5 Things That You Need to Do Daily to Manage Your Time

 In the modern world, efficiency is King. Those that manage their time well will not only enjoy theirwork more, but they’ll also enjoy theirleisure more, without pressures and obligations hanging over their heads.

So how do you become an expert manager of time? Here are five things thatanyone can do to streamline their work and personal lives.

1)      Have a Plan

What’s the best use of the time at the start of your day? Plan how you’d like to use your timefor the rest of your day.Schedule it, arrange it, and prioritize it.

If you create a list of to-dos, you can order them in priority, ensuring you get those that are most important done first. You can then work your way through the list, without having to brainstorm what task you’ll need to do next. What’s more, having a plan will allow you to ensure you’ve got everything you’ll need with you, and you won’t have to run around looking for things halfway through the day.

2)      Say No

For many people, this can be a hard thing to do. But it’s important to have the courage to say no to others’ requests for work. If the task is not your job, if it isn’t important enough for you to concentrate on, or if you know that you wouldn’t be able to meet the deadline, be sure to be clear and upfront with whoever is asking this of you.

Overloading yourself with work is guaranteed to end in stress. Save yourself and your colleagues the worry, and be honest about your capabilities.

3)      Listen to Your Body

The natural highs and lows that your body experiences throughout a day need to be taken into account. Do you find that you work really well in the mornings, but by two o’clock you’re starting to drag your heels? Or perhaps you’re more of a night-owl, and don’t fully wake up until the afternoon or evening, peaking later in the day. Listen to your body’s habits, and plan your workday around them.

It’s also important to take regular breaks. Giving yourself 10 minutes in every hour and working well for the other 50 will have you producing far better work than if you aren’t at your best for the entire 60 minutes.

4)      Be on Time

These days, there is no excuse to be late foranything. Your phone, which is always on you, has an alarm function. If you need to make your way across town, it has the ability to check traffic. For every excuse that you may have for being late, there is a good technology-related reason why you shouldn’t be.

Being late can cause a domino effect through your day, pushing everything back, and leaving you constantly playing catch-up. Not only that, but by being late, you may also doing this to others!

5)      Compartmentalize

Finally, compartmentalizing is all aboutyou.You need to be able to enjoy your downtime. You need to learn to compartmentalize your work and leisure time, leaving the stresses of your job at the office door. By mentally separating work and leisure, you can truly use your nights and weekends as a time to recharge your batteries, and de-stress.

Time management isn’t just about getting more work done. It’s about your well-being. By putting a few basic strategies in place, you could be healthier, happier and less stressed than you’ve ever been.

Put simply, better time management is betterlife management. And that’s something thateveryoneshould be aiming for.

Michael Catford