As a time management coach, I've worked with many clients who struggle to balance their work and personal life. Through my experience, I've found that establishing simple habits can make a big difference in improving time management skills.
In this blog post, I'm going to share 10 simple habits that can revolutionize your time management.
Always prioritize your bigger tasks
Start your day by making a list of the most important tasks you need to accomplish. Prioritize the list by completing the most urgent or important tasks first.
Create a schedule
Use a planner or digital calendar to create a schedule for your day. Include blocks of time for work, exercise, meal prep, and other activities -- especially hobbies!
I personally always plan things out in advance, so that I wake up with a clear idea of what needs to be accomplished – and this even includes my hobbies! This helps me stay focused and on track throughout the day, and throughout the week.
Take breaks
It's important to take breaks throughout the day to avoid burnout. Take short breaks every hour or so to stretch, go for a walk, or do something that helps you relax.
It may sound counterintuitive, but taking short breaks actually helps stay more productive in the long run. Short breaks during the day, a long break every evening to recharge fully. By giving myself time to rest and recharge, I am able to come back to my work with renewed energy and focus every single day.
And since I've been sharing this with my clients, they too have been trying this out and seeing the results!
Learn to Say no
Don't be afraid to say no to commitments that don't align with your priorities. Saying no can help you free up time to focus on what's truly important. Your time is too precious to be utilised on things you don't really want to do! Right?
Batch similar tasks
Group similar tasks together to complete them more efficiently. For example, batch all your phone calls or email responses together instead of spreading them throughout the day.
This method is especially efficient for responding to quick emails (which require to no research or review on the side) in one go and thus clearing out your inbox as the days go by.
Eliminate distractions
Turn off notifications on your phone and close unnecessary tabs on your computer to minimize distractions while working. I see you, keeping 47 tabs opened on your browser!
If you really cannot keep away from your phone, put it in another room!
Delegate tasks
Learn to delegate tasks to others when possible. This can help you free up time to focus on more important tasks.
Take time to audit the people around and understand who you can delegate what. And remember: this does not only apply to work!
Set deadlines
Establish deadlines for tasks to help you stay on track and avoid procrastination: I have an entire blog post about goal management!
Take care of yourself
Make time for self-care activities, such as exercise, meditation, or reading. Taking care of yourself can help you feel more energized and focused.
Review and adjust
At the end of each day or period of time (which I call cycles -- can be a few days, a week, up to maximum 2 weeks at a time), review your schedule and assess what worked and what didn't.
Adjust your habits and schedule as needed to continuously improve your time management skills.
By incorporating these 10 simple habits into your daily routine, you can revolutionize your time management skills and achieve a better work-life balance (or study-life balance). I will be developing each of these points in more elaborated blog posts so keep an eye out and don't forget to subscribe to the Newsletter!
Remember, developing new habits takes time and effort, so start small but be consistent!
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