings throughout the week with a lot of time wasted in between? By zoning your diary you allocate all your meetings to take place on say two particular days e.g. Tuesday and Wednesday, you zone Monday to do administration and so on. Work out what works for you. But by zoning your diary you save a huge amount of time and your planning becomes a lot easier.

4. Three Activities

A lot of people find themselves going into feast and famine income cycles. When business starts to dry up, they carry out a lot of marketing activities, and then business starts to come in. When business starts to come in, we get busy and forget about the marketing hence what leads to a feast and famine income cycle. There are 3 activities that we must be doing every week – Selling/Chargeable Work, marketing, and Administration. By working on these three activities every week we avoid the dreaded cycle as well as making sure our administration work doesn’t build up.

5. Delegate

Out of everything that you have on your to-do list, what are the items that can be delegated? Out of everything that you currently do, what could be delegated or outsourced?

6. Stop procrastinating

Procrastination is usually a bad habit that needs to be broken. Try to identify why you are procrastinating: Are you afraid of failing? Are you a perfectionist and only willing to begin work if every little element is in place? Are you easily distracted? Once you identify why, now start to break down your tasks into smaller easier tasks.

7. Schedule breaks

It is important to take a break when you need one. During your break, try to stretch or take a walk. This will help clear your thoughts so you are ready to start your tasks with a fresh and clear mind.

8. Value your time

At €5 per minute, a one-hour meeting of three managers costs €900. Justify the value of such time just as much as you would an external spend of €900.

9. Limit distractions

When you need to work on a big project or tasks that are really important, turn off your phone and notifications, close your door, and get focused on the amount of time you set aside to work.

10. Evaluate

To be effective in time management, define how you are spending your time. Keep a diary of how you are spending your time for a few days, or best still for two weeks. See what tasks you could spend less time on and what tasks need more attention. You may not realize how much time you are spending doing tasks that aren’t that important.

From the list above, what will you implement today?

Something For You To Consider…

“Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed.” ~ Peter Drucker

Everyone has only 24 hours in the day – are you spending your 24 hours wisely and on something meaningful?

If you would like to discuss the above subject matter or other areas that would be helpful for you, your business, or your organisation, join our Genius Unlocked Course.