“It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.” “• Steve Jobs
Time management is a skill that takes a while to develop and it’s also different for every person. There’s absolutely no one-size-fits-all approach to this, however, there is something called “Time Management Spectrum” that can help you gauge your productivity on a daily basis.
Understanding how you work and how much you can do will give you an idea of what methods work best for you and eventually be able to share your techniques to others and based on this, perhaps they can also discover their place in the spectrum and establish their own system.
Take a look at the spectrum below. Which side are you closer to in terms of how you handle your tasks?
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You don’t plan at all. You just go with the flow. |
Moderate. You have a list of tasks but you are able to adapt your productivity to your day’s circumstances. |
Rigorous. You have a rigid system and always make sure you finish whatever is in your extensive to-do list. |
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Wherever you are in the spectrum, following a guide can help you plan your day better. There are many solutions, and you can find some of them below:
- Start early. It’s great to work when you feel calm and your mind is clear.
- Track how you spend your time. Use apps to track your progress and alert you when you lose focus.
- Use the OHIO Strategy. O.H.I.O. stands for Only Handle It Once. Processing a task multiple times will only take up more of your time and energy.
- Work in sprints and take regular breaks to help you stay productive.
- Stop multitasking. Select one goal at a time and maintain focus, this will lead to greater productivity and to also avoid spreading yourself too thin.
- Avoid Attention Leaks. Nowadays, our attention spans are getting shorter. When you lose concentration, your tasks take longer to complete so try your very best to not feed your distractions.
“The ability to stay focused will be the superpower of the 21st century.
Focus is the new I.Q.” “• Cal Newport
- Set strict boundaries. Learn to say no and communicate to others in a polite but direct manner.
- Procrastination is your worst enemy. This is more of an emotional issue and a huge obstacle to success. Click here to read more about procrastination.
- Use your downtime to plan and reflect what you need to do the next day.
- Make this your golden rule: If it can be done today, do it today.
“You may delay, but time will not.” ““ Benjamin Franklin
This is a part of our Effective Ways to Work Smarter series, we will share more about the topics below in our blog:
Establish workflows to streamline processes.
Delegate work effectively.
Learn how to manage stress.
Do regular daily reflections.
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