content and time management

 

What is content and time management?

Time management means organizing your time intelligently – so that you use it more effectively. The benefits of good time management include greater productivity, less stress, and more opportunities to do the things that matter

5 key elements of time management

•      Be intentional: keep a to-do list. Drawing up a to-do list might not seem like a ground breaking technique, but it's one of the most powerful ways to become more productive. ...

•      Be prioritized: rank your tasks. ...

•      Be focused: manage distractions. ...

•      Be structured: time block your work. ...

•      Be self-aware: track your time.

4 types of time management?

The 4 Ds are: Do, Defer (Delay), Delegate, and Delete (Drop). Placing a task or project into one of these categories helps you manage your limited time more effectively and stay focused on what matters most to you.

 concept of time management

Time Management refers to managing time effectively so that the right time is allocated to the right activity. Effective time management allows individuals to assign specific time slots to activities as per their importance. Time Management refers to making the best use of time as time is always limited.

What Are The 6  Elements Of An Effective Time Management Mindset?

“All time management begins with planning” — Tom Greening

Once upon a time, there was a very hardworking woodcutter. His strength was remarkable. Looking at his incredible performance, the King of the town hired him for a timber merchant’s business. It was a fantastic job opportunity for the woodcutter, and he was super determined for his work.

He performed exceptionally well and brought around 20 trees the first day. “What a great job,” the King said. Being very motivated by the king’s appreciation, he worked harder but could only cut 15 trees the next day. As the days went by, his performance kept dropping, and he could bring very few trees.

Distressed by the low performance, he went up to the king and apologized. He mentioned to the King, “even after working harder than ever, I cannot cut more trees like I used to.”

“When did you last sharpen your axe?” , the King asked.

“I had been busy cutting the trees all this while; I had no time to sharpen the axe.”, the woodcutter replied.

Let’s imagine for a second that the “trees” in the aforementioned short story are your goals and the “axe” represents your resources.

What do we learn from this?

Even after working hard and having the right resources, some people cannot not be productive. Why? The only reason is a poor time management. They focus on unimportant things instead of taking out time for the things that would actually help them achieve more in less time.

We’re all given 24 hours everyday. Some people achieve 10x more in just a single day than most of the people achieve in a month. It’s all about having a time management mindset and setting the priorities right.

1.    Set A Clear Vision And Goals

Without a vision we can only wander aimlessly through our careers and end up wasting a lot of time. Having a clear vision, and setting goals accordingly is a great way to manage your time effectively.

When it comes to businesses, goal setting provides a direction to everyone involved with it. With a defined vision, people already know what their priorities are and what the day holds for them. This way, they spend more time accomplishing the tasks instead of just wasting time on thinking what to do next.

2. Start With MITs- Most Important Tasks

One of the most important time management tips you will ever get is that you should start your work with the most important or the toughest tasks on a priority basis.

The reason behind this is simple. You are likely to be more efficient in the morning and full of energy to tackle even the toughest tasks competently. The point here is that if you accomplish a hard or time-consuming task earlier, you will have enough time to focus on other things as well.

Also, the feeling of getting the most and toughest tasks done will automatically make the rest of your day better.

3. Eliminate Distractions

Remember the task that needed just an hour but you took the entire day to complete it? Well, I’m sure you would agree that it only happened because you had a lot of distractions around you. Social media, phone calls, black friday sales, netflix and whatnot are the most common culprits here.

Make sure that you either switch your phone off or put it on silent mode while doing important tasks. You would notice that you’re saving a great amount of time and finish up your tasks right on time very efficiently.

4. Say No To Multitasking

Most people consider multitasking as a good thing. It’s a sign of busyness among people. But it needs to be understood that being busy does not mean being productive. They are two different things. As per a research, only 2% of people are good at multitasking while the rest 98% end up wasting their time when they try to multitask.

Instead of frantically dashing between a lot of tasks, focusing on just one task at a time is the perfect way to reach the epitome of productivity in very less time.

5. Take Breaks

 A recent study suggests that humans can only concentrate on one task for a maximum time of 60 minutes. The productivity level starts declining after that.

I understand, it might not be feasible for you to take a lot of breaks at the workplace but it is still essential for you to take a few breaks in between to keep your mental and physical states at the peak.

Take a coffee break, go on a quick walk or just sit back, relax and close your eyes for five minutes. These things can help you in ways you can’t imagine. Do not consider breaks as “time waste”. In fact, breaks are essential for you to deliver really top-quality work by giving your brain some time to rest and recharge.

6. Take digital help

Start Using An Online Calendar

Another great time management tip is to use an online calendar. Calendars always have been highly used to manage time and days. Now that technology has evolved so much, you can easily find a good calendar online and start managing your time efficiently.

For instance, the online calendar in ProofHub helps you manage your schedule in a way that you can keep a track of all the important dates and deadlines. You can set up reminders and even create time blocks.

Use A Time Tracking Software

The easiest way to keep a track on every single minute of the day is by using a reliable time tracking software. Online time tracking tools are specifically designed to estimate the amount of time spent on doing tasks and help you maintain a record of the total work done.

For example, if you are a team leader and working on a project, using a time management software like ProofHub,you can set a time estimate for every task and sub tasks to manage your time efficiently and deliver the project right on time.

Time Management: 10 Strategies for Better Time Management

The term Time Management is a misnomer. You cannot manage time; you manage the events in your life in relation to time. You may often wish for more time, but you only get 24 hours, 1,440 minutes, or 86,400 seconds each day. How you use that time depends on skills learned through self-analysis, planning, evaluation, and self-control. Much like money, time is both valuable and limited. It must be protected, used wisely, and budgeted.

People who practice good time management techniques often find that they:

•      Are more productive.

•      Have more energy for things they need to accomplish.

•      Feel less stressed.

•      Have more free time to do the things they want.

•      Get more things done.

•      Relate more positively to others.

•      Feel better about themselves. (Dodd and Subdheim, 2005)

Finding a time management strategy that works best for you depends on your personality, ability to self-motivate, and level of self-discipline. By incorporating some, or all the ten strategies below, you can more effectively manage your time.

1. Know How You Spend Your Time

A time log is a helpful way to determine how you use your time. Record what you are doing in 15-minute intervals for a week or two. Evaluate the results:

•      Did everything you needed to do get done?

•      Which tasks require the most time?

•      What time of day when you are most productive?

•      Where is most of your time is devoted (i.e. job, family, personal, recreation)?

Identifying your most time-consuming tasks and determining whether you are investing your time in the most important activities can help you to determine a course of action. Having a good sense of the time required for routine tasks can help you be more realistic in planning and estimating how much time is available for other activities. Many apps exist to help you keep track of your time, as mentioned in Strategy 3.

2. Set Priorities

Managing your time effectively requires a distinction between what is important and what is urgent. Experts agree that the most important tasks usually aren’t the most urgent tasks. However, we tend to let the urgent tasks dominate our lives. Covey, Merrill, and Merrill (1994) categorize activities into four quadrants in their Time Management Matrix: urgent, not urgent, important, and not important. While activities that are both urgent and important must be done, Covey et al. suggests spending less time on activities that are not important (regardless of their urgency) to gain time for activities that are not urgent but important. Focusing on these important activities allows you to gain greater control over your time and may reduce the number of important tasks that become urgent.

 Urgent   Not Urgent

Important      Do these tasks as soon as possible.

Examples:

•      Submit job application by 5 p.m.

•      Pick up sick child from school

•      Call plumber to fix leaking toilet Defer these tasks until all urgent and important tasks have been completed.

Examples:

•      Schedule dentist appointment

•      Reply to coworker’s email regarding future event

•      Plan family reunion

Not Important       Delegate these tasks to the appropriate people who can manage them.

Examples:

•      Help son with homework

•      Pull weeds from flower beds

•      Make dinner for family Delete these tasks – they are often time wasters.

Examples:

•      Respond to social media comments

•      Online shopping

•      Finish watching TV show

Creating a "to do” list is an easy way to prioritize. Whether you need a daily, weekly, or monthly list depends on your lifestyle. Be careful to keep list-making from getting out of control. List manageable tasks rather than goals or multi-step plans. Rank the items on your “to do” list in order of priority (both important and urgent).

3. Use a Planning Tool

 Time management experts recommend using a personal planning tool to improve your productivity. Personal planning tools include planners, calendars, phone apps, wall charts, index cards, pocket diaries, and notebooks. Writing down your tasks, schedules, and items to remember can free your mind to focus on your priorities. Auditory learners may prefer to dictate their thoughts instead. The key is to find one planning tool that works for you and use that tool consistently.

When using a planning tool:

•      Always record your information on the tool itself. Jotting notes elsewhere that must be transferred later is inefficient and wastes more time.

•      Review your planning tool daily.

•      Keep a list of your priorities in your planning tool and refer to it often.

•      Keep planning tools synchronized. If you keep more than one, make sure your phone, computer, and paper planning tools match.

•      Keep a back-up system.

Apps on your phone can be great planning tools. Apps typically fall into one of the following categories:

•      Time Trackers – Gain an awareness of how you spend your time.

•      Time Savers – Increase productivity and break time-wasting habits.

•      Task Managers – Prioritize and organize tasks to improve time management.

•      Habit Developers – Create healthy habits to encourage time management.

4. Get Organized

Disorganization leads to poor time management. Research has shown that clutter has a strong negative impact on perceived well-being (Roster, 2016). To improve our time management, get organized.

Set up three boxes (or corners of a room) labeled "Keep," "Give Away," and "Toss." Sort items into these boxes. Discard items in your “Toss” box. Your "Give Away" box may include items you want to sell, donate, or discard.

The next step is to improve the time you spend processing information. For example, tasks such as email can eat up your day. To combat wasted time, implement an email organization system that allows you to process the information in each email as efficiently as possible. Use folders, flagging, or a color-coded system to keep track of what’s what.

5. Schedule Appropriately

Scheduling is more than just recording what must be done (e.g., meetings and appointments). Be sure to build in time for the things you want to do. Effective scheduling requires you to know yourself. Your time log should help you to identify times when you are most productive and alert. Plan your most challenging tasks for when you have the most energy. Block out time for your high priority activities first and protect that time from interruptions.

Schedule small tasks such as drafting an email, creating a grocery shopping list, reading, watching webinars or listening to podcasts for long commutes or when waiting for a call or appointment. Capitalize on what would otherwise be time lost. Avoid nonproductive activities, such as playing games or scrolling through social media. Limit scheduled time to about three-fourths of your day to allow for creative activities such as planning, dreaming, and thinking.

6. Delegate: Get Help from Others

Delegating means assigning responsibility for a task to someone else, freeing up your time for tasks that require your expertise. Identify tasks others can do and select the appropriate person(s) to do them. Select someone with the appropriate skills, experience, interest, and authority needed to accomplish the task. Be specific. Define the task and your expectations while allowing the person some freedom to personalize the task. Check how well the person is progressing periodically and provide any assistance, being careful not to take over the responsibility. Finally, reward the person for a job well done or make suggestions for improvements if needed. (Dodd and Sundheim, 2005). Another way to get help is to “buy” time by obtaining goods or services that save time. For example, paying someone to mow your lawn or clean your house, or joining a carpool for your children’s extracurricular activities frees time for other activities. The time-savings from hiring someone for specialized projects is often worth the cost.

7. Stop Procrastinating

People put off tasks for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the task seems overwhelming or unpleasant. To help stop procrastination, consider “eating the big frog first.” A quote commonly attributed to Mark Twain says, “If it’s your job to eat a frog today, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the big frog first.” Unpleasant tasks we procrastinate completing are “big frogs.” Complete these tasks as your first action of the day to get them out of the way. Another option is to “snowball” your tasks by breaking them down into smaller segments, completing preparatory tasks, and eventually completing the larger task at hand. Whether you choose the “big frog first” or “snowball” method, try building in a reward system for completed tasks to help stay motivated.

8. Manage Time-Wasters

Reduce or eliminate time spent in these activities by implementing some simple tips.

Handheld Devices

•      Take advantage of voice-to-text features such as transcribed voicemails or to make notes or draft emails and text messages when you are on the go.

•      Avoid small talk. Stay focused.

•      Take any necessary action immediately following a call.

•      Impose screen time limits and regularly monitor your digital wellness .

•      Schedule breaks from your devices.

Email

•      Set aside a specific time to view and respond to email, but don’t let it accumulate to the point it becomes overwhelming to sort.

•      Turn off notifications for email.

•      Handle each item only once if possible.

•      Immediately delete or unsubscribe from junk emails.

•      Keep address books up-to-date and organized.

•      Utilize built-in shortcuts to sort email.

Unexpected Visitors

•      Schedule time for face-to-face visits.

•      Inform visitors of your time constraints and politely offer to reschedule.

•      Set a mutually agreeable time limit for the visit.

•      When someone comes to the door, stand up and have your meeting standing to help keep it brief.

In-Person and Virtual Meetings

•      Know the purpose of the meeting in advance.

•      Arrive early.

•      Start and end the meeting on time.

•      Prepare an agenda and stick to it. Use a timed agenda, if necessary.

•      Don’t schedule meetings unless they are necessary and have a specific purpose or agenda.

•      Use recording software or designate a note-taker.

Family Obligations

•      Use and sync virtual calendars for easy sharing between busy family members.

•      Make each family member responsible for consulting the master calendar for potential conflicts.

•      Create a central area or agreed upon app for posting communications such as appointment reminders, announcements, and messages.

9. Avoid Multi-tasking

Psychological studies have shown that multi-tasking does not save time. In fact, the opposite is often true. You lose time when switching from one task to another, resulting in a loss of productivity . Routine multi-tasking may lead to difficulty in concentrating and maintaining focus. Do your best to focus on just one task at a time by keeping your area clear of distractions, including turning off notifications on your devices, and set aside dedicated time for specific tasks.

 10. Stay Healthy

The care and attention you give yourself is an important investment of time. Scheduling time to relax or do nothing helps you rejuvenate physically and mentally, enabling you to accomplish tasks more quickly and easily. Be sure to monitor your screen time as a part of your digital wellbeing, setting boundaries to stay healthy. A study conducted by Google showed that four out of five study participants who took steps to improve their digital wellbeing believe their overall wellbeing was positively impacted as well .To improve your digital wellbeing, set time limits or utilizing built-in software on electronic devices such as phones and tablets to help maintain your digital wellness. Blue light blockers and grayscale mode may also help you improve your digital wellbeing. Set a time each night to shut off all digital devices to give your mind time to relax; this can also help improve your sleep schedule.

Unfortunately, poor time management and too much screen time can result in fatigue, moodiness, and more frequent illness. To reduce stress, reward yourself for time management successes. Take time to recognize that you have accomplished a major task or challenge before moving on to the next activity.

Conclusion

Whatever time management strategies you use, take time to evaluate how they have worked for you. Do you have a healthy balance between work and home life? Are you accomplishing the tasks that are most important in your life? Are you investing enough time in your own personal well beingSuccessful time management leads to greater personal happiness, more accomplishments at home and at work, and a more satisfying future.

Lost money still has a chance to come back but the wasted time is just irreplaceable.

Time is a precious resource, and it totally depends on how we put it to the best use.

Remember, no matter how we place it, we only get 24 hours in a day. Every minute of the day is finite and we shouldn’t waste it doing something that does not add any value to our lives.

In the end, all i would like to say is that effective time management is not rocket science, it is a skill that can be mastered by any individual in order to accomplish more in a short period of time.

Try these tips, and I’m sure you are going to see the results!