8 Strategies To Better Manage Your Time

Do you feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete all your tasks? Do you find it difficult to manage your time?

If you’re one of those people, it’s time to rethink your routine. If you want to manage your time better, you need to be organized and disciplined.

The key is to manage and use the hours of the day well. That said, if you don’t know how to go about this, here are some options.

Possible reasons why you don’t have enough time

There are several reasons why we cannot make the most of the hours of the day. Most of them have to do with the way we organize our time. The most common are the ones below.

Lack of organization

Do you normally make a list of the tasks you still have to do and prioritize them? Do you plan the execution of your work in advance?

If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s time to make it a habit. Organizing your activities is a fundamental quality if you want to manage your time more efficiently.

People who don’t know how to organize themselves and who have a lot of tasks pending usually don’t know where to start. They also give priority to the tasks that are not so urgent. In doing so, they invest their energy and effort in the wrong way.

You are wasting your time on the internet

There is a large number of people who spend a lot of time checking their social media or surfing the internet. This poses a problem because they tend to forget that there is an off-screen reality and tasks to be done.

You can’t say “no”

Another reason why you don’t have enough time could be the fact that you choose a middle ground and accept too many tasks. Ultimately, you exceed your limits and compromise the quality of what you do.

Therefore, if you know your schedule is tight, you should avoid offering or accepting more activities than you already have. A first step is to organize and acknowledge your boundaries.

You do many things at once

It is normal for people to multitask. For example, while answering an email, they talk on the phone and also make sure that what’s on the stove doesn’t burn.

If you’re one of those people, it’s time to do things in order and focus on one task at a time.

You focus all your efforts on one thing

The other extreme is to invest a lot of effort, time and concentration in one thing. This leads to neglect of other tasks. It’s not wrong to dedicate yourself to something specific, but you’d better be efficient and finish it in the shortest time possible.

If you feel you are not making progress on one activity, allow yourself to move on to another activity that follows in order of priority. Don’t forget to finish it if you are willing and you will succeed.

Strategies to better manage your time

Let’s take a look at 8 strategies that can help you manage your time better. Some tasks can be combined with others. Each person will have to decide whether or not to adapt to their agenda.

1. List your priorities to manage your time

The night before or early in the morning, write down everything you want to accomplish that day. Then give each task a priority level.

For example, put ‘urgent’ next to the activities that must be done in the next 24 hours. Put ‘important’ for the things that need to be done in the coming days and ‘not urgent’ for the things that could wait longer. This allows you to concentrate on the most relevant matters.

2. Plan the times for your activities

Ideally, after you have a list of your obligations, you should plan your day efficiently. This means that each activity and task must have its own space to be performed at a given time.

Also determine the time it will take to execute them. This way you know what you have to do and how long it will take.

Then try to start the day by doing the activities with the highest priority and difficulty. Earlier in the day we are even clearer and more energetic.

Similarly, leave the more mechanical stuff for the end of the day. As the day goes by, you will become more overwhelmed and it is better to tackle those things that require less effort.

3. To better manage your time, don’t procrastinate on your tasks

To carry out all your daily tasks, you should avoid procrastination as much as possible. Procrastination causes tasks to pile up and you will feel a lot of stress as a result. Instead, try to complete commitments ahead of time so that you can resolve potential complications and still keep to your schedule.

4. Always keep some time for yourself

Even if you have a lot of activities on your list, you should always plan time for yourself. Do this preferably before the start of the day. In this way you increase your energy level and you are better prepared for daily stress.

Among the activities that you can do during this time that you have set aside for yourself, you can think of meditating 10 to 20 minutes after waking up, exercising or eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast.

5. Prepare what you can the night before

Another way to better manage your time is to optimize the time you have in the morning. That is, prepare your clothes, your food for the next day, and the materials to use the night before.

This prevents you from walking around and looking for what you need or you are still preparing everything for that day.

6. Keep your workspace tidy and clean to better manage your time

Order and tidiness in the workplace (Spanish link) makes people feel comfortable and more productive. Don’t waste time looking for things because it’s a mess.

That said, whatever your workplace or workspace is, the most important thing is to make sure it’s always clean and tidy.

7. Eliminate Distractions

Some of the biggest distractions are social media and messaging on electronic devices. When we are at work, we should avoid falling into these habits because they can distract us.

If this is very difficult for you, several applications can block your social media or personal email while you work.

8. Go to bed early to better manage your time

Proper rest is essential if you want to manage your time well. Therefore, try to go to bed early, before 10 pm. This way you enjoy the benefits of sleep and wake up with less effort.

Managing your time better requires perseverance

The problem is not that the day has too few hours. It’s about being able to organize and plan the time spent. It is also vital to know your capabilities and limits. This way you can ensure that you don’t overload yourself with tasks that you are not going to complete.

In short, making your time work better for you depends on the proper organization of your tasks and their adequate fulfillment. Once you achieve this, managing your time will no longer be a problem for you!