One of the best ways to be successful in life is to have good time management skills. By doing this, you will be able to prioritize the important things and let go of things that aren’t productive. Having good time management skills can help you develop and reach your goals.
It may seem like highly organized people are born with this skill. They make it look so easy. However, they had to learn how to manage their time, and it’s a skill you can hone as well. Below are some tips that will help you organize your routine and reach your goals.
Tip #1: Write Things Down
One of the best ways to know what needs to be done is to write it down. It’s incredibly easy for things to slip through the cracks. If you’re like most people, you have a lot of things on your mind and a lot of things to do. When you write it down, you reduce the risk of forgetting something.
There are many different ways to write things down. You can use a calendar and have times and deadlines for when things need to be accomplished, or you might decide to write them in an undated planner. If they aren’t due immediately, this might be the better option.
Writing things down will also help you prioritize what is important. If you have a report due for work, this will probably need to be done before you head out for lunch. Should you decide you want to go to the gym, then you need to put it on your schedule so you make time to go.
It’s important to be flexible with your schedule but also guard it. People will always try to take your time and have you do things that they want you to do. Don’t let them do this. If it’s on your schedule, you can ensure that you take care of the task—even it’s taking a 10-minute snack break.
Tip #2: Give Yourself Deadlines
For some things, deadlines might already be in place. Remember that report for work? More than likely, your boss needs it by a certain time. However, there are other things in your life that may not have a concrete deadline. If you want to achieve your goals, imposing your own deadline can be beneficial.
For example, say you want to write a short story. There may not be a hard deadline for when this is due, but you may give yourself 2 weeks to get it done. When you do this, you are more inclined to ignore distractions and get the work done.
Tip #3: Avoid Procrastination
There are so many distractions in this world. From TV to social media to whatever, it doesn’t take much for your attention to be drawn away from your task and onto something else. If you want to be organized and reach your goals, avoid doing this.
Imposing deadlines is one way to avoid procrastination. But even with deadlines, don’t wait to do the task until the very last minute. Schedule in some time each day to work on whatever project you want to work on. It’s a lot easier to do small chunks every day than trying to cram the whole thing in the night before it’s due.
Tip #4: Find the Right Tools
When it comes to being organized, you need to have the right tools. Whether that is a calendar or blank planner to write down your tasks, or special pen to work on your project, having the right tools can encourage and inspire you to get your work done.
Tip #5: Everything Should Have a Place
If you want to be organized, then everything should have a place. If you do most of the work at your desk, then make sure it is free from clutter. Use baskets or vertical file holders to keep papers organized and out of your way. Store your pens in a holder. Keep paper clips in a small cup.
Find the method that works best for you, and then utilize it. The less time it takes you to look for certain items, the more work you can get done. As mentioned, you may decide to have a special pen for every project you work on. Know exactly where they are so you can grab them when you need them.
Tip #6: Audit Your Schedule
Every once in a while, you need to audit your schedule to ensure that it is working. If you find yourself getting distracted or moving your deadlines, you may need to make it a point to be more stringent on getting things done. If you find that doing a certain task is better in the morning, then move it when you can get it done. You are in control of your success, so change your schedule to make it work for you.
