Why is it that some people can manage to get lots done in a day, yet others struggle to meet deadlines and goals? Maybe you are one of those people who struggle to know where to start each day, finding yourself getting further and further behind as the day wears on.

You might think that you are lazy or not as motivated as some of your colleagues, but the reality is that it may just be a case of you being unable to manage your time very well.

The poor management of time can really affect the ability to be organized and get the job done. And allowing oneself to get distracted by other colleagues or social media can really put you behind. Fortunately, there are a plethora of time management tips that can help you get ahead. We discuss some of these in the below paragraphs.

 

Make a List

Lists are a fantastic way to stay on track throughout the working day. Create your own ‘to-do list’ at the end of each day, which will then give you some focus for the following day. In addition, make a list of more longer-term goals that you can be working towards. Arrange your goals according to priority as doing this helps you learn to make better decisions regarding how you spend your time.

 

Avoid Distraction

Let’s face it, it is easy to get distracted, especially in today’s world where social media features so heavily. With almost everyone now being the owner of a smartphone, the temptation to have a quick peek at apps such as Instagram or Facebook is very high. However, once you get distracted, you might quickly start to lose precious minutes, or even hours, of your time.

If you do find that you are easily distracted by your phone, the best thing to do is put it away in a desk drawer or bag and out of easy reach. If it is close to you, but out of sight, you will still hear it if it rings but you are less likely to be distracted.

If talking to your colleagues eats up your time, it might be best telling them that you are getting your head down to concentrate on a task for a set period of time and that you would appreciate not being disturbed. Just let them know that you will catch up at lunch.

 

Learn When You Perform Best

Some individuals are bright as a button first thing in the morning; others need some time to settle in and get going. It might be worth spending a few days figuring out when you have most energy and when you seem to get the most work done. By doing this, you can organize your lists so that you use this time for your most important tasks.

 

Time Management for Businesses

Time management tips are helpful for businesses as well as individuals. Those businesses that manage their time more productively end up performing much better. Something that might surprise you is the fact that work meetings can actually eat up huge chunks of time. A recent report by Doodle intimated that almost $400 billion dollars are wasted by US companies on poorly organized meetings each year! Your organization might avoid that waste by implementing timesheet app to help save additional time.

Thankfully, companies such as Seattle-based LiquidPlanner can help companies manage their time and projects more effectively by providing dynamic scheduling and resource management solutions. These solutions can help companies to organize their tasks and can also help ensure the on-time completion of projects. All of this ultimately improves performance and increases profit margins.