You may feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to complete the workload in front of you. The endless piles of documents to work through keep stacking up, the never-ending emails won’t stop filling your inbox, and the phone is constantly ringing with calls requiring your attention. The best way to deal with all of this is not blow it off, but write out a plan to make sure your time is well managed.
Time management with anything is imperative for a successful life. Work and life should be equally balanced. To avoid always having to bring work home with you, below are some helpful hints on how to manage your time so work isn’t overflowing from your cup or keeping you busy out of the office.
- Answer emails with a phone call instead
Emailing back and forth can be very time consuming. Going straight to the source and making a call can eliminate what could have been 30-40 minutes of back and forth emailing with one simple 5-minute phone call.
- Keep a notebook handy
If you tend to forget things, instead of wasting time racking your brain, keep a notebook handy so when you have a thought come up or a phone call that came in unexpectedly, you can jot down what you need and refer back to it later.
- Voice recorders are your friend.
Important business meeting? Maybe just an important call? Record it. Sometimes if you’re taking notes during a call or meeting, they aren’t always accurate or contain full details. Start recording the important calls so you’re able to answer follow up emails if you need to.
- Early to bed, early to rise.
Instead of working late into the night with your brain power at 40-50%, go to sleep early and start your day early. Having a couple hours before going into the office may increase productivity.
- Don’t be afraid to delegate.
Whether at home, or at work, don’t feel like you need to take all the tasks on by yourself. Manage your time to get done the most important items, and send the less demanding items off to someone you know will be able to complete them by the deadline.
- Manage time to include time to yourself
Whether you get a good workout in, find a quiet place to unwind and read a book or you silence your work phone for a quick 30 minutes, mark time on your calendar during your work week for a mental health break. Even a quick re-load will make you more productive and will help you maintain focus.
Time management is up to you. While having someone manage your schedule may assist in your time being well kept, there are many things that could come up that may cause your schedule to detour. Even the busiest executive finds something that keeps them on the right track and they get to enjoy their life and free time as well.