Psychologists say: people feel pleasure from the work done when they see its real results. But what if you are not a woodcutter and sawing trees is clearly not part of your job responsibilities? However, they presuppose the fulfillment of those monotonous obligations that ultimately add up to a beautiful project.
But sometimes completing it turns into an emergency. This is due to “black” holes into which priceless hours leak. To prevent them, we learn how to properly manage time so that we can always manage to do everything.
Time planning: strictly according to the internal clock
Tip #1. You have a letter, dance! The biggest distraction is the notification of receiving emails. Moreover, the volume of important messages does not exceed no more than 20%. Everything else, as a rule, consists of advertisements or meaningless letters.
- To avoid wasting time, check your email in the morning, after lunch, and before leaving work.
- Don't sort through emails when you're most productive. "Zhavoronkov" — in the morning, "night owl" — in the evenings.
- For particularly important partners and clients, create a separate email address. Primary information will go there, so you won’t have to go through all your email to find it.
Tip #2. Call on time. Rather than being distracted by phone calls during the day, it is better to devote one hour to them and make all the necessary calls.
- Before you pick up the phone, think about what is more important: the business you are busy with or the call.
Know how to spend time on yourself: rest — strictly on schedule
Tip #3: Creative clutter on the desk. Our subconscious can remember a huge number of things to do, but in the preconscious there may be two or three in line, no more. Accordingly, so many items should be on the desktop: a computer as the main element and several accompanying ones — folder with business papers, calculator, phone. Family photos, coffee cups and souvenirs — place on the periphery of the table, as well as processed documents.
- Creative chaos at hand, when you manage to find the necessary document at the right moment, is economically justified: it allows you to save 20% of your working time.
Tip #4: Stop talking! A colleague’s offer to drink coffee or go to the smoking room for a couple of minutes sounds tempting. But you have a problem, and you don’t want to offend. In this case, try the red flag technique. Agree that if there is a red flag (or any other object) on your table, you cannot be disturbed in the next hour.
- If they stop you to talk — do not accept invitations to sit next to you, the conversation will drag on.
- Carry a folder with papers with you — this will make it clear that every minute counts.
Tip #5: Big change. A school lesson lasts 45 minutes, and students take a break every hour and a half. Ideally, you should take a 5-minute break from work every hour. Don't be afraid to spend this time on anything — it will more than pay off when you return to business with double energy. True, provided that during this time you can switch your attention as much as possible and do not go over production problems in your head.
- If you have a sedentary job, get up and walk around.
- If you work with people, be alone.
- And don't play solitaire on the computer. — will not help.
In our age of modern technology, time is not only a valuable resource, but also a luxury that you need to learn to appreciate. With the advent of new technical devices, we ourselves have ceased to notice how much time we waste. Aimless wandering through social networks, talking about nothing on Skype and mobile phone, regularly checking email without much need... We put off important things for later and, as a result, we don’t get anything done. Hence the eternal dissatisfaction with oneself, the lack of career growth, and tense relationships with colleagues and superiors. How can you allocate time correctly so that the listed problems are known only by hearsay? Let's try to figure it out.
Motivation
If you are clearly aware that you are working to achieve a specific goal as quickly as possible, even boring and uninteresting work will begin to move faster. Visualize your plans. Imagine yourself driving a luxury car or holding the keys to your own apartment. Don’t try to do everything at once, move towards your goal in small but confident steps. Prioritize and complete things in order of importance. First, determine your global plans, then intermediate ones, which can be completed within a week or month, and only then intermediate ones, the implementation of which should not take more than 1 day.
Notepad and pen
It is impossible to constantly keep a list of current affairs in your head, and it is not necessary. You can control the percentage of completion of planned tasks during the day using a diary, organizer or notepad. In the evening, in a calm environment, write down your to-do list for tomorrow in order of importance. Approximately determine the time to complete each task, taking into account your strengths and capabilities. Review your notes at the end of the day and draw some conclusions.
The most unpleasant things happen in the first half of the day
Never put off the most difficult and boring tasks until later. Come to the office and immediately start preparing reports or have a difficult conversation with management. Don’t think too long, setting yourself up for failure in advance. The “slippery” thing will weigh on you throughout the day. Time is money, and the completion of secondary tasks can be evenly distributed as you busy yourself.
Order in the workplace
With complete chaos on your desktop, it will be very difficult for you to concentrate on completing your goal. Make it a rule to distribute documents into separate folders, remove unnecessary and distracting objects from the access area. At the end of the day, your workplace should be in perfect order. Provide comfortable working conditions, this will allow you to use your working time more efficiently.
Review your list
Periodically cross out things from your notebook that are no longer important. It will be right if you learn to delegate some of your powers to employees. You are not an iron man and cannot work around the clock. It is better to complete 70-80% of the plan, but efficiently.
Use modern technologies as assistants. This will allow you to allocate time correctly and use it more rationally.
Leisure and recreation
Those who know how to rest and relax work well. A good daily routine will help you feel alert and active, keep your mind clear and act rationally. It is not necessary to visit entertainment venues every day; it is enough to set aside time 2-3 times a week for evening walks in the fresh air, meeting with friends or playing sports.
- Take short breaks between tasks and switch your attention. Just look out the window for a few minutes, make a call, or have a healthy snack;
- Don't blame yourself for unfinished tasks. Review your plans and work to the best of your ability;
- Reward yourself for successfully completing difficult and unpleasant tasks.
Time is priceless and the past day knows no return.
Make it a habit to never stop there. Plan even the smallest things and do not forget about self-control. Relax and play sports. Only in this case will each next day be more productive than the previous one.
And live life to the fullest. This question is really difficult. After all, many people have problems over time. And only some manage to relax, live life to the fullest, and do all the planned things. You can learn such a technique. All you need to do is follow a few simple tips. At first it will not be easy, because redistributing time and planning the day is a responsible task that requires special skills. Only with experience will you be able to plan your day without any problems so that you can get everything done. What tips are recommended to follow?
Living life to the fullest is...
Once all the important and difficult things are behind you, everything else will be done faster. A good technique, but it will require some effort in the initial stages. Therefore, you will have to show persistence and perseverance.
Attracting Help
Mothers with small children should be very familiar with the following advice. By the way, they are the ones who most often think about how to manage to do everything and get enough sleep at the same time. What can you recommend in addition to the above points?
For example, do not refuse help. Moreover, attract loved ones to her. You can ask your husband to wash the dishes and clean the house, while the mother herself goes to pick up the child at kindergarten and takes him to the doctor. Or entrust your spouse with cooking dinner.
By the way, if we are talking about household responsibilities, then in order to keep up with everything, it is recommended to separate household tasks. Of course, if a representative of the fair sex sits at home all day, you just need to manage your time correctly. But in the modern world, women work just like men. Therefore, to answer how to manage everything and live life to the fullest, you need to learn to ask for help and redistribute responsibilities.
Technique
Another very useful technique is to involve modern devices in your work. A variety of gadgets and equipment are not only entertainment, but also benefits for humans. You can make the most of newfangled devices to make your life easier. This way you can manage everything and not get too tired.
Cooking can be entrusted to a pressure cooker/multi-cooker, cleaning to a robot vacuum cleaner, and so on. This way you can save a lot of time. As a result, a person will have more opportunities to relax. Especially if you do not deviate from the previously drawn up schedule.
Be careful: some modern gadgets only waste time! It is recommended not to use the Internet (allowed only for work purposes), social networks and other entertainment during the working day. Sometimes even a banal news check can take several hours. Therefore, you should not give in to temptations.
Now it’s clear how to manage everything and relax at the same time. Everything will definitely work out, but you have to try hard from the beginning!
Time is an invaluable resource that is always in short supply. However, it is not always worth blaming the short 24 hours for this, because most often the person himself is to blame for the lack of time. Time management will help you overcome your own laziness - a collection of rules on how to allocate time in order to get everything done. It is enough to single out just 5 simple rules for yourself to improve your life and free up time for useful hobbies and new interests.
Make it a habit every evening the next day. In the first days, this procedure will take quite a lot of time, but after a couple of weeks it will become a habit. The plan should be as clear and thoughtful as possible. Time management experts recommend not only specifying actions, but also limiting the period for their implementation.
For example:
- 8:00-8:15 – exercise
- 8:15-8:45 – preparing breakfast
The minute-by-minute distribution of time allows you to quickly get used to the schedule, but not all tasks can be determined by eye. For example, travel may require more time than you have allocated in your schedule. For beginners, such shifts are a difficult obstacle. If small changes really unsettle you, during the first days indicate only the list of things to do and note how much time it took. In the future, it will be easier to create a minute-by-minute schedule, because you will have observations that can be analyzed. You can “save” on some things, and give others an extra 10-20 minutes.
Think carefully about your plan for the next day. Do not indicate vague instructions, specify and break things down.
For example, instead of “business meetings,” indicate exactly what meetings you plan to hold and at what specific time. Thinking through the details in advance will eliminate the need to spend time on this during the day. Even if you save a few minutes from each item, by the end of the day they will add up to an extra half hour or hour.
Make a plan either in a diary, which you plan to carry with you constantly and mark completed tasks, or in your mobile phone. There are many organizing applications that will remind you that it is time to go to the gym or business training.
Don't accumulate small things
When making a plan, describe small tasks, even if they only take a couple of minutes to complete. By including them, you will at least remember them, so you will try to complete them before the end of the day. Small tasks are quickly forgotten or put off “for tomorrow,” which never comes. As a result, a pile of small things forms a snowball of unfulfilled promises, which can pile up all at once one day.
Try to complete small tasks in between major plans. For example, before you begin, sign the accumulated documents, thereby freeing up space on your desktop. Such things will become a respite between main activities.
Don't let them steal your time
We are talking primarily about laziness. The problem with modern man and lack of time is that many hours are wasted on social media. After all, it is much easier and more convenient to sit down at the news feed than to spend the same hours working with your own.
Test your own schedule before creating a schedule. Where does most of the time go, and is the activity really worth the minutes or hours spent? There is nothing wrong with corresponding with friends on social networks, but there is no urgent need to check your profile every 5 minutes, and you can respond to a message in a couple of hours.
If it is difficult to give up social networks or computer hobbies completely, allocate a specific one to them and do not go beyond the specified period. Log on to social networks while riding public transport home or to work, play your favorite games for a couple of hours on the weekend. Don't forgive yourself for deviations from the schedule!
Try to combine tasks as much as possible, but without compromising the quality of their execution. For example, combine playing sports with listening to the news on the radio or driving home, or running errands with learning new words in a foreign language. The main thing is to combine things that do not require concentration.
Try to maintain order
Get organized:
- At work.
- In the house.
- In my own thoughts.
The order of the items can be changed at your discretion. Order in the workplace allows you to concentrate better. Although figurines and photographs of relatives are very cozy on the desktop, strive for minimalism. The fewer things on your desk that distract your attention, the easier it will be to get to work and complete your plan. Asceticism must be observed not only in relation to extraneous things, but also towards working tools. Have a box for working materials. If your job involves production, clean up trash after each project or during breaks. It is much more pleasant to work at a clean workplace, and you will not need to waste time correcting documents that have fallen into glue.
Clean up your house. Remember, 2 general cleanings are enough, and the rest of the time it’s enough to just maintain general order. Put things back in their place after use. This way you will always know where they are and won’t spend half an hour searching for them. Use it if you think you spend too much time cleaning. Many agencies offer their services at relatively low prices. If you think your time is worth more, seek professional help.
Get your own thoughts in order. Decide why you decided to free up a few hours a day. Perhaps you were planning to start learning a language or get a second higher education. Set a goal and move towards it.
Introduce new habits
A habit is formed by 21 days of constant repetition.
Many people who want to start a new life believe in this postulate. There is no evidence of this, but if you repeat a certain algorithm day after day, at a certain moment you will not have to remind yourself of its necessity. However, you need to remember that new habits quickly go away if they are left to their own devices.
It’s easy to decide what habits you need, just put things in order in your head and set goals for yourself. Do you want to lose weight? – Go in for sports. Do you want to go on a trip? – Start learning a foreign language. The more powerful the incentive you create, the easier it will be to introduce a new habit.
And don’t forget to praise yourself for each one. In a good mood it is much easier to find a few free minutes!
Write your question in the form below
Discussion: 6 comments
For me, the most important assistant has always been a notebook. I write down all my tasks that need to be done and distribute what to do and why. Therefore, you can always see how busy the day is and your thoughts are in order.
Answer
I value my time very much and don’t waste it. But strangers are wasting it on us left and right. Today, for example, I was in the hospital - the doctor was 20 minutes late. Then I went for fluorography - I stood outside the door for an hour! And it’s a pity for time.
Answer
The article is “for everything good and against everything bad.”
But it jarred: “Don’t forgive yourself for deviations from the schedule!” How is that? Hit your fingers with a ruler? Say ah-ah-ah? Scold yourself?
It seems to me that this will only increase internal dissatisfaction and will not help in planning time. Most likely, it will increase the accumulated stress, which we try to “cover up” with the same meaningless Internet surfing, alcohol or food.
I don’t particularly like planning and believe that tasks should be solved purely as they arise. Sometimes it’s useful to postpone a task for a day or two or three. Perhaps it will disappear on its own.
Answer
Hi all! Ekaterina Kalmykova is with you. Surely, you will agree with me that the most valuable thing we have is our time. We very often waste it, not realizing that there is not so much of it.
Being distracted by extraneous matters, we waste our time, and then we are surprised that we do not have time to do anything. We try to fulfill all our goals, we begin to work in conditions of “multitasking”, we are torn between planned tasks. As a result, irritability, nervous breakdowns, and fatigue appear. Are you familiar with this condition?
In my opinion, people who know how to manage time correctly can rightfully be considered successful. In the modern world, it is quite difficult to combine work, study, childcare and personal life. I, like any woman, also dream of combining all areas of life so that there is enough time for everything. Therefore, I set out to study and have already written several articles on this topic.
Here's a small selection:
If you also want to learn how to effectively manage your time, and spend your free time profitably and not feel like a “hunted horse,” then read on. I will share some tips on how to properly manage your time.
So, how to allocate time to get everything done? The most effective method is to make a list of things that need to be done. You should distribute the things that need to be done first and second. It will be good if you mark important and unimportant things, for example, with different colors. I wrote about this in detail in the article “”. You can also try using .
It will definitely be more pleasant for you to plan your time if you keep a beautiful notebook or diary.
Tip #1: How to use your time wisely? Don't load your diary with fictitious tasks.
If you have a free day or hour ahead of you, then think: “How to allocate time?” But you don’t need to try to get everything done in chaotic fits and starts. As they say, everything at once. It is better to spend this freed time for your own benefit, for example, enjoying a trip to the spa or hanging out with a friend.
Tip #2: How to use your time productively? Try to use every minute to your advantage.
If you still can’t manage your time wisely, then try dividing your tasks into groups:
- the first group - matters with first priority, important matters;
- the second group - important matters that can wait;
- the third group - things that need to be done urgently, but they are not a priority;
- fourth group - minor and non-urgent matters.
As you can see, you should first complete the tasks from the first and second groups, then from the third group, and only then, if you have time left, proceed to the tasks from the fourth group. How to learn to manage your time? Of course, this doesn't happen the first time, but practice makes wonders. Once you learn how to create groups of tasks, arrange tasks and complete them sequentially, you will see how much free time you will have. And you will immediately understand that you are managing your time correctly.
It is very important to use your time more efficiently to achieve a successful life. Willpower plays an important role here.
Whether you are a schoolchild, a student or a blogger, you must learn to resist everything that “eats” your time, the so-called time sinks. As a rule, these are social networks. Instagram, VKontakte, Facebook - all this wastes your time if you do not use them as a working tool.
Of course, it’s very interesting to see what Masha, Dasha or Petya posted. But after analyzing how long it takes you to read the tape, you will definitely be horrified. Yes, I did some timing here the other day. I just felt sorry for the lost hours. But time is wasted, although it could have been spent on something useful. That’s why it’s so important to be able to manage your time wisely.
Tip #3: Reduce the time you spend on social media and you will be surprised how much free time you have.
Business and responsibilities go hand in hand
Tip #4: How to use working time effectively? Remember that you have things to do and responsibilities. They are different and you need to be able to distinguish between them.
Job responsibilities are what you get paid for. Things can be only indirectly related to work, or they can relate to another area in your life. Many women strive to seem like they can do everything and start multitasking. I was the same :)
As a result of doing several things at once, they do them either halfway, or poorly, or inattentively and may miss important details. As a result, you spend much more time on one thing than it’s worth.
Tip #5: How to use working time correctly? Solve one problem at a time, without being scattered on several things at once.
Doing a hundred things will not show you your best side. Most likely, you will forget something important and your boss will not like it. Do only one thing, you will do it better and faster, which means you will have more time for everything else.
The rich use their time wisely. They find special use for their talent in their work, being able to completely immerse themselves in a task. Many people have a lot of small things to do.
It’s good if they are somehow related to the main task, you will be able to switch between tasks without leaving your thoughts on the main task. It will be great if small things are mechanical in nature, so you won’t be distracted by extraneous things.
Analysis and rest as two sides of the same coin
Tip #6: analyze your time, both work and personal.
Analyzing your time will help you use your working time rationally. You need to figure out what's taking up a lot of your time and cut it down. For example, if you spend a lot of time communicating with colleagues on non-work topics, try to limit the conversations to just discussing the news over lunch.
The same applies to the distribution of personal time. If you spend a lot of time watching TV, try to reduce the time to 30 minutes a day. Don't cook or work in front of the TV. He will constantly distract your attention. Surely, you know that eating while watching it is also not recommended, since you can eat much more than your portion :)
Remember that you can't do everything in one day and make all the money in the world.
Tip #7: rest.
Include sleep and rest at least 8 hours a day in your routine. Eight hours of sleep is the basis for good health and a fresh mind. If you can sleep longer, that's great. Give yourself a little time to lie in bed without being responsible for anything.
With new strength, you can accomplish much more than with circles under your eyes.
We call for help from technology and order
It will be easier for you to keep track of everything if you have a good punctual assistant, namely a smartphone. Modern phones have programs that remind you of meetings, calls, shopping trips, etc. Use this great opportunity to have a free assistant remind you of important things to do.
Tip #8: Use a timer.
The timer on your phone is also designed to help busy people. Set a timer for one hour and try to do at least three small things or one big thing during this time. The timer can be used for sports, smart reading and self-development, etc.
Tip #9: Place and be sure to maintain order in the workplace.
Are you a lover of creative chaos? Think about how long it takes you to find the necessary papers, folders, and books. If the process takes more than 3 minutes, it's time to clean up the order on and inside your desktop. The process of finding the necessary things should take a maximum of three minutes.
Tip #10: study here this cool course.
If you still don’t understand how to use your time wisely, we recommend that you turn to this course for help. It will talk about ways to manage your own and other people's time. The main reason why I recommend it is that the technique was tested by the author himself and it brought him more than generous results.
From the course you will gain knowledge that is not found in textbooks, university manuals, or online resources. Unique information is collected on one disk and is waiting for another lucky winner. Those who decide to study will learn a lot of interesting things in the field of time management. Secrets will be revealed on how to plan your workday in order to get everything done at home, how to monetize your time in front of the computer, how to rationally use your free time and much more.
Have you decided? Then don't hesitate. Buy now well , learn the secret of success and become the most successful person!
Friends, this is where I end our conversation. I am sure that if you listen and take my advice into account, you will learn to manage your work and free time rationally and effectively, because you already know how to properly distribute your time.
Time management is indeed an interesting science. Therefore, I will return to this topic more than once.
Until next time