7 Ways to Manage Time
Better When Working From Home
Time management seems to be a tricky balance for many people, but it is
also the key to running a successful business or household. What works
for one may not apply to another, but overall, there are several useful
strategies for making your time, and ultimately your productivity, work
more efficiently for you. If we manage our time efficiently, we will
ultimately have more time to spend not only performing those tasks that
we need to complete, but to also enjoy friends, family, and hobbies on
a regular basis (rather than infrequently).
Ways to Manage Time Better
1) Put a plan into place. A plan includes your short term and long-term
goals, your hopes and dreams, your priorities for your business or
life, and lays out your activities for each day, week, or month. Keep
in mind that your activities should be ones that help you accomplish
your goals. It's like a blueprint in a way - a plan gives you the
overall picture of what you would like to accomplish in your business,
your home, personal growth, or all of the above.
2) Organize! Organization is a key element when it comes to learning
how to manage time better. The concept of making sense of, or
organizing, our physical spaces, time, activities, and priorities is
one that seems to escape many people as the very thing that will enable
them to accomplish more in life than they ever thought possible.
3) Set boundaries. It is vital to say no and to establish firm
boundaries in order to manage our time more effectively. An example of
a boundary in an office setting might be that you take one hour per day
to answer correspondence and phone calls while allowing nothing else to
interfere. Setting a boundary in your home might be that every Friday
night is family night and nothing else is scheduled for that evening of
the week. Boundaries help others to know you are sincere and serious
about your work and your goals.
4) Jot down a daily to-do list. This is a list of just the things you
want to accomplish that day, nothing else. A daily activity list will
help to keep you focused and save time in the process. Don't make
it too long. About 6 must do items in a day is the most that many
people can handle. That is why it is critical that you weed out
things that are unimportant.
5) Eliminate unnecessary distractions. Don't spend time doing things
that are unimportant or don't further your success in meeting
your goals and are in keeping with your priorities. Try not to
check email and voice mail every two minutes. Consider checking
them 2 or 3 times a day or at the top of every hour.
6) Ask for help when you need it. It's ok to admit that you need help
to accomplish a certain task or tasks. Sometimes delegating is the best
way to save time!
7) Take time to relax and refresh. Yes, it's vital to reward yourself
as you work through your day. Rewards might include a cup of coffee or
tea, an hour lunch break spent at the park, taking a few days off
completely from the “must do" list, or time spent with
family and friends. It's different for everyone, but decide how you
best relax and get re-motivated and schedule those times into your day
and week.
You can manage your time better if you set up a structured and
purposeful plan for your life. You may be surprised that if you follow
these simply time management concepts that you'll discover you have
more time to do those things you enjoy most.
