7 Essential Skills For Good Time Management

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Good time management enables you to work smarter, not harder so you can be more productive and achieve bigger results in less time without the stress or overwhelm.

When you have competing priorities, tight deadlines and a long to-do list to deal with, being a good time manager will help you take control of your time and get your most important work done.

Good time management is important because it allows you to accomplish your daily goals in a shorter period of time by organising your time effectively. Being good at time management increases productivity, lowers stress and ensures you capture your biggest opportunities during the day.

Develop good time management skills will help you set better goals, prioritise effectively, and complete more important work in a shorter period of time. When you are good at time management you are good at prioritising and taking action on the projects that matter most.

Developing effective time management skills allows you to stay calm and in control of your day. Despite the stresses, distractions and pressures on your time, good time managers are able to organise their time to achieve the results they want.

In this article I’ll share 7 essential tips for good time management.

7 essentials skills for good time management

Here are 7 top tips for good time management.

1. Set effective goals

Good time management is important if you want to set effective goals. Having clear, measurable goals to work towards every day will help you manage your time better and prioritise effectively.

If you don’t have a clear direction and focus, it’s easy to waste time on low value tasks. Goals help you organise your time effectively which lowers stress and reduces distractions.

If you need to set clear and effective goals, check out my guid to goal setting.

2. Focus on results

Good time management at work means focusing your time on high-quality work, not high volume of work. Managing your time effectively shifts your focus from being busy to being effective.

When you focus on achieving results with your time, rather than just ticking off items on your to-do list, you stop being worried about how busy you are. Use your weekly planning and daily planning to get clear on the results you want to achieve.

3. Plan your week in advance

Planning your week in advance will help you better manage your time. There are a couple reasons why this such an effective time management trick.

Weekly planning on a Friday or Sunday saves time and lowers stress at the start of each week. Good time managers know they have a high level of energy and focus when they know exactly what to do with their time.

Sitting down on a Monday morning with a clear plan of action ensures you don’t waste hours thinking about how you should manage your time and what you should focus on.

4. Schedule your time

A good time management skill to develop is scheduling your time effectively. The ability to prioritise your most important tasks each day and schedule them in your diary will help you manage your time better.

Scheduling your time gives you a clear focus for the day. It allows you to get clear on the results you want to achieve, and ensures you work on your most important work uninterrupted.

5. Prioritise important tasks

Good time management requires a daily practice of prioritising tasks and organising them in a way that can save time while achieving bigger results. Getting clear on your three or four biggest priorities for the day will ensure you better manage your time throughout the day.

Once you are clear on your priorities, identify the one task that will help you achieve the biggest results and work on that task uninterrupted.

6. Take a break between tasks

Concentration and focus need to be protected throughout the day if you want to manage your time effectively. We only have so much energy throughout the day so taking a break at work is good for your productivity.

Taking a breaks between tasks will help you focus longer and reduce distractions. It’s important to take both long and short breaks to maintain energy and focus.

Take longer breaks after finishing a task and take short breaks when you are focusing on a single task for a long period of time.

7. Limit multi-tasking

Multi-tasking is not productive and makes it difficult to manage your time effectively. When people multitask it can be easy to lose focus and get distracted.

If you keep switching tasks it can be difficult to regain concentration quickly. Juggling several tasks at the same time can be stressful, reduces creativity and lowers productivity.

Instead of multi-tasking, use time blocking to work uninterrupted on your most important task. Turn off email notifications to avoid distractions and take plenty of breaks.

Summing up

Good time management is important because it helps you get clear on your goals, prioritise your work and achieve bigger results in less time. The benefits of effective time management include greater productivity and less stress.

Use these 7 time management tips to manage your time better so you can accomplish more in a shorter period of time. Utilise these essential time management skills to work smarter, not harder.

Now I’d love to hear from you.

What’s your best time management tip for managing your time?

Let me know in the comments.

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About the Author

Mark Pettit is a time management coach based in Colchester, Essex, UK. He is the Founder of coaching company Lucemi Consulting. Mark provides time management coaching to business owners and entrepreneurs in London, Essex, Suffolk and across the UK.

If you want to find out more about his coaching program book a free 30-minute clarity call.

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