How to Better Manage Your Greatest Resource
Time
Do you feel like you’re always playing catch-up with deadlines? Do you find yourself lost in a whirlwind of distractions, from binge-watching cat videos to endless scrolling on social media? Who needs to be punctual and organised when you can live life on the edge?
Well, turns out, time is a pretty crucial asset, your most crucial asset actually. Getting in control of your time is hugely important if you want to have a successful, happy, engaging life.
How can you get better at this? Let’s look through some key tips on how to get on top of your time.
The Art of Planning
Imagine embarking on a grand adventure without a map or a destination in mind. The same principle applies to life and work. Setting clear, actionable goals is the foundation of effective planning. Start by identifying what you want to achieve, whether it’s personal, professional, or a mix of both. Break those goals down into smaller, manageable milestones that will guide you along the way.
When you have your goals and priorities in order, it’s time to bring structure to your days. Create a schedule that allocates time for specific tasks and activities. Consider your energy levels and work preferences when assigning time slots. A well-crafted schedule ensures that you stay on track while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Take the time to regularly review and reflect on your plans. Celebrate your achievements, and adjust your plan accordingly. Learn from past mistakes and successes, and let them guide you toward refining your future endeavors.
In the immortal words of Dwight D. Eisenhower
“In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless but planning is indispensable.”
Avoid Distractions
The allure of social media, news websites, and internet junk can be irresistible. Do you want to look back on your life and think, “I’m sure glad I spent so much time scrolling insta”. Take control of your life by implementing smart strategies to avoid distractions:
- Be strict with yourself about where you want to focus
- Schedule specific time slots nothing work
- Close notification apps
- Put your phone on silent
When you have a clear plan of what you want to achieve, your goal is to focus in an environment free of distractions. Minimise distractions by keeping only essential items accessible. If possible, find a quiet spot where interruptions are less likely to occur. Remember, a clear and organised environment sets the stage for a focused mind.
Deadlines can be your friend
Ah, deadlines — the source of both dread and motivation. We often associate deadlines with stress and last-minute scrambles. But what if I told you that deadlines could be transformed into powerful creative tools? Setting yourself dates and times for when you want to achieve something can be immensely powerful in forcing you to actually get them done.
Deadlines provide a framework and a sense of urgency that can spark innovation. Rather than seeing constraints as limitations, embrace them as opportunities to think outside the box. When faced with a tight deadline, your mind is forced to make quick connections and come up with unique solutions. Embrace the challenge and let the pressure push you to explore new ideas and take bold risks.
Accountability can work wonders when it comes to creative momentum. Share your deadlines and progress, whether it’s with a trusted friend, mentor, or just yourself. Their encouragement and feedback will keep you on track and provide fresh perspectives.
Breaking down work
When we look at the big things, we feel overwhelmed, so we procrastinate and avoid making any progress. This in turn leads to us wasting time, which leads you blogs like this. The fact is, it’s much easier to tackle and achieve smaller pieces of work.
“Don’t bite off more than you can chew”
Break your work into smaller milestones and attach rewards to each one. These rewards can be simple treats like a coffee break, a walk, or indulging in a hobby. The anticipation of a reward not only boosts motivation but also injects an element of fun into the process. Treat each milestone as a mini-deadline, celebrating your progress and reigniting your enthusiasm along the way.
Get some energy
“There’s never enough time.” — How many times have you heard this? If you’re one of those people that never seem to have enough time to get stuff done, think about the pace you’re working at. Can you work faster?
We don’t do everything at a static pace, we can choose to go faster, or choose to slow down. Perhaps we want to get a work assignment delivered fast, so that we can enjoy a family dinner slow. If you don’t have energy to work faster, think about how you can get more energy. Eating healthier, exercising more, waking up earlier, drinking less. Your physical health has a massive impact on your ability to manage your time and get stuff done efficiently.
When in doubt, coffee is your best friend. A jittery and anxious mind is a creative mind, right? I jest, but caffeine-fueled all-nighters are the stuff of legends. Embrace the power of caffeine.
In Closing
I was going to end this blog on a cheery note, but I decided against it.
You're going to die. Sorry.
If you don’t get on top of your time, you might just find you have very little of it left one day. Getting in control of the small amount of time you have on this planet and using it to maximise your enjoyment of work and life is the most important thing you can do.
In the eternal words of Pink Floyd…
Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over, thought I’d something more to say
Like what you’ve read? Check out some of my other content >>
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