You and I, we’ve only got so many hours in the day. 24 hours to be exact. Sometimes those hours seem like an eternity. Other times they seem to pass by all too quickly.
The good news is you can take control of your time. You can learn to manage your time better. So that’s what we’re going to look at today.
Image by R. Mitra
Time management is a struggle many leaders face today. They know they have the same amount of time as everyone else but sometimes it feels like others have more time than they do.
When you’re feeling like this, what do you do? How do you get back into the groove and manage your time effectively?
I’ve found 4 tips to improve your time management skills. Let’s go through each tip.
Tip #1: Use a calendar – There’s really no excuse not to use a calendar these days. With the abundance of technology we carry with us, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have a calendar on you 24/7.
So, make use of the calendar.
Mark down every event in your day. Even the events that seem insignificant. And make sure to schedule in events like family time and rest.
Tip #2: Plan out your day in advance – Many people let their time get out of control because they don’t plan out their day. There’s no priority guide to help them get through the time traps that pop up.
Take 20-30 minutes each morning or night and create a time map for your day. Put down what you want to accomplish, what needs to be done, and what should be done.
Scheduling your time is important. It helps you set the priorities you have for the new day.
Tip #3: Learn to say no – I don’t know about you but I hate to say no. Whenever I say no, it feels like I’m letting someone down.
I’m learning this isn’t the case. It’s okay to say no.
By saying no, you are taking control of your time and not letting it be dictated to you another person’s schedule.
This isn’t saying you never say yes. This is saying you set your priorities and say no to the things that don’t align with those goals.
Tip #4: Guard your time – Social media is a beautiful thing. We’re able to quickly send out messages to our friends and families, we’re able to keep tabs on the latest happenings, and there’s lots of activities to keep us busy.
There’s the problem. These activities that keep us busy on social media sucks our time and saps our time, eventually leaving us wondering where it all went.
Learn to guard your time. Limit your social media time. Set boundaries on superficial activities. Become a gatekeeper for your time.
We’ve got to be careful with our time. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. There’s no going back and reclaiming lost time.
Be intentional with your time and you’ll discover you have more time than you thought.
Question: What tip do you have for improving your time management skills? Please share your #1 tip in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.