Poor time management can and will be your downfall.
It could be the reason behind your lack of sleep, your anxiety, low quality work, and your outrageous budget for highly caffeinated coffee.
Unfortunately, most schools skipped out on teaching us how to manage our time better and now we are scrambling like headless chickens.
Time management skills are so uncommon that 82% of people don’t have a time management system at all.
The only time management system most of us have consists of our screeching alarm clock that we hate but reset on a daily basis.
Now it is possible you can skate by in life without learning how to manage your time, but it always catches up to you.
Most of the time we don’t even notice our poor time management habits until it is too late.
Like realizing you only have 10 minutes every day to wolf down lunch because you constantly overschedule.
Then suddenly you realize you have a problem.
But today I am going to shine some light on the signs of bad time management as well as tips you can put into place to improve your time management skills.
Signs of Poor Time Management
Acknowledging the problem is the first step.
It’s hard to fix a problem you can’t identify.
Time management problems often go unnoticed until they start to have major consequences.
But catching the problem before it gets away from you is the key. We need to identify, contain, then eliminate the problem.
So I am going to point out some key characteristics of someone who shows a lack of time management skills.
Always Rushing
Have you ever met someone that is constantly in a rush?
As if life was on 16x speed for them. It almost makes you tired just watching them run around.
These “rushers” are constantly seen as highly productive so most people assume they are great at time management.
Hate to break it to you but this is far from true.
Someone that is constantly in a rush lacks the ability to estimate the proper time for each task.
If you feel like you are constantly on a time crunch then you are not managing your time correctly.
Time management experts never have to rush and in most cases are the early bird of every scenario.
Never Punctual
Are you always missing deadlines and meetings?
Never being punctual is the picture trait for someone that struggles with time management.
You might as well write it on your forehead at that point because the jig is up.
Time estimation is an important skill in life because it is directly related to punctuality.
If you do not know how long it takes to drive to work and you guesstimate it every morning, you are bound to be late at least a few times a year.
Consistent Burnout
Burnout is the product of poor time management.
Overloading your to-do list, experiencing extensive periods of focus chasing a deadline, and the back-breaking weight of anxiety is the fastest way to burn out.
All of the problems I just listed stemmed from poor time management habits and could have easily been avoided.
So if you find yourself constantly burning out then you need to improve your time management skills.
Difficulty Concentrating
A majority of the time we have difficulty concentrating because we have so much on our minds.
We are thinking about what else needs to get done that day that we didn’t plan for earlier in the day.
This is where your brain naturally shifts into multitasking mode. Also known as panic mode.
When you find your brain stretched in multiple directions like this it’s because you didn’t plan adequate time for the tasks you planned for the day.
If you did, those thoughts wouldn’t be distracting you from focusing on the activity at hand.
Difficulty concentrating is the silent but deadly characteristic of someone who struggles with time management, so watch out for this one closely.
Benefits of Good Time Management
Now that we know the signs of poor time management we are going to get into the benefits of good time management.
It is important to know the reason behind your time management goals because you are more likely to achieve them when you know the end products.
No one is going to achieve a goal if we can’t see the benefits, it’s like trying to justify buying cable without owning a tv.
No benefit.
But anyways let’s get down to brass tax.
Better quality of work
The more time you allow yourself for a task, the better the product.
You are able to give your full focus and attention one task at a time.
Say goodbye to overlooked errors and say hello to creating work that makes you proud.
Good time management can help you achieve higher standards in school, your career, your relationships, you name it.
Improved quality of life
Stress and anxiety will naturally roll out of your life when you learn to manage your time.
You will spend less time worrying about what you didn’t achieve that day and spend more time focusing on yourself.
We spend a majority of our day running around trying to do a million things that add up to nothing by the end of the day which leaves us unsatisfied.
But when you manage your time efficiently you will feel accomplished by the end of the day which leaves more time for that tv show you have desperately wanted to watch.
Boosts Productivity
Productivity and time management go hand in hand.
It is hard to be good at one without being good at the other.
When you learn to manage your time you will naturally get more done.
You won’t waste time thinking about what you should do next and at what time.
All of that is already planned out.
The extra time you are saving is going towards getting a few more things by the end of the day.
Once you have your time management skills mastered you will quickly notice that high productivity is a natural by-product.
Time Management Tips
Ok, time to get into the good stuff. The time management tips.
It seems inhumane for me to tell you all the signs of poor time management and not tell you how to fix it.
Luckily, for you I have a heart so I’m going to give you a few tips you can start incorporating into your life.
Beware, a few of these tips are focused on managing your attention which is an important factor that cannot be forgotten when discussing time management.
So don’t be scared when those tips jump out.
Ok, now let’s get into it.
Limit Distractions
You would be petrified if you knew how much time you wasted on common distractions.
Let me blow your mind by exploiting the biggest distraction of all, our smartphones.
The average person gets a phone notification every 8 minutes.
The average interruption takes five minutes.
So the average person totals about 4 hours of distraction due to phone notifications.
Crazy right? Your phone is just one potential distraction and there are tons more out there.
It takes effort to limit your distractions and you have to be intentional.
Remove all distractions from your work area.
Put your phone in another room.
Turn your notifications off your computer.
Tell the relevant people you are busy and not to bother you.
These quick tips will help you minimize wasted time.
Prioritize
This is the granddaddy of all time management tips. Prioritization is the name of the game.
The majority of people find themselves doing non-essential tasks on a daily basis.
These are time killers and should be avoided at all costs. Run from them like the plague.
Stop going to that optional weekly meeting at work if it does not benefit you.
Stop volunteering for projects in class if it does not benefit you.
Stop going to social events you hate if it does not benefit you.
Is it sinking in yet?
You have to learn how to differentiate the essential from the non-essential.
I recommend you use the Eisenhower Matrix to help with this skill.
It is a simple system to categorize your task and define your next step.
For example, if your task is defined as unimportant and not urgent then it should be deleted from your to-do list.
It is a great way to minimize the time killers that show up throughout the day.
Time Tracking
It is important to implement a time tracking system.
You need to get a holistic understanding of your time management plan so you can focus on the right tasks.
A time tracking system will help you put the right amount of time on each task.
For example, if you want to start an online business then you will need to make sure to block out some time every day to work on that goal.
A goal without time management is a failure waiting to happen.
But time tracking helps you focus on the right tasks and you will achieve your overall goals.
You will feel more organized because a system will help you plan ahead so you don’t fall behind.
So start looking for a time tracking system that works for you.
It could be a physical planner, digital calendar, a notes app on your phone, sticky notes, whatever works for you.
The only non-negotiable is that you have to implement a time tracking system.
Recommended Post – 33 Important Habits to Track For a Well Balanced Life
Room For Error
Always leave room for error.
The only smart thing to expect in this world is the unexpected.
It is better to overestimate the amount of time for a task rather than underestimate it.
That way if you run into a few hiccups then you have time to fix the issue without feeling pressed for time.
Let me give you a couple of strategies to help you plan for error.
When someone gives you a deadline for a project, schedule for it to be done 2-3 days before the deadline.
Just in case something unexpected comes up.
You don’t want to be scrambling trying to finish a task last minute.
Another good way to plan for error is to overestimate the amount of time a task will take to do.
Take the estimated time and then multiply it by 1.5 to get your overestimated time.
So if I have a meeting I think will take 30 minutes then I will block out 45 minutes just in case.
The worst that can happen is you have extra time at the end of the day.
Delegate
Everyone glosses over the importance of delegating work but I’m not going to make the same mistake.
Delegating can save you tons of time.
Why waste your time doing something if you have someone else that is willing to help you?
You will maximize the number of tasks that get done if you have multiple people helping you.
Most people think business owners and upper-level managers are the only people that can delegate in this world.
Let me be the first to tell you everyone can delegate.
You can delegate to a friend, family member, neighbor, coworker, anyone that is in your social circle.
You do not need to be an authority figure to ask someone for help.
So next time you are going through your to-do list and you spot a task that can be handed off to another party do not pass up this opportunity.
Clear goals
Be very clear on what goal you want to achieve in an allotted time.
It is important to have clear goals because when the time comes to do a task you don’t want to waste it by trying to remember what you wanted to accomplish.
If you just write “make a phone call” at 10 am you may not remember who you were supposed to call.
Then you waste 15 minutes trying to remember to call your sister because it’s her birthday.
The goal should have been to “call my sister and wish her a happy birthday.”
The action is clear as day and you don’t need to waste the time or the energy trying to remember the task at hand.
Recommended Post: 5 Reasons You NEVER Achieve Your Personal Goals
Conclusion
Time management can be difficult but it is something you are more than capable of mastering.
It takes practice and patience, that’s why it’s a skill.
These tips and strategies will help make a long-term difference in the way you spend your time.
Time management is way more than just how you spend time but what you decide to spend time on.
Every day is filled with time blocks that build the life you want to see in the future.
I always preach to put your time towards the right things because it’s non-refundable.
This guide is meant to help you structure your day so you can get the right things done and still have enough time to relax.
It’s not about checking the most tasks off your to-do list but checking off the tasks that mean the most to you.
If you enjoyed this guide make sure to share it so other people can enjoy it.
Also, feel free to comment below with one of your favorite time management tips.
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