Time management is a term widely used, not only within the corporate environment, but even in the personal sphere. After all, it can be one of the main resources for achieving our goals, but it can also be a deadly weapon if mismanaged.
It is not uncommon for failures in time management to cause the impression that a full day is not enough for basic routine tasks to be performed.
For this reason, over the years, numerous time management methods have been developed, not to mention that various tools have been used in the application of these techniques.
With this, it is observed that good time management provides significant improvements in quality of life, productivity and physical and mental health, in addition to increased availability for new activities to be embraced, or simply to have more time for work. rest or for leisure.
With that in mind, we at ZapSign have prepared this exclusive content with everything you need to know about it.
What is time management?
To describe the concept of time management, we can say that it is about practices that seek to manage the time spent on a task in the best possible way., getting the best job done in the shortest amount of time.
Knowing the nature of the proposed activities, their order of importance, and prioritizing objectivity, speed and effectiveness so that none of them require more time in their execution than necessary are essential requirements to establish the best time management practices and properly organize your work tasks.
The importance of time management
Time is essential for carrying out any activity that we may propose within a certain time interval.
Keeping this in mind, we realize that the importance of time management is perfectly summed up in the words of the father of modern management, Peter Drucker:
“Time is the scarcest resource, and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed.”
From a business perspective, this becomes very clear when we observe that time management, when properly executed, promotes a series of benefits, such as:
- increased productivity levels among team members;
- greater rigor, punctuality and discipline in carrying out each one's attributions;
- faster and more solid generation of effectively positive results;
- greater confidence on a personal and interpersonal level
- significant decrease in stress and anxiety among team members;
- exponential improvements in internal and external relations.
What are the main time management mistakes to avoid?
There are extremely common mistakes that tend to act as real villains for those who want to organize their time and tasks in a productive and functional way.
Workplace disorganization, procrastination and distractions go hand in hand in this regard, and are cause for constant alert.
The lack of definition regarding the objectives, as well as the methods for achieving them, as well as the lack of attention to the time that each task requires for its completion, are also factors that make it very difficult for working time to be well used.
For this reason, it is necessary to employ some basic time management techniques, and that is what we will talk about in the next item.
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10 essential techniques for effective time management
As you can see, the organization towards the established tasks is essential for the good fulfillment of the same. And in this sense, time is a fundamental element.
Although it is not possible to determine a magic formula for the application of time management, since different people, companies and obligations imply different practices, tools and different forms of organization, even so, there are some basic fundamentals that can be followed, from a strategic point of view. Let's see the examples below.
1 - Delegate tasks
The first step towards excellent time management is the understanding that there is no need for a single person to perform more tasks than they really need to.
This is a common practice among people who believe that this is the only way to maintain control over existing demands, but it couldn't be more wrong – accumulating everything for yourself, you lose efficiency and end up generating only stress for yourself.
A good leader understands the importance of delegating roles, distributing responsibilities, and recognizing and respecting the capabilities of the rest of the team.
2 – Focus on the right priorities
Have a pre-organized list of all immediate responsibilities, those whose execution is the highest priority.
Often, a less important work ends up consuming too much time, and harming others, which, in addition to being more urgent, could be more easily resolved.
Recognizing the hierarchy of importance of your tasks and knowing what to focus on now and what to leave for another moment is crucial to not wasting your time and that of your team.
3 – Never procrastinate
Leaving less important tasks for another time has nothing to do with procrastination. This practice, unfortunately very common, is one of the greatest evils for productivity, both for a company and for an individual.
The good old maxim “don't put off what can be done now” is extremely valid here. By pushing important but more complex or tortuous tasks to later, you will only create problems that, later on, will need to be solved in a hurry.
In this sense, we once again emphasize the value of defining the importance of each task, stipulating deadlines and even dividing them into smaller tasks, distributing functions among your team members.
4 – Make a good plan
Taking time out of the week to plan your activities, analyze your pending items, organize (and reorganize) your ideas is an important practice. In this sense, the scheduling of tasks is essential to have a good organization.
Regardless of whether you do it through an application or on paper, the fact is that all tasks must be properly listed and have their deadlines stipulated – always respecting the limits of what is possible.
If you choose to use technological resources for this, there are several digital tools that can help you, such as Trello and himself Google.
5 – Reduce distractions
Useless distractions are among the main enemies of time management. Pay close attention to the time you waste on social media and messages in a time-consuming or unnecessarily repeated way.
Have a specific time of your day set for these activities, and for the rest of your day, turn off your phone notifications and focus on what really matters.
6 – Start early
It can be difficult at first, but the body gets used to it. In addition, it is a fact that, starting to take care of your responsibilities from an early age, there is more time to use the rest of your hours - including to rest, if that's the case. And since we’re talking about rest…
7 - Rest
There will be times when, no matter how focused and organized you are about your tasks, you will start to show signs of burnout – whether physical or mental.
Allow yourself to take small breaks, whether to have a coffee, breathe some air, listen to music or simply do nothing. There are times when we need to recharge our batteries.
Just use common sense and be careful not to overdo it and not fall into procrastination or harmful distractions.
8 – Don’t overwork yourself
As mentioned earlier, delegating tasks is the first step towards good time management. Even so, when taking on your own tasks, it is important not to put your feet in your hands, wanting to do everything at the same time.
This impairs your focus and concentration, and therefore impairs your productivity. Don't sabotage yourself that way.
9 – Avoid stress
From the excessive accumulation of functions, to the lack of rest, through relationship problems with other team members and the lack of preparation to deal with unforeseen events, the truth is that, throughout the process, a lot can happen for you to feel stressed or irritated. Watch out for it!
Don't let stress take over your head and prevent you from facing problematic issues with serenity and patience.
When facing a challenge with a hot head, we end up spending too much time and not solving anything – and therefore getting even more stressed.
10 – Knowing when to say no
It's no use wanting to embrace all the causes in the world – for every human being, there is a limit, and knowing your own limits is of paramount importance, not only for your professional life, but for your personal life as well.
When you feel that there is a lot being asked of you, and that maybe you can't handle everything that comes from that point, know how to politely deny it.
After all, much worse than turning down a job can be accumulating responsibilities that you will later be unable to afford.
Now that you better understand the fundamental aspects of time management, how about spreading the knowledge and sharing this article with your friends on your social networks?
