Content

• Steps
• Warning

We often hear many people complaining about not having enough time to get work done. Some basic time management skills can help you make the most of your time. Learn to schedule smart time to get more done.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Recognize your time usage

1. 

   Keep track of daily activities. Notice what you do every day and note how much time is spent on it. You will be surprised how much time you waste compared to the actual amount of work done.
   • Remember to take note of daily tasks like preparing breakfast, cleaning the house, taking a bath, etc.

2. 

   
   
   Update all activities into one notebook. Once you know what you do each day and how much time you spend with them, write it down in a notebook. Putting all the information in one place and seeing it clearly on the page helps you see how and sometimes where you are wasting time.
   • Write fully and clearly. Do not mix separate events in a row, do not skip trivial tasks and remember to keep a detailed record of time divided for each task of the day.
   • Perhaps you should group activities. For example, write chores in the house with a blue pen, work to make money with a red pen and entertainment activities with a black pen. That writing helps you figure out how to use your time.

3. 

   
   
   Evaluate your time distribution. For example, 1 hour of daydreaming? 2 hours decide what to eat? 8 hours of web surfing? Determine how you will allocate your time and think about what needs to be done and what isn't.
   • Are you wasting time because you can't control yourself? Are you disabled or hesitant? Do you take on too many responsibilities? These are all questions you should consider when evaluating your time usage.
   • There are times when you divide the activities of the day in an irrational way. For example, working for half an hour and then 10 minutes dealing with errands, then going back to work for another half hour is not a wise division. If you work for only one hour, the ability to concentrate and efficiency will be higher, a trivial problem to handle later.
   • Ideally you should perform the task in each "segment". With this method you spend a predetermined amount of time on a single task without distracting yourself.

4. 

   
   
   Consider making adjustments. After you know exactly where your time is going, you begin to make adjustments to your schedule. You must know clearly what areas you cannot or should not cut down on just out of fear of wasting time. If a job takes a lot of time, it doesn't mean you're wasting your time.

5. 

   If you spend 3 hours a day sending work-related emails, then it is clearly unlikely that you will be spending less time on this activity. However, if you send four or five personal emails between work emails, you can definitely reduce the amount of time you spend sending emails.

6. 

   Change work habits. No matter what your time management problem is, there's always a workaround. After you find a reason to waste your time or how to use your time more sensibly, you must make an effort to change your time management habits.
   • If you spend too much time cleaning the house or cooking, consider hiring a maid or a chef. Time is more precious to some than money.
   • If your problem is wasting too much time during a day of unintentional surfing, you should limit yourself to a few sites or not log into your social media accounts when your purpose is otherwise.
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Method 2 of 3: Avoid distractions

1. 

   Identify distractions in your life. Distraction is the biggest challenge in time management. You have to find out what kind of activities or individuals are taking up a lot of your time. Whether because a friend is talkative or a hobby keeps you from concentrating, you can find ways to avoid these factors.
   • If you spend a lot of time on something without producing any expected results, it could be a distraction factor to avoid.
   • As for the office workspace, some coworkers are also likely distractions. You should not engage in useless conversations or chats during work hours. However, the attitude of working in the office is just as important as time management skills, so you should not be rude if you want to advance in your career.

2. 

   Avoid long conversations on the phone. You need to adjust your phone habits if you find yourself spending too much time in conversations. Talking in person is always more effective than talking over the phone, so it's a good idea to end long conversations using this means.
   • Many phone calls often include unnecessary redundancy, especially at the beginning and end of the call. People tend to be distracted and ramble on their phones, which is something you should be aware of. Holding a face-to-face meeting creates a more formal atmosphere that motivates parties to focus on their work, which is because neither party in the meeting is affected by distractions.

3. 

   Don't surf the web too much. Many people have to use the internet as their primary tool to get work done. However, there are also a lot of people who let their time drift on news articles, sports news, celebrities and pets. You always have to pay close attention every time you need to be on the internet. There are some software that can block unnecessary applications, websites or domain names to reduce distractions while using the internet.
   • Avoid visiting Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites when dealing with work online.
   • Searching for all kinds of problems on Google is also a waste of time.Initially, you intended to quickly find a problem, but before you know it, you have been surfing through countless websites in 3 hours.

4. 

   Use "Do Not Disturb" signs. You are probably familiar with this sign on the front door of a hotel room. It is also very effective when used in the office. You can type and print such a sign to hang in front of the office door when needed. People passing by will talk less so as not to disturb you.
   • If you work from home, it is imperative that you have your own workspace. Do not work in a common family place because televisions, phones, and video game consoles easily distract you.

5. 

   Make time for inescapable distractions. There are certain factors that cannot be avoided, such as when your boss wants you to spend some time out talking, or the elderly stay in the house constantly asking for this and that. If you know how to plan ahead, whatever it is, it will not take much time to work. advertisement

Method 3 of 3: Use time efficiently

1. 

   Write everything down. Do not rely entirely on memory for daily tasks. Write down everything you need to get on paper and check the list regularly to fulfill your goals.
   • Even a very small and trivial task needed to be written down. However, you should only write briefly on this list, for example "Call Tuan", "Look up margins", "Email boss".
   • Make sure to always carry your notebook with you so you'll be ready to write down tasks as they appear. You think you will remember to write it later, but you will forget it anyway.

2. 

   Use the calendar. Just adding a calendar to your time management tools will help you be more productive. Write down deadlines, tasks, and meetings on your schedule. Every morning you take time to look at those dates on your calendar to see what's coming.

3. 

   Avoid scheduling duplication. Arranging work schedule in such a way that it does not overlap and does not undertake too many tasks at once. Check your calendar before agreeing to do anything to make sure that time is free. This way your time is more organized and helps to monitor time closely.

4. 

   Eliminate the cause of the distraction. Use your time effectively by eliminating distractions or causing you to deviate from the direction of progress. Place television and all sorts of entertainment outside of work or study, to focus on getting work done before entertaining.

5. 

   Arrange the order of priority. Smart time management is about planning important or urgent tasks in advance. Note these points down on your schedule with a highlighter or crayon. Schedule these things first to make sure you have enough time, and then do the less urgent things.
   • Be ready to change preferences when needed. There are many things that do not appear until the end and require you to do it immediately. Then you have to stop what you are doing and focus your time and energy on this last minute work, but you should not let such situations happen too often.
   • If you frequently have to reorder, it indicates something is wrong. Small adjustments are acceptable, but if you have to keep doing this, it proves you are not in the right order in the first place.

6. 

   Think realistically. Allocate a reasonable amount of time to get it done. If you think something takes half an hour to an hour to get done, give yourself an hour. Thinking realistically about when you can finish the task will help you avoid overloading or slowing down.
   • Things will be safer if you stay cautious and always give yourself more time than necessary. If you finish a task early, you are free to move on to the next job, and ultimately ensure productivity.

7. 

   Schedule basic tasks. Make sure to make time for basic everyday activities, like eating and bathing. These may seem like minor jobs, but you still have to spend time on them alongside your main job, to make sure you don't skip it and could lead to delays in planning.

8. 

   Use the reminder system. Besides the daily schedule you should use additional tools to help you not forget important tasks or deadlines. Using sticky notes, set text or audio notifications to your phone to remind you to do certain scheduled tasks.
   • Avoid asking people around you to remind you of your schedule, as they may forget it just like you.
   • If something is particularly important, you should have a variety of reminder tools organized, as there is a chance that you may not notice the notes or messages on your phone.

9. 

   Help me. Ask someone for help or pass on some small tasks to them if possible. In general, this is good for your schedule if you can save a bit of dignity asking them to intervene, to handle some household chores or cook dinner if you're too busy that day.
   • Make sure to find the right qualified person to assign the task. If it's not enough just to find someone to get the job done, you have to ask someone who can do the job well.
   • Don't blame your responsibilities on others. It is not a good time management skill, but only makes you look lazy and lack of motivation in the eyes of others.

10. 

    Measuring productivity. From time to time you should stop and analyze your accomplishments, performance and determine the amount of time spent on the last job. Keeping these statistical data in your work and life will help you find the changes you need to improve your performance at work and daily life.

11. 

    Self-awarded. Working too hard can lead to exhaustion and loss of concentration and even the most trivial tasks to complete. So sometimes you should celebrate your past accomplishments and reward yourself with something really interesting.
    • Spend all of that self-rewarding time relaxing. Turn off your phone and don't answer work emails. If you mix work into playtime, it is no longer a reward for recharge.
    • If you work Monday through Friday, you should take a weekend off. After a three-month project ends, reward yourself with a short vacation.
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Warning

• Do not let your mind wander or daydream while performing daily tasks.