5 Tricks For Better Time Management

During our daily lives, we perform many different actions. When we finish them,  we sometimes have the feeling that we have not done it effectively enough, or that we have not done anything at all,  which makes us frustrated.

Why do we feel this way? We simply have  not managed our time properly.

To manage your time better, you can use  5 simple tricks that will help you figure out what you do every day  and improve every daily activity.

“Time is not gold, time is life.”

-José Luis Sampedro-

Set a goal

Stephen Covey, in his book  7 Habits of Highly Effective People,  tells us that we must start with an end goal in mind.

But this goal must have specific characteristics:

• Specifically.  The goal should be as specific as possible.
• Measurable. It is very important to be able to measure whether you have reached the goal or not.

• Realistic. We often set unrealistic goals for ourselves, so we should change them and make it possible to achieve them.
• Specific time period. Each goal should have a specific period of time to be achieved. In this way, we can easily measure whether we have achieved it or not.

2. Determine priorities

Stephen Covey says “first thing’s first” to refer to  distinguishing between what is important and necessary and what is not, so you can prioritize your tasks.

Covey made four boxes so you can easily classify each activity:

• Needed and important.
• Not needed but important.
• Needed but not important.
• Neither needed nor important.

Needed tasks are the ones that require your attention right away.

Important tasks are those that contribute to your long-term goals,  to your purpose in life.

“Time is a created thing. Saying ‘I do not have time’ is like saying ‘I do not want’. “

-Lao Tzu-

Plan your tasks

From a professional point of view, there are tasks  that can be defined as having high returns (those you get big profits from), and others as having low returns (those that only bring low profits).

Each task must be tackled at the appropriate time of day or week  for it to be effective. We should also think about the time required, not only for the task itself, but also for everything it involves (transport time, phone calls, etc.).

When planning your assignment,  you should dedicate some time to unforeseen terms  that might arise so that you will be able to address them if they do.

“Do not start a day, a week, a month without planning it.”

-Jim Rohn-

4. Set aside time

Every minute we dedicate to a task, especially if it is a high-return task, should be protected  so that there are no interruptions.

It is normal to be disturbed by phone calls, emails, etc. But we should focus  on setting a certain amount of time aside each day to handle a certain task.

Tim Ferriss, in his book  The 4-Hour Work Week,  defines disruption as anything that prevents you from completing a task. He distinguishes  three groups of disorder:

• The ones that cause you to lose time. These are the ones that can be ignored with little or no consequences.
• Those who take up time. These are the repetitive tasks that disrupt your most important work.
• Those that arise from not knowing how to delegate. These happen when other people need us to validate simple actions that could have been done alone.

In order to be able to set aside time, it is important to learn to say NO  to anything that is not related to your project or that does not help you in any way.

In any case, you can say “not now” and leave that task at a more appropriate time.

The activities we do, both at work and in our private lives, should sometimes be done only by ourselves, but other times they can be delegated so you can work together on it. Therefore  , it is fundamental to learn how to delegate.

5. Measure the results

Once you have set a goal and completed the task,  you should measure whether you have completed the task successfully in the amount of time you have set.

If you have not achieved the result you wanted, you can evaluate whether your goal was realistic or not and  adjust it to make it possible.

Managing your time properly is a step towards success at work and in life. Knowing what you are doing, when you are doing it and how to do it is essential to achieving your dreams.

“People see me as an expert in time management. I see myself more as an expert in priority management, I also appreciate things. I know that investing will help my future. ”

-Timothy Ferriss-