Time Management Tips That Will Make You a Productivity Master
If you're anything like us, you're still having issues with getting everything done and your goals accomplished. Time management is not something that comes naturally and is definitely not something that happens over night. We get it. These Time Management Tips That Will Make You a Productivity Master
But, why though? Haven't you spent enough money buying all the products that were supposed to keep you completely managed and successful? Haven't you tried hacking your time or getting less sleep?
The answer is, that all these time management mechanisms and systems are geared to help you manage an imaginary time world out there, somewhere, that someone else lives, and you need help managing the life you actually live each day.
So much of “time management” is made up in your own imagination; in your own head. It's a mindset thing... Why is it that planning a party that you are looking forward to seems to take up no time at all? But when crunching the numbers for the end-of-the-year fiscal report, well, time drags on forever! Or so it seems.
The truth of the matter is that, of course, time neither speeds or slows for no one. The person who has not accomplished much in a day, and the one who has finished all their work and is now enjoying “happy hour” with friends, has the same 24 hours in their day.
So what’s the difference between the two?
Before looking at time management, start looking at your energy management. Are you managing your physical body well? Are you eating well? Sleeping well? How about a little bit of exercise?
Then look at your priorities and the motivation to accomplish them.
Follow yourself around for a good week and find out how you are using your time. Record everything that you do and how much time you take to do it; write it all down. By collecting data on yourself for a week, you will find out how much time was productive and how much time was completely wasted. Do this and you will have a better idea of where your time is really going.
Once you have a realistic, honest look at yourself, THEN you can go about starting to tweek those areas that need some help.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Make sure you take ample time in the morning to plan your entire day. Have a brief, but thorough meeting with yourself. Ben Franklin used to start his morning plan by asking himself, “What good shall I do this day?” This is a wonderfully positive question that sets an amazing positive tone. It is a great phrase that helps set priorities and gather motivation (remember your goals!).
In the midst of planning your work time, make sure that you plan time for interruptions and distractions. Distractions are a part of life and they will happen in the course of the day, so make sure you have time set aside for them. This way you are sure that you have productive time mapped out, distraction time planned for, as well as break time that everyone needs.
Give yourself a time block for each activity that will help you down the road to productivity. And give yourself time limits for each thing. There is ALWAYS more you could do at the end of the day, so make sure you have reasonable time limits set and have some things that can be accomplished within those parameters. Make sure that when you look back on your day, at least 50% of your time was spent on things that have produced results.
Major Key: Plan to accomplish the most difficult activities in the beginning of the day when you generally have the most energy.
Turn your notifications off on all social media and put your ringer on silent to keep distractions to a minimum. You can get back to these later. During your main work blocks, let others know you need uninterrupted time when you absolutely HAVE to get things done. Don’t always give people your attention when you are working just because they happen to come by your work area (unless it’s the Boss with an emergency!). Save socializing for those planned break times.
At the end of the day, take some time to look back on your day and see how you did. Again, Ben Franklin famously asked, “What good have I done today?”. Acknowledge the things you did well and celebrate your success. There is always time to adjust those things that didn’t work and need to be improved upon.
How have you incorporated time management into your meal prep routine? We would love to hear about how you have done it!
8 Effective Time Management Tips
1. Start with Energy Management
So much of “time management” is made up in your own imagination; in your own head. Are you managing your physical body well? Are you eating well? Sleeping well? How about a little bit of exercise?
2. Know Your Priorities
“Lack of direction, not lack of time, is the problem. We all have twenty-four hour days.” ― Zig Ziglar Make sure to identify the main tasts that NEED to be accomplished
3. Set a Benchmark
Follow yourself around for a good week and find out how you are using your time. Record everything that you do and how much time you take to do it; write it all down.
4. Write a To-Do list
Have a brief, but thorough meeting with yourself. Ben Franklin used to start his morning plan by asking himself, “What good shall I do this day?”
Pro Tip: Make sure that you plan time for interruptions and distractions
5. Set Time Limits
There is ALWAYS more you could do at the end of the day, so make sure you have reasonable time limits set and have some things that can be accomplished within those parameters
6. Turn off Notifications
During your main work blocks, let others know you need uninterrupted time when you absolutely HAVE to get things done.
7. Evaluate Your Day
Acknowledge the things you did well and celebrate your success. There is always time to adjust those things that didn’t work and need to be improved upon.
8. Meal Prep
Duh! What, did you think we wouldn't include meal prepping in here?! C'mon -- Believe it or not, meal prepping is a major time management hack. Using steps 2-5 you should be able to plan and prep your meals for an entire week, in just a couple hours. Here is what that would look like:
- Know your macros - Why are you eating what you're eating?
- How did you do last week? Which meals do you want to prep this week?
- Find recipes HERE and plan your shopping list
- Once you have your recipes, add up the cook times and set your meal prep time limit
- Then all you have to do is get cooking
If you have any favorite Time Management Tips, let us know in the comments below.
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