For many people in the modern world, finding ways to manage your time effectively is nearly impossible! Everywhere you turn there are distractions, and for every productive task there are a hundred unproductive tasks calling your name! Because of this, finding ways to manage your time effectively is more important than ever before!
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1. Make a Written Schedule
I’ve found that the traditional tip for managing your time effectively is possibly the most helpful! Making a written schedule can help you stay on track throughout your day. But the word “written” is key here! Don’t create a mental schedule that you can loosely abide by or forget altogether by the end of the day. Get out the pen and paper—or in some cases, your phone or tablet— and jot down a schedule!
2. Make Your Schedule Daily
Almost as important as the act of making a schedule is how frequently you create the schedule. I’ve tried making a schedule monthly and even weekly, but nothing works as well as a daily schedule. Each night, or in the morning before your day gets started, plan out your day and allot varied amounts of time for each scheduled activity. In the busy culture we live in now, it’s hard to predict what you’ll do a week or two in advance, so make sure you create a schedule daily that you can follow easily.
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3. Make Room for "play Time"
If you lock a dog in a room all day with the task of perfecting fetch, they probably won’t learn it as well as if they were out in the yard with their owner having a good time and playing fetch and taking rest breaks. People are the same way; you can lock yourself in your office all day with a computer, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get very much quality work done. You need to schedule in play time for yourself, to keep your brain alert enough to complete all of your tasks! For your breaks, have a light snack, take a walk, or lie down and listen to some music. This will refresh your brain and have you performing better and more time-efficiently!
4. Keep a Watch near You at All Times
It’s easy to lose track of time when you don’t have any way of telling the time. Whether you’re working on homework, a presentation for work, or your Master's thesis, simply checking the time periodically will help you stay on course with your schedule. Knowing that time is ticking away will push you to work faster.
5. Work Smarter, Not Harder
Often times, people end up working harder than they need to, but without being smart about it. You can work as hard as you want, stressing yourself out and working all day long, but not necessarily produce quality work. If there is a simpler way of doing something, do it that way! Don’t try to challenge yourself too much, because odds are you’ll just end up tired, slouched over a computer, producing something that won’t please your boss or teacher.
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6. Just Say No to Social Media
Just say no! Social media is the drug of the time management world. No—social media is the plague! It’s nearly impossible to avoid and practically deadly! But you can cut yourself off from it by deleting your social media apps when you’re working, or turning off your phone completely. Yes—your phone can be turned off! Try going a day, or better yet, a week, without any social media and see how much more work you get done in less time!
7. Unplug
Unplugging can help you focus, too. That TV, whispering tempting titles like “Game of Thrones” and “The Walking Dead” while you’re trying to finish an assignment is no good for you. Unplug your TV at the beginning of the day so that the idea of watching your favorite show doesn’t even cross your mind!
We could all bear to improve our time management skills quite a bit! It’s difficult when everyone is so busy; our world is fast paced, and distractions are everywhere! How do you manage to get it all done?
