Top 5 time management tips to boost productivity
Guest post by Wendy Dessler.
We all face crippling deadlines from time to time, and no matter how hard we try, there never seems to be enough time to get everything done. Some of us feel the pressure building up day after day as we accomplish mind-numbing task after mind-numbing task, never actually getting close to our to-do list finish line.
Everyone goes through this on occasion. Those of us who experience crushing deadlines and immense overwhelm regularly need to change their routine and begin implementing time management tips to put an end to their stress related work difficulties.
What's holding you back? Why are you always so far behind on your to do list? Here are a few potential causes:
- Do you procrastinate? - Procrastinators make every effort imaginable to postpone work until the last minute. This is not an intelligent way to work.
- Do you have poor organizational skills? - Boosting productivity is going to be impossible if you have poor organizational skills. Improving your organizational skills will transform your work life and give you the ability to achieve the best results possible while taking responsibility for your actions.
- Do you work nonstop without leisure time? - All work and no play makes for a dull and boring life. Plus, working all the time will actually stifle your productivity, not improve it. Recreation and relaxation will help refuel you so that you can meet your daily productivity goals.
To improve time management, you could begin implementing my top five favorite tips:
5 Productivity Boosting Time Management Tips
1. Learn how to prioritize tasks appropriately - throughout the day; some tasks tend to have a greater priority over the others. But at the same time, you still need to get all of your tasks done at the end of each day to complete your to do list. Instead of focusing on the tasks that are the greatest priority, focus on the tasks that are most challenging right away. Clear those off of your plate so that you can easily achieve peak productivity. And work on the less difficult tasks as time permits.
2. Discipline is the name of the game - if you are ever going to get productive and stay that way, you'll have to learn to become disciplined. By training yourself to become more disciplined, you'll actually have a legitimate opportunity at achieving your goals, hopes, and dreams. Without discipline, you'll never be able to reach the Promised Land, whatever that might be for you.
3. Delegation is the key to success - in order to experience the greatest levels of productivity and success over the long term; you need to learn how to delegate certain tasks that other people can easily handle on your behalf. If you're in a management position, you definitely have employees under you that could handle certain tasks while you tackle the most important aspects of a project on any given day. By learning to effectively delegate, you can evenly distribute responsibilities while making it easier to complete your to-do list.
4. Use productivity tracking tools - it's impossible to figure out where improvements need to be made unless you're tracking everything. By utilizing an online timesheet system - Clockspot is just one example of this- you'll find the times during the day when you're most productive, least productive, and you'll even discover the types of work you do slowest and fastest.
5. Just say no - sometimes things will pop up during the day that will not help you achieve your goals. When things like this arise, just say no. Don't go to that meeting if it's going to be a waste of time. Avoid certain functions if they are going to hurt your productivity.
Conclusion
Time management isn't always the easiest thing to master, but it is possible if you work at it. Use these time management tips to effectively boost your overall productivity.
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This post has been written by Wendy Dessler
Wendy is a SuperConnector with OutreachMama and Youth Noise NJ who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing. You can contact her on Twitter.
Views expressed in this post are entirely the author's and may not always reflect the views of Colonial Life.