HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR TIME

MANAGEMENT

TIME MANAGEMENT

Have you ever stayed up late, furiously working hard

to meet an important deadline, while kicking yourself

for not starting the work sooner?

Most people are guilty of occasionally leaving

significant tasks to the last minute and not using their

time effectively.

Rushing to get work done is a stressful experience

but it can be prevented if you find a way to improve

your time management.

TIME MANAGEMENT TOP TIPS

You can make things a lot easier for yourself by

learning to…

DELEGATE + PRIORTISE

If you’ve taken on too many tasks, trust dependable

people to share your workload. Delegation doesn’t

mean you’re running away from your responsibilities

– it is an important function of management, and will

allow you to be more productive and help develop

your team.

Make a ‘to do’ list by ranking tasks according to their

importance. There’s a limit to what you can get done

each day so focus first on those that require your

immediate attention.

SET DEADLINES

Give yourself realistic time limits for completing work,

and stick to them. Set your deadline a few days

before it absolutely must be finished, so that you are

prepared for other tasks cropping up in-between.

AVOID MULTITASKING

You will be most efficient if you focus on one task at a

time. If you have created a schedule, you will have

allowed yourself to devote a decent amount of time to

each task that needs to be completed.

STOP PROCRASTINATING

Try not to delay less desirable tasks until the last

minute, as you need to get them done at some point,

so it’s best to just get them over with.

MINIMISE DISTRACTIONS

Distractions can include emails, phone calls, and co-

workers; when you’ve got a deadline it’s time to avoid

interruptions. For example, try to reduce the number

of times a day you check your email.

If you’re getting distracted by co-workers or you work

in an open office environment, try using headphones

with calm music. If you have a separate office, you

might want to schedule an hour a day when you

simply close your door.

START EARLY

Give yourself time to sit and plan your day before you

begin work, as you are more calm and clear-headed

in the morning.

TAKE BREAKS

Take a five minute break every hour or two and don’t

dismiss this as ‘wasting time’ – you need to let your

brain rest and recharge. If you don’t take breaks you’ll

soon run out of energy, taking you longer to complete

each task.

SAY NO

It is OK to politely refuse further tasks if you’re

already overloaded. If you take on too much, you’ll

end up producing rushed, sloppy work.

STOP BEING A PERFECTIONIST

Continuing to work on something when it’s essentially

done is a significant time-waster. Learn to distinguish

between tasks that deserve to be done excellently

and tasks that just need to be done.

FIND OUT MORE

Try out these tips to tackle your time-wasting habits

and reduce stress in your personal and professional

life.

To find out more about Power2Progress visit our

website at:

http://www.power2progress.co.uk