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5 Time Management Tips & Tricks to Get the Most out of Your Day

6/1/2019 | admin

Have you ever found yourself wishing that there were more hours in a day?

For many of us, it seems as if no matter how hard we try, we’re just not that good at time management. From endless emails to phone calls and office meetings, it’s a wonder that we’re able to get anything done during a normal workday. When it comes to time management, there are several key things that you can do to help improve your productivity, no matter how much work you seem to have on your plate. Here are our five favorite time management tricks that can help you get the most out of your day.

Get Enough Sleep

The key to living a productive life is to get enough sleep. Aim for seven to eight hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. Many scientific studies have found that people who get less than seven hours of sleep tend to perform worse and are less productive at work than those who get more. Sleep allows our body to rebuild and prepare for the next day. By going to bed just an extra 30 minutes earlier than you normally would, you’ll find that you’ll be better able to concentrate and focus at work. In turn, this will allow you to get more done during the day.

Audit Your Time

Auditing where you spend your time will provide key insights into how you can manage it more efficiently. Write down on a spreadsheet or piece of paper exactly what you do and how long it takes you to do it. There are plenty of free timer programs available for download for your phone, PC, or Mac computer. Whenever you start a new task, whether it’s a sending an email or taking a small break, start the timer and then record how long it takes to complete. Once you have a few weeks of data logged, you’ll start to notice repeating patterns. For example, you may think you’re only spending 15 minutes checking your emails, but it might take you upwards of 45. Or perhaps you tend to take too long to get back to work after internal meetings or phone calls. Once you see where you’re wasting time, you can begin changing your habits.

Plan Ahead

Use a calendar app or a free program such as Google Calendar to plan your week. This way, you’ll be better able to intelligently schedule a reasonable workload. Focus on the crucial and challenging tasks during the first part of the day when rested and awake. If you wait until the afternoon, you might find that you’re too tired or feel like taking a nap after a big lunch. By planning your week ahead, you’ll find that you’ll become more productive by focusing on what’s important. Think back to how many days you’ve wasted because you were focusing on things that didn’t matter in the overall big picture. By putting everything on a calendar, you’ll be better able to get your work priorities straight.

Outsource and Delegate

Delegating or outsourcing menial or repetitive tasks to someone else is a great way to save a ton of time. You’d be surprised at how long you spend on stuff that isn’t important. If you can’t outsource to someone in the company, consider hiring a freelancer. They’re usually very experienced in what they do and can provide a wealth of knowledge and experience for a fraction of the cost of a full or part-time employee.

Learn to Say “NO!”

There’s only so much you can handle in any given workday. Trying to please everyone is only going to make you wind up pleasing no one. If you can’t take that extra meeting or additional project, just say “No!” A great way to do this is to have an online scheduler that people can visit to check your availability. Calendly is one of several free online schedulers that you can refer people to schedule an appointment. They can instantly see your calendar and schedule an appointment that works best with your time constraints. It will also remove the time-consuming back-and-forth emails and allows you to focus on other things.

Beware of Time Burglars

Time burglars. We all have one in our lives. They’re not necessarily bad people; it’s just that they can take up an extreme amount of our time. For some people it’s a coworker, for others it’s a vendor or family member that loves to chitchat. Identify who the time burglars are in your life and take steps to mitigate how much time of yours they take up. For example, if you have a family member that texts you at all hours of the day, turn your phone off while you’re at work or politely ask them to text you after work.

AlphaGraphics of New Bern

At AlphaGraphics of New Bern, we’re much more than a print shop. We’re also marketing experts who you can count on to help you when it comes time to market your business. To learn more about how AlphaGraphics of New Bern can produce and design your next project, you may email us, request a quote or call us at (252) 633-3199.

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