How to Manage Your Time Better: 10 Time Management Tips

If you want to cut down the time it takes to accomplish tasks in your workday or home life, you'll need to learn some proven time management skills. The following tips can help you ditch bad habits, work efficiently, and reclaim control of your time:

1. 1. Get the big stuff done early. Research shows that we're our most productive selves in the early part of the day. Take the time to do your morning routine (waking up, exercise, shower, etc.) and then tackle the biggest, most urgent tasks on your agenda. If you work in an office, start on your major projects shortly after arriving. You may quickly find it's your most productive time of the entire day.
2. 2. Save nonessential phone calls and meetings for the end of the day. While communication is vital, it can sometimes distract you from dealing with urgent tasks. Prioritize your independent work, and set aside a little time at the end of each day for more general check-ins.
3. 3. Set goals, and keep them realistic. There's nothing quite like succeeding at a goal. Goal-setting and attainment provide positive reinforcement and can diminish your stress levels. That's why one of the best time management techniques is to set goals—specifically goals that are achievable. If you're tackling an important project at work, try breaking it into specific tasks that can each be accomplished in a reasonable number of hours. This lets you chip away at the overall goal in realistic increments. If you finish a task early, reward yourself.
4. 4. Keep your cell phone out of reach. Cell phones are a modern miracle, but they're also legendary time-wasters. Rather than be tempted to send text messages and browse social media all day on your phone, reward yourself with set mini-breaks that come after a sustained period of work. By putting a time limit on your phone use, you'll find yourself working far more efficiently.
5. 5. Be wary of multitasking. Most people think they're good at multitasking. In reality, studies show it's far more effective to lock in on one task at a time, complete it, and then move on to your next task. Even when working on two related tasks, tackling them one-by-one is more effective.
6. 6. Try using time tracking software. Time tracking software is a simple way to keep a log of how much you're working. You can set estimates for how long you plan to work and then log the hours and minutes you actually work.
7. 7. Try the Pomodoro Technique. The Pomodoro Technique is a good time management tool that helps you alternate 25 minute work sessions with five-minute breaks. After four of these work-break cycles, you take a more substantive break. You can find free Pomodoro apps (and other time management apps) available for download. Learn about the Pomodoro Technique in our guide here.
8. 8. Practice delegating. The best business leaders understand they can accomplish more when they trust others to help. Rather than try to do everything yourself, ask colleagues and team members to help you—particularly when it comes to tasks that don't match your skillset. For cases that require intense specialization (legal work, accounting, etc.), you may want to outsource the entire project to someone whose career is dedicated to that subject.
9. 9. Build downtime into your daily routine. We all need free time in our lives. Working from dawn to dusk won't necessarily make you work more efficiently—it may actually lead to burnout. To maximize your efficiency, contain your work to specific blocks of time and then use the rest of the day to live your life—whether that's socializing with friends, eating dinner with family, or relaxing in front of the TV.
10. 10. Get enough sleep. This one can't be overstated enough. Not only will prioritizing sleep help you stave off illness and maintain a healthy lifestyle, but it will also make you sharper and more focused on your daily tasks when you're awake. Sleep at least seven hours a night to keep your waking energy levels at their peak.

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