5 power tips for improved time management


Have you ever felt like you are in your own version of Alice in Wonderland, but this time you’re the white rabbit singing “I’m late! I’m late! For every important date!” Surely there must be a way to break this cycle. In this article, we discuss time management and give you 5 power tips to help you manage your time better.

1. Prioritise
Change your perspective on to-do lists. While they may seem outdated, they provide the unique advantage of showing a consolidated view of everything that must be done, regardless of whether they are digitally presented or written on paper. And that is exactly what you need. Go ahead and create a to-do list, giving numbers to the most important and most urgent tasks so that you can remember to start there first.


2. Planning 
Planning in advance goes a long way. Try this: create a to-do list at the end of your work day to ensure that you know exactly what needs to be achieved the following day. You can even go as far as planning weekend tasks like sorting out laundry, organising your closet, completing paperwork and etc. This way you can start your weekend by clearing those tasks first to free up time to unwind, without worrying about unfinished tasks.


3. Finish what you start
Once you have created your to-do list and ordered the tasks by priority, start to finish. See through the tasks you start on and move on to the next. Do not start a task, and then move on to another half way through.


4. Focus 
Some tasks involve more than one person. In those cases, find out exactly what is expected of you and focus on achieving that. If someone needs help with their tasks, consider how much time that will take from your own tasks and responsibilities and help where you can so that you can also achieve your goals.

5. Manage distractions
We all have that one thing that can derail us from a well-planned day. It can be your smart phone, the radio, television or chatting with other people. Put those things off as rewards after achieving your goals.

You might also want to read this article on SMART goal setting.