Time is a finite resource that often slips away without us noticing. If you are struggling to make use of yours at work, we’ve got some advice.
It is ridiculously easy to lose track of time, both in your personal and working life. Keeping on top of tasks, knowing how much time you should give and understanding when to step away because you have reached an impasse, takes practice and discipline.
Time wasting is incorrectly depicted as a behaviour related to laziness or a lack of commitment, but often it is simply because time management is a skill that needs to be learned and placed at the core of your day, every day, until it becomes second nature.
So, if you worry that you are wasting your time or, if you feel others are wasting theirs in the workplace and could use a little advice on building skills and seizing every minute, read on.
Eliminate distractions
There is a fun little phrase that beautifully sums up the concept of procrastination. It is called Parkinson’s Law and it states that work will always fill the amount of time that you allow it. If you are a procrastinator, then you know this to be true.
So if you are a person who is easily distracted, or who procrastinates based on the amount of time you think you have, ignoring distractions such as your mobile devices, social media, even the people around you and focusing on the work itself, independent of the deadline, can be helpful.
It’s much harder to divert your attention to something new, if you only have your assigned work to focus on.
Understand the planning phase
If you are the kind of person who plans to plan, but finds that organising your time has actually co-opted the majority of it, then you are not alone. When you don’t have a system in place, it is easy to fall into over-planning as a way of ensuring no stone is left unturned so that when you decide to address the task you are fully prepared.
Try not to get bogged down by multiple online to-do lists, productivity tools or organisational aids. Instead, using an old-fashioned pen and paper, write out one simple list detailing the tasks you need to get done for that day – not for the whole week, just for one day. List them in order of importance, note the deadlines and work from there.
Tangible to-do lists are ideal as physically crossing off your achievements is a great motivator. You can bring them anywhere, regardless of battery or service and it is a much needed break away from our screens.
It is important to plan how you want to approach your work, but you should incorporate it both early on and minimally, so as not to get lost in the planning phase.
Be realistic
Often, you may find that you are not wasting time as much as incorrectly allocating it. If you are not delegating, or are helping out your co-workers to the extent that your own work is suffering, it may be time to take a step back and reassess how you manage your obligations.
Collaboration is key to a healthy, productive workplace, but don’t be afraid to set clear boundaries with your colleagues regarding how much time and energy you can spare to assist with work outside of your remit.
The same logic applies to multitasking. Multitasking itself is a wonderful skill to have in your arsenal and is useful for a number of reasons, however, don’t overly prioritise multitasking to the point that you are only ever half engaging with most tasks. Often it is best to tackle one job head on and know that you have completed it to the best of your ability before moving on the next.
As you improve your time management skills, you will likely notice that other soft skills such as multitasking, critical thinking and communication are improving also.
Reach out
Often people put work on the long finger, not because they are lazy or don’t feel motivated, but rather because they are anxious about what the job entails or they don’t feel confident in their abilities to deliver.
Reaching out for support from your colleagues or employer to explain the roadblocks you are coming up against can be a great way of getting back on track and tackling your time management issues.
If you are anxious, overburdened, burned out or struggling with your mental or physical health, these factors can all contribute to a dip in your time management and overall productivity, so be kinder to yourself and look for help if you need it.
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