Managing your time seems to be one of those things that just gets harder and harder as you get older. There are so many things that you have to spend your time on. Work becomes more hectic and high-pressure as you climb up the career ladder, and your growing family will need you around. That’s why it also becomes more important for you to manage your time better. It’s not as difficult as you might think right now.
Despite what other people might tell you, you can manage your time more efficiently and more effectively without making major sacrifices in your life. It’s not easy, and you will certainly need to make some tough decisions, but if you’re willing to work on it, you’ll find the balance that’s right for you. We’re going to discuss some of the things you can do to get better at managing your time, so read on and learn all about them now.
Be Very Clear About Where Your Priorities Lie
First of all, you need to be clear about where your priorities lie and how you should go about focusing on them. Everyone has certain things in life that are more important than others, and that’s not a bad thing. The things that are most important to you should always come before the less important things. It might sound simple, but many people lose sight of this.
Learn to Say No
Sometimes, you just have to tell people that you’re not available to help them. This is not always easy to do because you want to help people when they ask for it. But if you don’t have the time, it’s important to take on the responsibilities that are of primary importance to you. You can’t take on extra work that’s not even yours to begin with. So if you do learn how to say no to people, you will free up a lot of your time and be able to better focus on the most important things to you.
Work to Avoid Procrastination
When you allow yourself to procrastinate, you waste time that could be spend on other important things in your life. It’s very easy to stare into space and completely ignore the things you’re supposed to be doing, but that will only cause you more problems than are necessary. Work hard to avoid the enduring temptation of procrastination if you can.
Note Down Commitments and Reminders
If there are certain things you need to do and remember, note them down. It’s such a small thing but it makes such a big difference to how you live your life. Note down the little things that are easy to forget and because you can do this on your phone, you have no excuses not to. You carry your phone with you anyway, so why not use it as a way to remind yourself of the things you need to take care of.
Spend Less Time on the Less Important Things
There are always some things that are more important than others when it comes to doing tasks throughout the day. If you’re not convinced that the things you’re spending your time on are actually useful and worthwhile, you should try to spend less time on them. That’s the way it should be, so don’t get caught in a cycle of spending too long doing things that are almost certainly pointless.
Don’t Sacrifice Your Sleep Because it Won’t Work
Many people decide that the best way for them to make more time is to sleep less. Makes sense, right? Wrong. If you sleep less, you’ll be burnout and tired during the times when you’re awake. That’s not a good thing and not something that will help you make the most of your time. Keep a regular and healthy sleeping pattern in place for as long as possible because it’ll help you stay healthy and alert.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help and Assistance When You Need It
If you have a lot on your plate to deal with, there’s no shame in reaching out to other people and letting them help you with all the things that you need to get done. For example, if you’re a carer on top of everything else, getting help from CareBuilders might be a smart idea. And if you need extra time or help at work, talk to your boss about it. You will never get the help and assistance you need if you’re not even prepared to ask for it.
Make the Most of the Little Moments
There are so many little moments throughout the day that you can make the most of if you’re willing to use them. For example, in the morning before your kids go to school, you have the chance to bond with them over breakfast. Why not make the most of that time rather than wasting your time rushing around and not really paying much attention to your family? It’s something that makes a lot of sense, so try to make the most of those moments.
Don’t Try to be Too Much of a Control Freak
If you’re one of those people who feel the need to be in control of any and all situations, this is something that you should try to let get of. Control freaks never have any free time because they spend all their time making sure that they’re the ones in control of all situations. This is something that often applies to private lives and work lives. So be less of a controlling person and learn to trust the people around you instead.
It can be give attention to all of the things that you need to give attention to in life when there’s so much on your plate. Dividing up your time and energy is never going to be easy, but with the help of the tips discussed above, it certainly is possible for you to make it happen. So start putting some of these ideas into practice.
Sam Brand says
Dear Mike,
Happy to inform that your post is included in the recent part of TimeCamp’s Productivity Articles roundup!
Please find the entire article “Productivity Articles: Manage Time Wisely! 27/5/28” at https://www.timecamp.com/blog
Thanks for the excellent time management tips!
Sam at TimeCamp
Mike McRitchie says
Thanks, Sam.