Top 5 Time Management Strategies That Improve Productivity

Are you an effective timekeeper, or are you always behind schedule? A Zippia research indicates that over 80 percent of people don't use a time management system, and an average employee spends 51 percent of their workday on activities unrelated to their role. Time management contributes significantly to the success of an organization.

 Therefore, identifying ways to improve your time management skills makes you an ideal employee as you enhance your productivity. You should start by implementing high-quality strategies that keep you on top of your game. If you have no idea where to start, this article guides you through top time management strategies that will impact your productivity at work.

 However, before you go any further, let’s first understand why time management is essential for productivity at work.

 

 

What Is Time Management?

 

Time management refers to planning and managing your time to ensure you meet all your daily, monthly, or annual goals. Plan and organize your day like Hermione Granger, She likes to everything in a systematic manner. Typically, you will organize your duties based on the most important to the least important, ensuring you meet deadlines. In fact, effective time management ensures you have time to complete your duties and have enough time for relaxation.

Why Is Time Management Crucial at Work?

• It boosts productivity. Effective time management boosts productivity because you will meet deadlines, produce more, and improve your performance. Overall, productivity will translate to promotions or a pay raise because the management believes in your ability.

 

• It facilitates high-quality work. When you plan your day and abide by the work schedule, you have enough time to produce high-quality work. For example, if you’re working on a report, starting early allows you to complete your research, write several drafts, and eliminate all mistakes on your final draft. You don’t have to rush when you manage your time properly.

 

• It allows you to work smarter. Time management ensures you work smarter and not harder. When you implement effective strategies, you can accomplish more tasks in a short period, allowing you time for relaxation.

 

• It limits procrastination. Procrastination occurs when you have much to accomplish in a shorter period. However, once you procrastinate in one area, it trickles down to other tasks, leaving you overwhelmed. Thus, managing your time prevents procrastination because you will account for every hour to be on-track in finishing your tasks.

 

• It improves your decision-making skills. Time management involves making decisions on how to split your time. In addition, creating to-do lists and preparing tasks in order of importance helps you make informed decisions during crunch times.

 

Effective Time Management Strategies

1. Prioritize Your Tasks

You should maintain a clear schedule that prioritizes your tasks in order of importance. Prioritizing ensures you meet deadlines without pressure. For starters, you can plan out each day, specifying hourly tasks and daily tasks.

 Once you gain momentum, you can expand your schedule to weekly, monthly, and annual tasks. Arrange the tasks in order of priority, including realistic deadlines and room for changes. You can learn scheduling and management at short-term coding bootcamps like General Assembly, Springboard, and Thinkful.

2. Invest in Time Management Tools

Software developers design time management tools to help you track your time for long-term and short-term tasks. Time management tools are beneficial in improving your time management skills. These tools facilitate organization, scheduling, and prioritization of your tasks. Popular time management tools include Trello, ClickUp, Evernote, Toggl, and Calendar.

3. Understand Your Performance

Effective time management requires that you understand your peak and low-performance time. Then, you should schedule tasks that require more attention for when you are at your best. For example, if you are more productive in the morning, schedule heavy tasks during the morning hours. In addition, you should not multitask if you cannot concentrate on more than one task.

4. Cancel Out Distractions

Distractions like phones, social media, co-workers, and the internet can impact your time management. Therefore, make a point to eliminate things you don't need in your work environment. For example, you can keep your phone silent and log out of your social media pages to prevent unnecessary notifications.   

5. Learn to Say No When Necessary

Saying no doesn’t make you rude or incompetent. In fact, The European Molecular Biology Organization reports that there is power in saying no. You can say no in justified situations to prevent burnout at work and improve your performance. In addition, it saves time because you will not be overwhelmed by too much work.

Conclusion

Time management is one of the most sought-after skills in the job market. Improving this skill reduces stress and anxiety, making you a better performer. However, if you are struggling, all hope is not lost because the strategies above can be effective ways to improve your time management skills and, eventually, productivity.