How to Manage Your Time More Effectively in Business

It’s no secret that every day we have to manage our time effectively, be it with social engagements or family matters but in the corporate world, the most important thing is managing your time in business.  Sometimes it feels like 24 hours in a day isn’t enough to get all of this accomplished, especially for entrepreneurs who have the added responsibility of managing their entire business unlike their employees who only have to manage their daily workloads.  Employers want to hire people who can prioritize and manage their work effectively.  There’s often less resources and less time to manage your workload and meet the demands of your job.  This puts a lot of pressure on workers in terms of how they can get things done quickly and efficiently with less.  Time management is critical in business and below are some tips to help you do it better.

Create a general work schedule for each day so that you can decide how to best spend your time.  Use your calendar effectively and efficiently.  Put every meeting, appointment, speaking engagement, email to send, phone call to make and deadline in it with alert notifications so that you’ll know when you need to be somewhere or when tasks are due.  Link your calendar to your mobile device so you can have it on you at all times.

Create a to-do list for the week.  The best thing to do is plan for tomorrow a day ahead.  Before you leave work, the last thing you should do is make sure that you have a list made of tasks that need to be completed tomorrow or that require urgent attention the following day.  This way, when you head into work the next day, you are already one step ahead or the game and all set to go.  Flag tasks in order of importance so you’ll know what you should focus on first thing in the morning.

Break big tasks into smaller tasks.  Sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin when a major project comes your way.  In order to confront it head on, you should break it down into sections.  This will allow you to know what to do first and will reduce stress.  You can batch small tasks together and set more time aside for bigger tasks.  This way you’ll have the entire project complete on time.

Ignore distractions as best you can.  Turn off your cell phone at work and stay away from personal email and social networking sites as much as you can.  While you might need a break every once and a while, try not to goof off or you will lose valuable time and will create more stress and a longer day for yourself overall.  Think about setting aside 30 minutes a day for personal matters and devote the rest of your time to work that way you can take a break and not feel overwhelmed but still complete your assignments in a timely fashion.

Try not to multitask.  While it’s often hard to stay away from this trap as often multiple things need to be completed at once, set aside time for each project individually.  Don’t forget: some tasks take priority over others.  Recognize what’s most important to reaching your daily goals and meeting your deadlines.

Build flexibility into your schedule.  As I mentioned above, we all need a break from time to time.  If you map out your day for yourself and devote a certain amount of time to each task and do it quickly and efficiently, you’ll have more time to focus on personal matters or other things besides work that need to be taken care of in your life, such as doctors appointments or going to your children’s school plays (should you have them).

Take steps to reduce stress.  First figure out how much stress you can handle and then set aside time to reduce it.  While many people often eat lunch at their desks or work right through it and skip it all together, think about at least taking a walk around the block once a day for some fresh air or going out to grab a coffee.  Reducing stress will allow you to better manage your time.

Lastly and most importantly, build a daily routine and stick to it.  As I mentioned, keep your calendar up to date, create a task list, break projects down by importance, find a little personal time for yourself, etc.  If you approach your work life the same way every day, you’ll be better equipped to manage your time more effectively and efficiently.

So what have you learned here today?  What’s your favorite trick or best kept secret to most effectively managing your time in the workplace?  Leave a comment and let me know.  Feedback is always valued and appreciated!

Here are some articles you might want to check out about managing your time more effectively in business:

“How to Manage Your Time”: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/80756

“10 Time Management Tips That Work”: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219553

“5 Tips for Managing Your Time”: http://business.nab.com.au/5-tips-for-managing-your-time-2988/

“4 Time Management Tips for the Chronically Overworked”: http://www.businessinsider.com/4-time-management-tips-for-the-chronically-overworked-2013-8

Until next time…