Running a business but feeling time poor? Choose the right path for time management
We all know and recognize how being at the top of the hierarchy can be really tough and exhilarating at the same time. Managing all of your responsibilities, within a day, is really challenging. Whether you are an Indian chef, a policeman, a security personnel or a busy executive, all of us have the same number of hours in a day.
A busy executive has various roles to play, from being a mediator to a planner; all important responsibilities are to be handled by the executive sitting at the helm of an organization.
With responsibilities looming over your head, you have two paths to choose. You can either falter under the pressure and self destruct, or you can rise above it and manage time to your own advantage.
Realising the imminent nod of your head, we have listed some tips you can follow to be on the top of your time management game at all times.
We’ve listed 7 tips that will not only help you focus on the right things, but will leave you enough time to refresh, relax and rejuvenate yourself to get back into business:
Refrain from Multi-Tasking
Most executives assume that multi-tasking is part and parcel of what they do. While multi-tasking might save time, it reduces the quality of what you do. Once quality is compromised, you eventually end up wasting even more time making up for it. To ensure the continuity of quality output, try to refrain from multi-tasking.
Prioritize your List
Prioritizing your work is one of the most common and rarely followed tips for time management. Busy executives have a lot planned for a day and need to prioritize and address all issues. Issues that require urgent attention should be a high priority and should be handled before the rest. Make it a habit to prioritize your things-to-do list according to the urgency of the tasks.
Learn to Delegate
You don’t have to do it all. Trust employees under you and learn to delegate tasks to them. You can start the process by handing over a task when you’re engaged in other urgent things. This way, you can reduce the responsibilities looming over your head and can also gauge the productivity of your delegates. Once you have formed a team of experienced and helpful delegates, you will reap the fruits of trusting them.
Take a Break
Taking a break can be helpful in making your mind active and fresh (Take our word on this; you don’t have time for research). A short break for 15-30 minutes will direct your mind towards resolving the issue and will ensure that you come back with rejuvenated spirits and motivation. Failure to take breaks for elongated periods can result in decreased efficiency and undue stress.
Block Distractions during Urgent Tasks
Urgent tasks call for complete attention from your side. In this urgency, notifications from other spheres of life can be nothing less than a hassle. You can inform your assistant beforehand, to ensure that both of you are on the same page. Give yourself a limited period of time ‘off-grid’, after which you can resume your daily routine. By following this strategy, you can cater to an urgent task, without being distracted with calls and emails.
Leave Time Consuming Activities for the End
As an executive, you must have an idea of the activities, which consume more time than others. Such activities, which suck time like a hungry bee, should be left till the end of the day. Cater to more urgent and profitable activities during the peak hours.
Track Your Time
Lastly, you should always track your time. Executives that do that tend to fair well in time management than those who don’t. Make sure to not exceed the time you have allotted to a specific activity, as one failure will lead to another, leaving your schedule in tatters.
Want to try the Pomodoro Technique? Here are some apps that you can start with:
Here are some time management apps that you can try and check out:
How do you manage your time? Do you find that working in a certain way works better than others? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Comment below and share what you think with us!
