Do you manage time effectively?
Raise your hand if you spend too much “work time” checking Facebook, scrolling through Pinterest, networking or spending way too many hours on research?
I know I am guilty of doing this!
In fact, many of us are guilty of wasting time doing what we want to do instead of what we need to do.
This is because it can be all too easy to spend your hours at work doing everything except what you set out to do for the day.
The solution isn’t to work more hours, it’s to manage the time using effective time saving tips so you work more effectively.
Managing Time Effectively
So how do you manage your time better?
There are different suggestions and they won’t all work for everyone so try them out and figure out what works for you.
I mean actually try them.
Even I’ve been guilty before of “trying out” a time management technique and dismissing it as not working when I really didn’t put my all into it.
Make A Plan And Break It Down
How you plan doesn’t matter as long as you plan.
Use a bullet journal, Trello, Google Calendar, or a date book.
What do you want to get accomplished and how often?
Make a list for tasks that need to be done daily or weekly.
Put them in page protectors and use a dry erase marker to check them off every day or week.
Plan out your next 90 days including what topics you want to post about, products you want to make, etc.
Daily tasks might include social media but don’t just put Daily: Facebook.
You need to specify what you will do on that social media platform and how long you will do it for.
So instead it should be Daily: Schedule five updates to my Facebook page, check in my favorite Facebook Groups and respond to at least three posts each and check my Facebook page for comments I need to respond to.
If you are working on an ebook or digital course or blog post series, write out all the steps you need to do and when you want to do them by.
Knowing what you should be working on, when and for how long will help a lot.
Using To-Do Lists
Again there are different ways to use to-do lists.
Try them out and see what works best. Hand written, in a blogging notebook, digital to-do lists, Trello, smartphone apps or whiteboards in your office.
Find one you will actually use.
You also might want to set rewards for getting things done.
Obviously getting new traffic and earning more money is a reward in itself but sometimes those rewards take time.
Most people like small little rewards along the way to keep them going.
- Finish the post and you can go for coffee.
- Finish the ebook and you can go get your nails done.
- Finish social media scheduling and you can Netflix and Chill.
Set a Schedule and Stick to It
A common productivity mistake is sitting down to work with the idea that you will be done working when you finish.
When I do that, I end up going to bed at 3am because I can’t keep my eyes open anymore and no – I didn’t finish.
If you know you have two hours to work on a post, you will get that post done in two hours.
If you have to finish that post before you can relax for the evening, then guess what?
You will be working on it all night and never have time to relax.
Trust me!
Set a schedule, use a timer and get things done.
Take breaks after periods of intense work.
Your eyes, hands and back need a break!
Don’t forget to drink water and have a good snack.
Walk around a bit, stretch out your back and then you can move on to your next task.
It doesn’t matter how many hours a day you work or if you work in the morning, afternoon or evening.
But try to be consistent and give yourself time limits for each task.
Just remember, managing time effectively doesn't mean that you spend so much time on making your schedule that you forget to just do it.
Final Thoughts
Time management isn’t a one and done thing.
There are different ways to handle things because everyone is different.
If a schedule or way to keep organized isn’t working, try a new one.
Spend more time on what will bring you traffic and profit and less time on the extras that are fun but don’t really bring you from point A to point B.
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