Time management: 13 tips to make the most of the day’s hours

Several strategies to squeeze the most out of the day and do more with less.

The demands of work, personal obligations and the pace of daily life often lead to a huge amount of work that we don't know how to deal with.

Thanks to an adequate time managementWe can reduce this accumulation of tasks and alleviate the feeling of pressure and stress that they often bring. Here we will see several tips to improve our skills when it comes to making good use of the available time and perform better in daily tasks, such as work in the professional field, study sessions, etc.

Making the most of the day's hours: doing more with less

Optimal time management is a very important skill both at work and in our daily life activities and, although this seems more than obvious, not everyone is able to organize their time and tasks in the most efficient way.

Poor time management can almost certainly lead to high levels of stress and, of course, obviously high levels of stress and, obviously, a lack of productivity.. Therefore, as soon as a person is able to understand and assimilate how to organize his or her time correctly, he or she will also be able to foresee possible conflicts and plan alternative solutions.

As mentioned above, knowing how to manage time correctly is a skill and as such it can be trained and improved. Although this is not difficult, it requires discipline and perseverance, it requires discipline and perseverance.

The first step will always be to be aware and accept that we are not working well or making good use of our time, and then propose a series of guidelines to follow that will eventually become habits. that over time will eventually become habits that we will automatically that we will carry out automatically.

Below we suggest a series of tips to improve time management, which will help us to be much more productive in less time and consequently, will help us to feel better about ourselves.

13 tips to improve time management

Here are a series of tips that, applied daily, will boost our productivity and prevent us from wasting time unconsciously.

1. Positive attitude

Maintaining a positive attitude and disposition towards our work is essential to invest our time efficiently and effectively. This motivational posture will make it easier for us to have a clearer mind and to plan our work better.

If a task is set in a way that does not motivate us, we will probably end up looking for excuses to distract us. we will probably end up looking for excuses to distract us, something to be avoided.. Therefore, before getting to work we must promote self-motivation strategies, which may even involve stopping to close our eyes and imagine the feeling of having finished what we have to do, so that we are invaded by that feeling of satisfaction.

2. Be realistic

It is illogical to try to take on more tasks than we can actually do. Another important point when it comes to proper time management is to being realistic and honest with oneself and know what we can do and what we cannot do.

Otherwise, the only thing we will get is that we will be invaded by frustration and stress.

Thus, it is best to take into account both our skills and what we do not Excel at, in order to create concrete goals that are in line with what we know about what we are capable of doing.

3. Set goals

Having clear objectives is essential to know where we are heading. However, the objectives set must have a number of characteristics that make them feasible. To do so, they must be:

• Clear.
• Quantifiable.
• Feasible.
• Affordable.

4. Clarify the tasks

It is essential to be clear about the tasks to be performed in order to achieve the objectives so as not to waste time on activities that we do not know if they will be of any use to us or not. A good trick is to break them down and convert them into smaller and simpler tasks.. The reason is that these will cost us less and therefore we will not waste energy on them.

5. Prioritize

It is obvious that not all tasks or objectives are equally important and urgent. and prioritize the tasks will help us to be organized, keep track of our will help us to be organized, keep track of our achievements and anticipate possible complications.

6. Draw up an agenda or calendar

Once we have prioritized our tasks, the next step is to plan them. Optimal planning will minimize the occurrence of unforeseen tasks and forgetfulness, leaving us more time for our free time.

7. Perform lighter tasks earlier

There is a law in time management that says that if we have one or more tasks that we can complete in two minutes or less, we should complete them immediately. Otherwise, after a heavy task, we still have many small and light tasks for which we no longer have the energy.

Moreover, if we follow this rule, we will also we will feel more fulfilled by having done many things in a very short time..

8. Focus on a single task

It is very important not to try to monopolize several tasks or activities at the same time. Although we have many things to do, it is better to do them one by one, thus ensuring good concentration and concentration.This will ensure good concentration and optimal performance.

9. Reduce distractions

By distractions we mean any possible external stimulus that diverts our attention from the task at hand. Cell phones, Internet, social networks, other people or tasks can divert our attention from the work, so it is necessary that they are as little visible or present as possible.

In the event of an unexpected event or task to be performed, it is better to write it down and do it later, so as not to interrupt the activity. not interrupt the activity..

10. Rest

It is not worth overloading yourself and enduring fatigue. only for trying to finish earlier or to do more tasks. It is necessary to rest from time to time, change our posture and let our brain rest and be distracted a little. On the contrary, the most probable thing is that this accumulation of fatigue ends up making us more tired, making us less mentally agile and giving us the sensation that we cannot do everything.

11. Disconnect

Just as it is necessary to rest while we perform a task, it is essential to disconnect once we have finished the day. As far as possible, leave the tasks for working hours and dedicate the free time to disconnect. dedicate free time to disconnect and invest it in ourselves. and invest it in ourselves.

12. To take care of the means and the place of work

It is just as important to take care of our attitude as it is to take care of our workplace. We must make sure that we have prepared everything we are going to need, as well as making sure that everything works properly.and make sure that everything works properly.

A tidy workspace or workplace with the right conditions will help us to perform better and not waste time on other matters.

13. Avoid procrastination

Procrastination means putting off, delaying or postponing all those activities or habits that we do not feel like doing or do not feel motivated to do, replacing them with others that stimulate us more or are more irrelevant.

Bibliographical references:

• LeBoeuf, M. (1979). Working Smart. New York: Warner Books.
• Morgenstern, J. (2004). Time Management from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule-and Your Life. New York: Henry Holt/Owl Books.
• Richard, W. (2008). Time Management: Proven Techniques for Making Every Minute Count. Adams Media. pp. 232 - 238.
• Sandberg, J. (2004). To-Do Lists Can Take More Time Than Doing, But That Isn't the Point. The Wall Street Journal.
• Stella, C. (2013). The Study Skills Handbook. Londres: Palgrave Macmillan.