10 Ways to Improve Your Time Management Skills

Do you always feel pressured by a large workload? Do you feel that there are too many tasks at hand and that you do not have enough time to do them, or do you feel that you can use the time effectively to complete all the tasks assigned to you?

The ideal solution is to invest time effectively in order to do more work each day, as this helps you relieve stress and perform your tasks better at work, time management is a skill that takes time to develop and differs from one person to another, and you just have to find what works for you, use some of these strategies for a few weeks and decide if they can help you.

Here are 10 ways you can use them to improve your time management skills and increase your productivity.

1. Delegating Tasks:

Too many people are always dealing with too many tasks that they can handle and this can lead to feelings of stress and burnout. Delegating is not an evasion of responsibilities but one of the important techniques in management, so learn the art of delegating work to employees who work under your supervision in proportion to their skills and abilities.

2. Determining Work Priorities:

Before the work day begins, make a list of the tasks that need you to focus directly because secondary tasks can consume a lot of your valuable time. Some tasks must be completed on the same day while you can postpone other secondary tasks to the next day. In short, prioritize your tasks and focus on the most important among them.

3. Avoid Procrastination:

Procrastination is among the things that badly affect productivity as it wastes time and effort, so you should avoid it in any way possible as it can be a big problem in your personal and professional life.

4. Task Scheduling:

Take a schedule or a notebook and write down all the tasks that come to your mind. Create a simple “to-do list” before you start your day, prioritize the tasks, and ensure that these tasks are doable. To better control your time management skills, you can design three lists: for work and home, and a personal list.

5. Avoid Stress:

Stress arises when we work more than we can handle and this is where our bodies start to feel tired and this in turn affects our productivity. Instead, delegate your tasks to the employees who work under your supervision and make sure you take time to relax.

6. Set Deadlines:

When you have a task at hand, set a realistic deadline for it and stick to it. Try to set a deadline for the task a few days before the task so that you can complete all the tasks that may stand in your way. Challenge yourself and complete a challenging task on time.

7. Avoid Multitasking:

Most of us feel that multitasking is an effective way to get things done, but the truth is that we perform better when we focus on one task. Multitasking is a hindrance to productivity and to improve your time management skills you should avoid it.

8. Start Early:

All successful men and women have a common feature that they start their day early because it gives them time to sit down, think and plan their day. Waking up early makes you calmer, more creative, and a clearer mind. As the day goes by, your activity level starts to drop and this affects your productivity; therefore, your performance will be affected as well.

9. Take Some Breaks:

When you find the time is right, take a 10–15 minutes break. Too much stress can hurt your body and affect your productivity. Take a walk, listen to some music, or do some stretching, better yet, take a break from work and spend time with friends and family.

10. Learn to Say No:

Politely decline to accept any additional tasks if you think you are overburdened with work. Before you accept any additional work, take a look at your 'to-do list'.