subject: The Best Time Management Tips [print this page] Even the most productive people don't always complete every single task on their schedule. Time management skills, however, are still well worth developing. No matter what you want to do, you can do more of it when you are skilled at managing your time. People who are more productive also have higher self esteem, which serves them when they are relaxing as well as when they are working. Here are some of the best time management tips we could find to help you start developing better productivity habits.
Perfection may seem like a worthy goal, but it really isn't. So many people confuse being good at time management with being perfect. If you are fixated on being perfect, you will always be disappointed. This may be perverse, but it's true. If you are going to effectively manage your time and methodically complete your tasks, you can't be concerned with perfection. Nobody's schedule is perfect. Nobody's skills are perfect. All you can do is give it your best effort. One of the best ways to manage time more effectively is to be able to step back and look at the big picture.
One of the easiest time management tips to follow is to break big tasks down into smaller tasks. It's easier to get a handle on a large job when you can work on it one piece at a time. When you break down the task, you can also have flexibility about which part you want to work on at what time, or who you want to assign it to. The fact is, when you have a very large challenge to complete, you are likely to put it off as long as possible. Whether we admit it or not, we are likely to avoid large projects that we aren't sure how to start. Yet smaller jobs are far less intimidating, so we have no trouble working on them.
Reward yourself! Have something enjoyable in mind for when you finish all your tasks. Having something you like to look forward to will make you more efficient. You know yourself, so pick something that motivates you. You will know best what kind of incentive you need to keep working on your time management skills. This may seem like a small thing, but a reward can really make a difference in how you work. Without rewards, you will have a harder time staying motivated. Rewards keep things interesting and fun. You're more productive if you're having fun.
Time management skills can be learned by anyone. You just have to be willing to put in the work. If you have developed unproductive habits, it may take time to change them. Dropping old ways and developing new ones may take time and effort. Be patient and allow yourself room to make mistakes and to take backward steps every once in a while. Eventually you'll feel like a time management genius and staying on task will simply feel like something natural.
