#356: Time management tips and tricks
Do you manage time? Or is it the other way around? Which of the three myths do you believe?
We are two months into the new year, and things are heating up. Eight weeks have passed, and we’ve had time to catch up, kick off a few projects, and work on those goals and objectives. You’ve looked down at your to-do list, which reads more like a short story than a brief look at what to do.
Many of you are looking for ways to manage time best. But when you think about it, it’s not possible. There are three myths about time management.
Myth 1: The More You Do, the More Productive You Are
Staying busy can make you feel productive, but it’s not always about quantity. Quality matters, too. Focus on meaningful tasks and prioritize what truly needs your attention.
Myth 2: Multitasking Equals Efficiency
Contrary to popular belief, juggling multiple tasks simultaneously can lead to errors and decreased productivity. It’s often more practical to tackle one task at a time with total concentration.
Myth 3: Planning Solves Everything
While planning is crucial, it’s not a magic solution. Unexpected things happen, priorities shift, and flexibility is critical. Don’t be too rigid with your schedule; adaptability is a valuable time management skill.
This doesn’t give you a hall pass on managing your time. You still have things to get done, delegate, or dismiss. The three things that are a must when trying to manage your time
Prioritization: Identify and focus on tasks that align with your goals and contribute the most significant impact. Not all jobs are created equal, so prioritize based on importance and urgency.
There are many ways to go about prioritizing. You can strategize and put things in multiple quadrants, mark them A, B, and C, like the Franklin Covey method, or many other ways to rewrite them. The most important thing to do is consider the impact and effort.
A simple approach is to evaluate tasks based on their potential impact and the effort required to complete them. Focus on assignments with a high impact and requiring relatively low effort first. This ensures you’re maximizing your productivity by tackling tasks that yield the most significant results without getting bogged down by overly complex or time-consuming tasks.
Time Blocking: Allocate specific blocks of time to different tasks or categories of work. This helps create a structured schedule and minimizes the temptation to procrastinate or get sidetracked by less critical activities.
Always add time to your block. We often underestimate how long it will take to complete items on our list. Underestimating time, will force us to bump the next task, or stop the current one without being finished. We underestimate for a lot of reasons such as it being the first time we are doing something.
Learn to Say No: Recognize your limits and be selective about taking on additional commitments. Saying no when necessary allows you to protect your time and ensures you can give your best effort to the tasks and responsibilities you’ve already committed to.
Long-time readers will remember one of my favorite sayings. When you say yes to something, you say no to everything else. Don’t commit to anything new without verifying that it can get done without jeopardizing other projects that may have a more significant impact.
Keep our system simple and one that makes sense for you. We’d all love to hear how you manage your time, and what tricks or tips you would like to share. Feel free to comment! And remember, we are here to help. Connect with us at the Kole Performance Group for a free 30-minute consultation.
In the meantime, here’s a snapshot of different ways to set priorities. As you can see, there is something for everyone.