4 Tips Of Time Management

Time is a precious commodity. Many of us already know the true value of time and do our best to seize and enjoy every moment of it. However, at times, we fall victim to laziness and procrastination and end up wasting time because we failed to manage it. While there are many things you can do to be more organized and make better use of your time, use these four simple time management strategies to avoid putting off till tomorrow what you can do today.

1-Make a Prioritized To-Do List

"If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you'll never get it done." - Bruce Lee

 Instead of writing down your task in no particular order, add some context to your action items. Often it's challenging to maintain a work-life balance, but there are many things you can do to keep what matters in focus. After you've made a task list, prioritize items by assigning a difficulty to each task. Spend some time reflecting on what you want; what is it that you want to achieve? What are your short-term and long-term goals? Sometimes, it can get overwhelming when you try to envision the big picture all at once. It's important to take some quiet time out of your day to actually visualize yourself achieving your goals. Seeing yourself doing something can inspire you to focus on "the now" while you plan a step-by-step journey to help you get to your desired destination.

 2-Divide Your Time Wisely

Determine whether an item on your to-do list is going require a lot of brain power or physical energy to get done. This time-budgeting method based on energy exertion, can help you better adjust the items on your list based on how you're feeling. For instance, if you have a cold or are suffering from seasonal allergies, you can tackle an low-energy item that's easy to complete and still make progress. At times, getting the little things out of the way, may be enough to motivate you to tackle the bigger items on your list.

 Next, figure out where the tasks fall in. For instance, if you have to mail out a package, can you do this during your lunch break? Break up task by where they fall into your day. Ask yourself the question, "Is this something I can do at home, during my lunch break, or during downtime at the office?"

Most importantly, focus on the task at hand. Try to stick to your list as much as possible. Sure, life is never going to fit into a neatly organized to-do list, but making one and staying committed to completing it, can help you keep on track and make progress.

3-Know What You Want and Embrace Change

It's important to know what you really want in life. Don't worry, if you don't know what you really want in life, you're not alone. If you're the type of person who is constantly sacrificing your time and dreams for other people, then it's hard to keep sight of your own goals. While it's important to care for other, you should put your own happiness first.

 Take some time out to reflect about what you need and want the most. Is it your career? Your family? The freedom to work on what you love? Marriage? The American Dream? Maybe, it's something else, but before you can make a time management to-do list, you have to have a clear idea of what you hope to achieve.

Maybe you'll have to make some major changes or just some minor adjustments to get the things you want out of life. In order to be successful, you should be open to change even if it seems uncomfortable at times. Perhaps, you need to cut out a bad habit; curtail your spending; make more time for exercise; eat better and sleep more; but it's being aware of your present state that will help you not only prioritize, but work on problem areas preventing you from achieving your goals.

4-Keep It Short and Sweet

Sometimes, we have a tendency of making never ending to-do list, writing down every single minute detail of a task we're trying get done. Making overly detailed and long task lists not only consumes a lot of your time, but also has the reverse effect, leading to feelings like doubt, anxiety, and a lack of motivation.

 When creating your list, divide your tasks into smaller blocks of time. Start with a master list and divide the tasks into short-term and long-term goals. Ask yourself, "Is this something I can get done today, this week, this month, this year?" Based on the answer, organize your tasks into daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goal lists. Don't stress about the big picture, instead focus on what you can do in the present with the resources that are available to you.

Time management may seem daunting, but by implementing these simple tips, you'll not only be more organized, but you'll also feel more empowered.