While many people claim to multitask well, one study found that only 2.5 percent of people actually do. The rest of us are less productive when we focus on multiple tasks at once, and that's just one issue affecting time management skills.
So, why is time management important? And how can you improve your time management skills? Continue reading to learn our top time management strategies and improve your daily work routine.
Why Is Time Management Important?
Before discussing our top time management strategies, let's discuss the answer to, 'why is time management important?' The easy answer is that it makes your life better at work and home. It also gives you more freedom.
Helps You Produce Better Work
When you aren't scrambling to meet a deadline and can adequately focus on your task, you produce a higher quality of work. This speaks more highly of your skills and demonstrates that you're a valuable employee.
Reduces Your Stress
The importance of time management also lies in the ability to reduce your stress. Hearing about your poor performance or knowing you won't make a deadline is very stressful. Stress is problematic to your mental and physical health.
Boosts Your Confidence
In contrast to stress, being able to develop your time management skills allows you to feel sure of yourself and your abilities. This translates to a boost in confidence which translates to even more improvement in your work.
Signs Of Poor Time Management Skills
If you're not sure whether you need to learn how to improve your time management skills, you should consider what your workday currently looks like. Below is a list of common signs of poor time management skills.
- Lack of punctuality or rushing
- High stress or anxiety
- Disorganization
- Not meeting deadlines
- Problems concentrating
- Poor performance
- Unable or unwilling to delegate
- Working late
If you're experiencing any of the signs of poor time management skills, there are ways to improve your experience. By taking the necessary steps to improve your skills, you can develop a better work-life balance.
1. Make A To-Do List
If you want to improve your time management skills, the first thing you can do is create a to-do list. Some people think they can keep track of their tasks without a list. However, tasks are more likely to be completed when written down.
This first list should act as a rough draft. It should include every task you need to complete without worrying about which needs to be completed first. This helps ensure everything is included.
2. Prioritize Your To-Do List
Once you have your completed list, you can start organizing it. We recommend organizing it based on the level of priority and the amount of time you have to complete it.
This can be done by either daily priorities, weekly priorities, or a combination of the two. You should also factor in how long a task will take you to complete for the best time management strategies.
3. Set Reasonable Goals
You can't improve your time management skills without setting reasonable goals for yourself. With your prioritized list in hand, decide what you can accomplish throughout the day and week.
When setting your goals, make sure they contain the most important qualities. Your goals must be specific, measurable, realistic, and timely. Learning how to improve your time management is tough without these qualities.
4. Organize Your Schedule
One of the signs of poor time management skills is a disorganized schedule (or a lack of one). That's why we recommend taking the time to prepare your day. This helps you see what you need to do and when you need to do it.
Instead of adding a list of tasks you want to accomplish for the day, block out time for each task on your to-do list. Organize it based on the priority level and schedule enough time to complete it before moving on.
5. Don't Forget Breaks
When completing your schedule, it's easy to overlook breaks. Some people make the faulty assumption that if they work the entire day without breaks, they'll improve their time management skills.
However, breaks help refresh your mind and prevent you from becoming inattentive. You should take at least a few short breaks throughout the day where you step away from your workspace and rest your mind.
6. Improve Your Efficiency
Repetitive tasks or outdated software can slow you down and impact your ability to improve your time management skills. Upgrading to the right tools that you can customize based on your needs can make all the difference in time management.
Improving efficiency with tasks such as managing your email inbox can free up your time in other areas. Instead of spending hours of your day combing through your emails, you can set up bulk actions to keep it fast and organized.
7. Delegate As Needed
While many people believe multitasking is one of their greatest assets to a company, it actually results in a loss of productivity. When your brain is repeatedly switching between tasks, you're more likely to make mistakes.
Instead of trying to accomplish multiple tasks at once, delegate when possible. It may feel lazy or irresponsible to do so, but you are ensuring the delivery of your best work. This is good for you and your company.
8. Find What Works For You
The above tips are effective ways to improve time management skills for most people. However, the same processes don't work for everyone. It's important to take the time to consider what works best for you.
If you want to learn how to improve your time management skills, we recommend trying out different techniques. This can help you create a customized approach to developing your skills.
Start Improving Your Time Management Skills
The right time management strategies can improve your quality of work, reduce your stress levels, and allow you to have a better work-life balance. Use the above steps to start improving your time management skills.
If you're ready to improve your efficiency to increase your time management skills, start your free trial today.
