Managing your time wisely while on the job is a core ingredient to better work performance and reaching your goals. With the right systems in place, you can make the time in your day abundantly more productive. In turn, you’ll make your workload more doable, reducing stress. You’ll also make yourself a more predictable and reliable worker.
Here are nine simple-to-follow time management hacks to help you stay on top of your tasks.
1. Prioritize Your To-Do List
Creating a structured to-do list can help you better understand what work activities are most and least important.
Start by listing your tasks, then order them by urgency and importance. If your company uses a task management app, consider using urgency tags to denote how important each task is. This will give you a clear idea of what to focus on first.
When you focus on high-priority items, you’ll have a much better chance of completing the most important tasks in your schedule each day. Prioritization also helps avoid feeling overwhelmed by breaking tasks into smaller chunks. Stay on top of your list daily and reevaluate the urgency of each task to ensure you’re completing what’s most important in your schedule.
2. Set Reminders for Breaks
Part of being a productive worker is giving yourself time to rest — even on the job. Nobody can operate at peak efficiency for eight hours straight, which is why it’s necessary to take brief breaks that will help you recover mentally and physically.
Set reminders to take short breaks throughout your day, such as standing up, stretching, or taking a quick walk. You can set calendar reminders to prompt yourself to take a break. That way, you won’t find yourself overly exhausted because you forgot to take a break.
It can be difficult for some people to force themselves to take a break. Many fear that they will give the impression of slacking off or laziness. The truth is that the hardest and smartest workers are the ones who know their limits and don’t overwork themselves.
3. Use Time Blocks
Time blocking is dividing your day into specific periods for specific tasks or activities. Dedicate specific pockets of time in your day for each task and stick to them as much as possible.
This is a sacred time in your schedule. Only your direct reports should be allowed to disturb you during this time. Even then, you should communicate with them that this time is blocked off in your schedule so they can do their best to respect your productive time.
Tools like Calendar, Microsoft Calendar and Google Calendar can help you visualize and manage these blocks by scheduling a structured day.
4. Don’t Succumb to too Many “Small Asks”
This is a difficult one for a lot of people. It’s in many people’s nature to aid a coworker with a tiny task they could use help with. While it’s completely fine to help out someone in real need, you should be very cautious as to how many favors you’re giving to your coworkers. If you take on too many small asks, you’ll inevitably impede your own schedule, which will derail your own productivity.
Continue to be a person someone can come to for help when they need it most. But be selective and regimented with how much time you spend helping others out.
5. Minimize Multitasking
While multitasking may seem productive on the surface, it can actually squander productivity and increase errors.
The key to productivity is being fully present with whatever or whoever you’re working with so you don’t have to repeat or redo anything. Focus on one task at a time to improve the quality of your work and get tasks done faster.
Instead of multitasking, prioritize tasks and allocate specific times for each. Not only will you be a more efficient worker in that way, but you’ll set a good example for your peers. By focusing on one task, you’ll perform better at what you’re focusing on and get better results in less time.
6. Review and Adjust Your Schedule Weekly
Reviewing and adjusting your schedule regularly helps you understand what routines you do are contributing toward productivity.
At the end of each week, review what you’ve completed and what needs improvement. Try to take note of specific types of tasks that maybe took longer than you expected. Observe what tasks were extraneous, and look for ways to optimize your schedule for the next week.
Make changes to your schedule and to-do lists based on this evaluation. This will keep you flexible and responsive to changing priorities and deadlines so your time management stays on track.
7. Automate Repetitive Tasks
Automating repeatable tasks can save you a lot of time and manual effort. You can use tools and software like Zapier and ChatGPT for email responses and data entry to speed up the time it takes to perform certain tasks. Configuring as many automations as you can will help you free up time for more important work that requires more concentration and creativity.
This will also reduce the likelihood of errors that come with manual processes.
8. Set Clear Goals and Deadlines
Have you ever heard of Parkinson’s “Law?”
It’s actually less of a law and more of a clever observation. Parkinson’s law nods to the idea that work expands to fill the time available for its completion. What then happens is that, regardless of the time it takes to complete a task, if the window of time is too large, it will often consume that whole window to get it done.
This is why deadlines with attainable goals exist.
People tend to procrastinate when they have too much time to spend on something. Having clear goals and deadlines will keep you focused and motivated. Define specific, measurable goals for each task or project and set deadlines for them. This will give you a clear direction and help you track your progress. You can keep track of your deadlines in a calendar tool or in a company task management system.
9. Minimize Distractions At All Costs
Distractions can kill productivity.
Identify the distractions in your work environment and get rid of or reduce them. This might mean turning off non-essential desktop notifications, using noise-canceling headphones or creating a dedicated workspace that’s a bit more resistant to interruptions.
If you notice that your coworkers’ camaraderie is distracting, tell your supervisor. People achieve peak productivity in different ways. Some are motivated by being around their colleagues, while others need absolute quiet to concentrate effectively.
Ask your employer about any reasonable accommodations that can be made to help make your work environment less distracting.
Take Back Control of Your Productive Work Time
Try these simple time hacks out, and you’ll see a big boost in productivity and performance.
Prioritize task urgency, set goals, and eliminate distractions, and you’ll find you can focus and get more done in less time.
Remember, time management isn’t about fitting more into your day; it’s about working smarter and making the most of the time you have. Start now, and you’ll see the difference in your work and overall life. Take back control of your time and enjoy a more organized and productive work life.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Olia Danilevich; Pexels
Angela Ruth
My name is Angela Ruth. I aim to help you learn how Calendar can help you manage your time, boost your productivity, and spend your days working on things that matter, both personally and professionally. Here's to improving all your calendars and becoming the person you are destined to become!