Time Management: Be Productive

Recognize the time of day when you are most productive.

Are you an early bird or a night owl? Your “prime time” is the time of day when you have the most energy. Whenever you can, take advantage of your prime time to do the important and difficult tasks. You will not only do a better job, but time will pass much faster and you will accomplish your goals more easily.

Do more than one thing at a time.

This is often called dovetailing your tasks. There are some things you probably can do without thinking about how to do them (dishwashing, ironing, making beds). This is a good time to plan other activities. You can fold laundry or sort out “junk mail” or other clutter while watching TV.

Use bits and pieces of time.

Fill waiting time by doing other things. It helps to keep pen, paper, and something to read with you. Many tasks can be finished in only a few minutes. These tasks can be fit with others to avoid wasting time. For example, you can water your plants while dinner is cooking.

Do not waste time moving things around to reach tools and utensils you use regularly. Arrange storage areas and work centers so items that are used often are at your fingertips.

Try to eliminate times when work seems to pile up. What time of day do peak load periods happen for you? Maybe you can shift some of the work to earlier or later periods to free up time for other things.

Figure out which time management tools will work for you. Think about a big calendar to hang on the wall, a small calendar to carry with you, or a planner/organizer book. Notepads, envelopes, and file folders are practical for many people

To continue, click here: Time Management: Prevent Problems