You're struggling to manage your time. What are some common mistakes you might be making?

Struggling with time management often involves common mistakes. These include a lack of task prioritization, leading to inefficiencies; procrastination, delaying tasks and increasing stress; and overcommitting, taking on too much and spreading oneself thin. Identifying and addressing these issues is crucial for effective time management.

Failing to prioritize tasks can lead to spending too much time on less important activities while neglecting high-priority tasks. Without clear priorities, you may find yourself overwhelmed and unable to focus on what truly matters.

Trying to do too much in a short span of time. You could also be underestimating how long a particular task will take to execute and complete. You need to do an honest assessment of your time management skills. After all that if you still find yourself struggling you might have too much on your plate that's not doable by one individual within a reasonable time. If you're an employee, involve your manager.

Procrastination is a common enemy when it comes to time management. Delaying tasks until the last minute can create stress, and reduce the quality of work. Breaking tasks into smaller steps, setting clear goals and deadlines, and using time management techniques (Pomodoro/Covey quadrant) can help effectively overcome procrastination.

Struggling with time management, is often confused with struggling with energy management. While we view tasks in terms of time, their energy cost is just as crucial. Recognizing this, we should plan our tasks not just by the time they'll take but also by the energy they require. Some days, tasks flow effortlessly; on others, they're a struggle. Though we can't create more time, we can modulate our energy. Investing a mere 15 minutes to rejuvenate our energy before moving on to the next task can, paradoxically, save time. This strategy helps us work smarter, not harder, enhancing both productivity and well-being. The easiest way to increase energy a brisk walk or even a few jump squats if you have less time to invest.

In summary, setting boundaries is essential for cultivating healthy relationships, promoting personal growth, and preserving emotional well-being. It is a fundamental aspect of self-care and contributes to a fulfilling and balanced life.

At one point I needed to go as far as to wear ear plugs and close my door in the office. It is surprising how sound can affect the brain and focus. I disabled some of the sound alerts on my phone and computer because I was beginning to feel stressed with every beep. Not only did they interupt my focus but they were causing mild anxiety. Managing interuptions and sensory inputs is important.

Failing to set boundaries with your time can result in constant interruptions and distractions, making it challenging to focus on your tasks. This can include saying yes to every request, allowing others to dictate your schedule, or not setting aside dedicated time for focused work.

In my experience, it's absolutely 100% your job in an environment where there are other individuals involved, to set clear boundaries. No one out there is supposed to help you with that, always remember, everybody is functioning on their own agenda. It's your responsibility to keep yourself accountable to YOUR own boundaries. A very first step mastering this skill is learning how to say the magic word "NO". It's not easy, but is definitely achievable with practice & patience.

In the absence of well-defined boundaries, it is simple to become overburdened with responsibilities and obligations. This might result in burnout and a decline in productivity. When it comes to maintaining a healthy work-life balance, setting boundaries means understanding when to say "no," reducing distractions, and creating precise work hours by establishing limits.

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail, the saying goes. Make sure you have a plan - spend the evening before planning your tasks/day so you know what you're doing and can hit the ground running.

Sometimes, not planning ahead forces us to think on our feet, fostering resilience and the ability to navigate unforeseen challenges effectively.

Neglecting to prepare ahead can lead to disorderly and unorganized work patterns. Sparing some time to sketch out objectives, devise timetables, and predict probable roadblocks is absolutely necessary. Making preparations in advance can improve organization, streamline workflow, and improve one's ability to respond more effectively to unforeseen obstacles.

A common mistake that will cause you to struggle managing your time, is not "time blocking" your calendar. Time blocking your calendar is the #1 way to help ensure you have the bandwidth for every to-do on your list. Time blocking is a time management technique where you schedule how you'll spend your time during every minute of every day. Each task you need to complete gets time scheduled on your calendar.

One of the most often neglected aspect in Task Management is failure to allocate sufficient time to complete the task and milestones. Without a clear time schedule and setting time (and energy) for it, the chances of slippage is very high. Always pay attention to interruptions that creep up. The key is to remain on-task.

Plan tomorrow today, plan next week this week and plan next month this month. Set aside a day a year to review your Life Goals and amend them based on progress. Build self-time into your schedule to decompress and reflect - if necessary book ‘a meeting with yourself’ to allow you the chance to do that!

When you do not keep track of your time, it is difficult to determine where you are wasting your time unproductively. Time tracking allows you to gain an understanding of how long tasks actually take, recognise actions that waste time, and make the required adjustments to enhance productivity effectively.

Set an alarm that goes off every half hour to remind yourself to get up, stretch your legs, rest your eye, or stretch for 5 minutes.

Neglecting to take regular breaks and prioritize self-care can lead to decreased productivity and motivation over time. Taking breaks and engaging in activities that recharge you can help maintain focus and energy throughout the day.

Humans love a dopamine hit, so don't just take a break, give yourself a pleasurable reward: a coffee, some browsing, a walk... you'll feel refreshed and the reward component makes you feel good about the next task.

Constant work without pauses can lead to mental and physical tiredness, which, over time, can reduce one's ability to concentrate and productivity. Regular breaks provide your mind with the opportunity to relax and recharge, which in turn improves your ability to concentrate, your creativity, and your overall well-being.

It's important to remember that time can't be "managed" per se. What's managed is our use of time, and that means our focus. If we can constrain our focus, we can be more efficient with our use of time. Thus, limiting distractions and/or even limiting touches can make a noticeable difference.

Time management issues can also reflect difficulties with setting and managing boundaries more broadly. Consider whether the source of overwhelm is because you are saying yes to things that are not actually yours to do. This may be a bigger pattern than simply having too many tasks on your list.

Take a nap. Better to take a 10 to 15 minute nap, get up energised and be productive than to fight tiredness and sleep for 2 hours and accomplish nothing. Sufficient sleep and exercise will help you feel better, which will lead to better productivity. Spend a little time on time saving productivity tools. e.g. If you can afford a simple accounting programme, get it. It will save you countless hours and stress in the long run that will negate the time you needed to spend learning to use it.

Many of my coaching clients start with the topic of time management and discover that they first need to manage their energy. A common observation is that with the right level of energy, a lot of time can be saved as they become more efficient and do less re-work caused by mistakes due to fatigue - both mental and physical.

The Eisenhauer matrix can be useful in times when a person is struggling to manage their time. They may be focusing too much on things that are neither urgent nor important. Something else to consider is that they may have too much to do or they may have unrealistic expectations of their capabilities, in these cases it may be a good idea to see how the tasks may be reduced, eliminated or rescheduled.