Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Know how to spend your time
• Method 2 of 3: Avoid distractions
• Method 3 of 3: Use your time efficiently
• Warnings

We all have the feeling that there just aren't enough hours in a day to complete everything that needs to be done. A few simple organization and time management skills can help you make the most of the time you do have. Learn how to use time wisely to do more in the time you have.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Know how to spend your time

1. Keep track of your daily activities. Check what you do every day and make a note of how much time you spend on it. You may be surprised by how much time you actually waste in a day, compared to the actual amount of work you do.
   • Don't forget to keep track of mundane tasks such as making breakfast, housekeeping, showering, etc.
2. Write down all your activities in a notebook. Once you know what you do every day and how much time you spend on it, write it down. By collecting all this information and seeing it on one page at the same time, you can see patterns and possibly even areas where you are wasting your time.
   • Be comprehensive and clear when taking notes. Don't put individual events together, don't forget the small tasks, and make sure to use exact timestamps to track your daily activities.
   • It can be helpful to categorize certain types of activities. For example, write household chores in blue, activities in red, and recreational activities in black. This will help you visualize how you spend your time.
3. Consider how you spend your time. Do you spend an hour a day doing nothing? Two hours to decide where to eat? Eight hours of surfing the internet? Look for patterns in how you spend your time and determine what is and isn't needed.
   • Are you wasting your time because of your lack of self-control? Are you a procrastinator? Are you taking too much responsibility on your shoulders? These are all questions to ask yourself while assessing how you are spending your time.
   • You may find yourself breaking up activities throughout the day in ways that don't make sense. For example, it probably wouldn't be wise to work half an hour and then spend 10 minutes doing trivial things, and then work another half hour. You will be more focused and productive if you work an hour and handle trivial tasks at a later date.
   • It is better to tackle your tasks by dividing them into "blocks". This is a method where you schedule a predetermined amount of time for a single task without any distractions.
4. Consider adjustments. Now that you know exactly what you're spending your time on, start making active adjustments to your schedule. Make sure you can identify areas that you cannot spend less time on. Just because something takes a long time doesn't mean it is wasted time.
5. If you spend three hours a day sending work-related emails, it is unlikely that you will be able to reduce this amount of time. However, if you send out four or five personal emails during your official emails, you can certainly reduce the amount of time you spend on emails.
6. Change your habits and standards. Whatever your time management problem may be, there is always a solution. Once you have decided where or how to spend your time, you will need to make a planned effort to change your time management.
   • If you spend too much time housekeeping or cooking your meals and you can afford it, consider hiring a housekeeper or cook. For some people, their time is worth more than their money.
   • You may spend much of your day aimlessly browsing the Internet. You can restrict access to certain internet sites or social network accounts (while you are supposed to be working on something else).

Method 2 of 3: Avoid distractions

1. Identify distractions in your life. The biggest threat to using your time usefully is constant distraction. Try to identify which activities or people tend to waste your time. Whether it's a friend who keeps talking or a stubborn habit that keeps you from work, you can find ways to avoid these time wasters.
   • If you spend a lot of your time doing something that doesn't produce a desirable outcome for you, it is probably just a distraction in your life that you should avoid.
   • In an office environment, you will likely see many of your colleagues as distractions. Avoid gossip or conversations about the weather when you need to get something done. However, keep in mind that your attitude in the office is just as important to your career as time management, so don't be rude.
2. Avoid long phone calls. If you find that you spend a lot of time on long phone calls, then you should change your phone habits. Often you can achieve more by speaking in person than by phone, so stop talking on the phone.
   • Many telephone conversations consist of unnecessary and unnecessary chatter, especially at the beginning or end of the conversation. People tend to lose focus and stray on the phone, so be aware of that. In-person conversations there is more of a need to focus exclusively on work issues. This is because neither party is surrounded by distraction during a meeting.
3. Don't surf the web excessively. Many people use the Internet as a crucial tool to accomplish tasks that need to be done. However, just as many people are guilty of straying to useless news articles, sports reports, and photos of celebrities, kittens or puppies. Stay focused when you are online. Programs are available that block certain applications, websites and domains, thus helping to reduce Internet-related distraction.
   • Avoid Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites if you are supposed to be doing something else.
   • Googling various topics is also a dangerous waste of time. You may think that you are going to look something up, but before you know it, you have ended up in the farthest corners of the internet for more than three hours.
4. Post a "Do not disturb" sign. You are probably familiar with the sign that you can hang on the door of your hotel room. This sign can be equally effective within an office environment or workplace. You can print such a sign yourself and hang it on the door of your workspace if needed. This will end the gossip that keeps you from work.
   • If you work from home it is essential that you have a dedicated work space. Don't work in the common areas of your home, as television, the telephone, or a game console can easily keep you from working.
5. Make time for inevitable distractions. There are types of distractions that sometimes you just can't avoid. Sometimes it's your boss taking time out from the workday for a chat, or maybe an older family member who needs constant help with simple tasks. Whatever these inevitable distractions may be, if you make room for them in advance, they will take away less of your vital time needed for other necessary projects and activities.

Method 3 of 3: Use your time efficiently

1. Write down everything. Do not rely on your memory to do your tasks. Write down everything you need to do in one place, and refer to this list often to achieve your goals.
   • Even if a task seems less big or mundane, make a note of it. Your calendar should be filled with little comments like "Call Stefan", "Look Up Profit Margins" or "Email Chef".
   • Make sure you always have a notebook with you and write down tasks as they pass by. You think you'll remember to write them down later, but chances are you'll forget.
2. Use an agenda. The simple addition of a calendar or planner to your collection of organizational tools will help you organize your time efficiently. Write down every new deadline, assignment or meeting that is added to your schedule. Take a moment each morning to review your agenda for the day so you know what's in front of you.
3. Avoid double obligations. Organize your schedule by avoiding over-asking yourself and not taking on too many projects or events at once. Check your calendar before agreeing to anything to make sure you have the time. This keeps your time organized without losing track of your regular schedule.
4. Avoid distractions. Manage your time productively by removing elements that could distract you or cause you to stray and fall behind on your schedule. Keep television and games away from where you study or do the administration so that you'll focus on the tasks that need to be done first and save the fun stuff for later.
5. Organize your tasks according to importance. Manage your time wisely by doing the most important or time-bound tasks first. Mark these in your planning with a special color marker or a small sticker. Schedule top priority tasks first and give yourself enough time to complete them, then work on less time-sensitive things around the most important tasks identified.
   • Be willing to change your priorities from time to time. Things can come in at the last minute and require your immediate attention. You will have to stop what you are doing from time to time and focus your energy and time on these unexpected tasks. Just make sure it doesn't happen too often.
   • If you find yourself consistently rearranging your priorities throughout the day, then something is wrong. While minor changes to your schedule may be expected, continuous adjustments likely mean that you do not have your priorities in order.
6. Be realistic. Give yourself a realistic amount of time to complete each task. If you think something will take half an hour to an hour, give yourself a full hour. Be realistic about how long something takes to avoid getting overwhelmed or falling behind on your schedule.
   • It's always safer to be on the safe side and give yourself more time than you will need. If you finish your task sooner, then you are free to tackle the next task - which doesn't have to affect your productivity in the end.
7. Plan your basic needs. Don't forget to schedule time for everyday things like eating and showering. This may seem obvious, but it's important to set aside time for these things, in addition to the other scheduled tasks, to make sure you don't skip them and those things don't get you behind on schedule.
8. Use a reminder system. Use simple reminders in addition to your daily planner to help you remember the important tasks or deadlines. Use post-its or voice or text alerts on your mobile phone to remind you of the things you need to do at that moment, or if you have something planned. Such a backup system will help you avoid forgetting things.
   • Avoid dependence on other people to think about something. They are probably just as forgetful as you are.
   • If something is extremely important, set multiple reminders for yourself. You can miss one post-it or phone alarm, but not several.
9. Ask for help. Ask someone else for help and delegate smaller tasks if necessary. Your overall schedule will benefit if you can swallow your pride and ask someone to help you with a few small chores around the house, or cook dinner on a busy weeknight.
   • Make sure to delegate responsibilities to qualified people. It is not enough to ask someone for a particular task. You want them to do that job well.
   • Don't make a habit of leaving your work with others. It does not reflect time management skills. Rather, it comes across as if you are just lazy and unmotivated.
10. Assess your productivity. From time to time it is necessary to look at your work from a distance and analyze what you have achieved, how well you performed and how long it took. Being aware of these aspects of your work and life can help you make changes to your schedule and the day-to-day pattern of how you work, producing surprisingly effective results.
11. Reward yourself. Working too hard or for too long can lead to burnout, making it difficult to focus on even the simplest of tasks. So take a few moments to celebrate what you've accomplished and reward yourself with something you really enjoy.
    • Make sure your break time is devoted to enjoyment. Turn off your work phone and don't answer emails. If you mix work with your leisure time, you will not reward yourself and you will not be able to avoid a burnout.
    • If you work Monday to Friday, keep your weekend off. If you've been working on one project for three months, take a short vacation when you're done.

Warnings

• Don't let your mind wander or try to dream away while working on your daily tasks.