8 Strategies To Make Time Work For You
Do you feel that the hours of the day are not enough to do all the pending tasks? If you are one of those people, then it is time to rethink your routine. If you want to make time work for you more, it is essential that you consider an order and be disciplined.
The key is to properly manage and work the hours of the day. That said, if you don’t know how to do it, here are options.
Possible reasons why time is not giving you
There are several reasons that prevent us from making the most of the hours of the day. Most have to do with the way we manage time. Among the most common are the following.
Lack of organization
Do you usually make a list of your pending tasks and order them by priority? Do you schedule the execution of your activities in advance?
If you haven’t tried it, it’s about time you made it a habit. The organization of activities is a fundamental quality to make the time work for you.
People who do not know how to organize themselves and have many pending tasks, usually do not know where to start. In addition, they give priority to those that are not so urgent. Thus energy and effort are invested in the wrong way.
You waste your hours on the internet
There are a lot of people who spend a lot of time checking their social networks or surfing the internet. This represents a problem, since they tend to forget that there is a reality external to the screens and that there are tasks to be accomplished.
You are unable to say “no”
Another reason why time is not giving you may be the fact that you commit and accept many tasks. In the end, you exceed your limits and compromise the quality of what you do.
So if you know your schedule is tight, avoid offering or accepting more activities than you already have. A previous step is the organization and the recognition of the limits.
You do many things at the same time
It is common to find people who multitask at the same time. For example, while they are answering an email they are talking on the phone and they are aware that what is on the stove is not going to burn.
If you are one of those people, it is time to start doing things in order and focus on just one. Multitasking can work for you up to a point. But you run the risk that something will go wrong for you.
You focus on only one thing
The other extreme is spending a lot of effort, time, and focus on just one thing. This makes the other tasks sloppy. It is not bad to dedicate yourself to something specific, but the ideal is to be efficient and finish it in the shortest possible time.
If you feel that you are not making progress in an activity, it is legal to move on to another that follows in the order of priorities. And do not forget to finish it when you are more willing.
Strategies to make time work for you
We are going to see 8 strategies that can make time work for us more. Some can be combined with others and each person will have to define whether or not they adapt to their agenda.
1. Make a list of your priorities
The night before or before starting the day, write down everything you want to achieve that day. Then give each task a priority level.
For example, put “urgent” to those activities that must be carried out in the next 24 hours; “Important” to those that have to be done in the next few days and “not urgent” to those that could wait longer. This will allow you to focus on the relevant ones.
2. Schedule the execution of your activities
After you have the list of your obligations, the ideal will be that you schedule your day efficiently. This means that each activity and task must have its own space to be executed at a certain time.
Also, determine the time it will take you to complete them. In this way, you will be aware of everything you need to do and how long it will take.
Try to start the day by executing the activities with the highest priority and difficulty. There we are clearer and with more energy.
Similarly, save the simplest and most mechanical for last. As the day goes by you will be more overwhelmed and the ideal is to do those things that require less effort.
3. Avoid putting off your tasks
To be able to do all your pending tasks for the day, avoid postponing as much as possible. Procrastination will cause tasks to pile up and you will feel a lot of stress from it.
Instead, try to finish your obligations ahead of time so you can take care of potential complications and still stick to your schedule.
4. Always have a space for yourself
Even if you have a lot of pending activities, it is essential that you always schedule a space for yourself. Preferably before starting the day.
In this way, you will boost energy levels and be more prepared to face daily stress. Among the activities that you can do in this space dedicated to you we have to meditate for 10 to 20 minutes when you wake up, exercise or eat a healthy and nutritious breakfast.
5. Prepare what you can the night before
Another way to make time work for you is by optimizing your morning time. That is, the night before, prepare your clothes, the day’s food and the materials to be used.
This will prevent you from running to find or prepare what you need to start your day.
6. Keep your workspace neat and clean
Order and cleanliness in the workplace allows people to feel comfortable and be more productive. Avoid wasting time looking for things through clutter.
That said, whatever your workplace or space to perform your tasks, the important thing is that you always ensure that it is clean and tidy.
7. Eliminate distractions
One of the great distractions is social media and messaging on electronic equipment. When working we must avoid falling into them, as they can distract us.
If you have a hard time, there are different applications that block your social networks or personal mail while you work.
8. Go to sleep early
A good rest is vital to make the time last. Therefore, try to go to bed early, before 10 at night. This way you will enjoy the benefits of sleep and wake up with less difficulty.
Making time work for you requires perseverance
The problem is not that the day has few hours and that the activities are excessive. It’s about being able to organize and schedule the time used.
Likewise, it is vitally important to know our capabilities and limits. This will allow us not to get cluttered with tasks that we are not going to achieve.
In short, making time work for you depends on a good organization of tasks and proper fulfillment of them. If you achieve this, it will no longer be a problem for you.
