Here’s the big question: How do you improve time management skills?
So many people struggle when it comes to time management. For some, just even hearing the words leaves them feeling cold inside.
For many, they associate the idea of a schedule or routine with being controlling, restrictive and the never ending feeling of being overwhelmed.
Time management is really about mind-set.
It’s not so much about trying to get more time back, it’s about doing more of the stuff that will make a sizeable shift to your outcomes.
Let’s face it – if you could get more time, you would probably fill it with more to-dos…
So, when you want to improve time management skills, you can view it as a rigid system, and a inflexible way of trying not to lose time.
5 Steps to improve time management skills
Or, you can think of it as being a little like Rocket Fuel. Rather than seeing it as something that’ll restrain you, think of how it can free you.
How it can make you 10 x more productive, and bring more money into your business, or how it can help you achieve your important goals.
If you’re familiar with Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP), one of the principles it teaches you is to start with the end in mind.
When you’re tackling something, think about the OUTCOME you desire.
In today’s fast-paced world, many people feel perpetually busy but fail to accomplish their goals. This common experience often leads to frustration and a sense of unproductiveness. Effective time management is crucial in reducing these experiences. The key is focus: without it, you end up taking on every possible task, from your boss’s priorities to your team’s issues and even other people’s agendas. To truly improve your time management skills, you must overhaul the way you manage your to-do lists and eliminate non-productive tasks.
The Ineffectiveness of Traditional To-Do Lists
Most people rely on to-do lists to organize their tasks, but these often lead to feelings of overwhelm. The problem lies in the nature of the tasks themselves: many are non-productive and do not contribute to your primary goals. These tasks, while making you busy, do not help you achieve your objectives.
Identifying Non-Productive Tasks
Non-productive tasks are activities that sap your time without adding direct value. Examples include:
- Social media
- Checking emails
- Unrelated requests
- Non-productive meetings
- Other people’s agendas
These tasks prevent you from focusing on what truly matters. To manage your time better, you need to eliminate or reduce these non-productive tasks.
Phase 1: Clarify Your Goals
The first step in improving your time management skills is to get clear on your main goals. Write down no more than five top-level goals that are inspiring and pertinent to your life or team. These goals will guide your weekly and daily planning.
Phase 2: Analyze Your Daily Activities
Next, you need to dissect your typical daily activities to understand where your time goes. Follow these steps:
- Brainstorm Tasks: List all the tasks you typically perform in a day.
- Categorize Tasks: Split these tasks into productive and non-productive categories. Productive tasks move you towards your goals, while non-productive tasks do not.
Phase 3: Track Non-Productive Tasks
For two weeks, track the time you spend on non-productive tasks using a time tracker. This will help you measure the impact these tasks have on your day. Use a spreadsheet to enter each non-productive task and track the time lost in five-minute increments.
Phase 4: Eliminate Non-Productive Tasks
Once you have tracked your non-productive tasks, use a Pareto chart to identify the biggest time-wasters. Focus on eliminating or reducing these tasks by:
- Delegating or outsourcing tasks
- Combining non-productive tasks with downtime activities
- Planning specific times for non-productive tasks
Phase 5: Create a Planning System
Planning is crucial to linking your daily and weekly tasks and becoming more productive. Follow this two-step process:
Step 1: Plan Your Week Ahead
At the end of each week, review what you accomplished and identify any gaps. Plan the following week by focusing on your main goals and setting priorities. This proactive approach helps you stay organized and reduces time spent on non-productive tasks.
Step 2: Daily Planning
Start each day with a planning session. This practice alone can make you 30% more productive. Outline your tasks for the day, ensuring they align with your weekly goals. Flexibility is key; your plan should adapt as needed.
Improving your time management skills requires a structured approach. By clarifying your goals, analyzing your daily activities, tracking non-productive tasks, eliminating time-wasters, and creating a robust planning system, you can significantly increase your productivity. Remember, the goal is to spend a minimum of 50% of your time on tasks that move you forward. With discipline and focus, you can achieve your objectives and reduce the frustration of unproductive busyness.