Time is a very precious resource, so we must be careful how we invest it. It is possible that stress makes us postpone work, making progress only when the deadline is upon us, under stress and pressure.
To avoid this type of situation, which can also be very harmful to health, it is convenient to have your own methodology, without becoming a robot, that allows you to control the time you spend on activities and what situations to avoid.
Time management strategies you should implement right away:
● Pomodoro technique. You concentrate and work hard for 25 minutes until the alarm goes off. When it rings, an X appears, indicating that the time limit has passed. Then you have a 5-minute break for other activities such as answering phone messages.
● Work in blocks. It is a productivity and time management technique that entails planning and dividing all phases of the day and the activities that need to be completed into blocks of time, reserving those spaces to dedicate solely and exclusively to completing the assigned tasks on time.
● Priority list. Remember that not all tasks are equal in importance, so begin with the ones that cannot wait. Make the list the night before or the morning of.
Once you've established your work methods, don't forget to keep in mind that you must avoid the well-known time thieves, which are nothing more than factors that consume time indiscriminately. We can prepare a strategy to minimize them as much as possible if we identify them.
Human resource management is an example of how time thieves can sabotage productivity. According to WorkMeter, time thieves reduce the number of actual hours worked by 50% to 70%, affecting concentration and attention levels and causing delays of six to nine minutes every time you fall on them.
What elements or situations qualify as time thieves?
● Interruptions. It takes a few minutes for us to fully recover our concentration after each interruption.
● The phone. Interrupting a critical task to answer the phone will cause us to lose concentration and time.
● The email. Setting a timer to check and respond to emails is the best strategy.
● Meetings. Attend only the most important ones that add value. Remember to have an agenda and goals in order to be highly productive.
These tips will be useful for the rest of your life because they will allow you to maximize your time in all aspects and be much more efficient.