Time is the most precious resource, so managing it efficiently and effectively is crucial. Mastering this skill can save nearly half of your life. That’s why time management is one of the most significant disciplines taught at prestigious business schools worldwide.
However, if, for some reason, you can’t attend a business school, AdmiGram.com is pleased to teach you the most critical basic principles of managing your time. Build on this foundation, find your style, and you’ll understand how it all works. Believe it or not, it’s not necessary to finish a business school for this!
Effective time management: planning your time
Rules for planning your workday
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The most important thing to understand when planning your time is that your work should serve you, not the other way around. You’re the captain, standing at the helm. Don’t let interruptions and emerging problems disrupt your plans. They take away your time instead of adding to it.
To control your time, all you need is a plan for your workday, broken down into three components:
- Rules that should work at the beginning of the workday.
- Rules that should apply in the middle of the workday.
- Rules that should work at the end of the workday.
Rules for starting the workday
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Every day should begin with a smile and a positive attitude. It’s crucial. A good mood is essential for success and tackling upcoming tasks. A positive morning mood is a product of self-discipline, which relies on:
- Having a good and unrushed breakfast. Your energy comes from proper nutrition. Proteins, carbohydrates, fluids – that’s how you should kickstart your day.
- Arriving and starting work at the same time every day. It’s a simple principle of self-discipline that fuels your strength.
- Check and adjust your daily plan. Sixty percent of your time should be planned, leaving 40% for unexpected and urgent matters.
- Start with the most important tasks. When you have a plan for the day, you already see the priority of your tasks. Move from the most critical to the simplest.
- Engage only in what you’ve planned. The first half of your day should be devoted solely to addressing all important and prioritized tasks.
Midday rules for the workday
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Midday is the time when you’ve completed all your planned high-priority tasks that consume half of your daily energy. Now it’s time to recharge, give your brain a break, review your upcoming plan, and tackle work with renewed vigor. To achieve this, focus on:
- Have a proper lunch. Lunchtime is for replenishing energy and taking a break from work. Unload your mind during lunchtime; 30 minutes should suffice.
- Adjust deadlines and plans. Ideally, you should have 1-2 important tasks left and the time you allocated for reserves. Distribute the workload correctly.
- Don’t forget about delegation. If you have subordinates, you can always delegate tasks they can handle. Midday is the time to check the results.
- Don’t allow yourself to relax too much. Don’t stretch out what you can accomplish quickly. The remaining time will certainly come in handy.
- Take breaks. Your brain functions better when you take short breaks in the second half of the day. This is necessary to stay productive.
End-of-day rules for workday
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Wrapping up the workday consolidates everything planned for the day. Supervising subordinates, sorting through emails, handling documents, calls, and business meetings—all of this should be towards the end of your work. Pay special attention to the following:
- Don’t leave anything unfinished. Anything left for tomorrow will require twice the effort and time to complete than if finished today.
- Stay after work if needed. Indeed, it’s better to stay an extra half-hour today than to lose much more time tomorrow because of it.
- Review the results. Comparing what was planned with what was accomplished and analyzing deviations from the plans is the most crucial condition for normal work.
- Plan for the next day. It’s best to plan the next day’s tasks the evening before. Additionally, reviewing it in the morning with a fresh mind is a good practice.
- Get good rest. A healthy dinner and proper sleep are vital not only for your health but also for gearing up for the next day with full strength, spirit, and energy.
image on top: Luis Villasmil / Unsplash
