How to have better time management

Having great time management skills can truly change your life! There are 5 strategies and 4 Ds that you can use to get better at time management. Keep reading to find out what they are!

Time management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities. We all need to have great control over our time in order to have a productive yet fun life!

You’re about to learn 5 strategies that you can start using today to better manage your time.

Have you ever heard of the 4 Ds of time management? I didn’t know about them until I started doing more research on this topic. Keep reading to find out what those are!

This post is all about how to have better time management.

5 Strategies for Time Management:

1. Be Intentional

It’s important that you keep a running to-do list. Before you go to bed every night, you should create a list of all the things you need to do the next day. When you wake up it’ll give you a sense of clarity knowing exactly what you need to do.

It stops you from wasting time trying to figure out what you need to do. Get up and go do it!

Having a to-do list keeps you focused throughout the day which leads to you being more intentional about your tasks.

At the very least, create a to-do list when you’re ready to start knocking out some tasks.

2. Prioritize Your Tasks | Time Management

Now that you’ve written down all of the things you need to do this day, put a number next to them based on priority.

Do the major tasks first. The tasks that once completed, will make you feel super accomplished. Most people like to go for the easy tasks and save the thought-provoking tasks for last.

That just makes it less likely to get done. Take care of it right away!

3. Stay Focused

Minimize all of your distractions. Turn your phone on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode and get to work. Don’t have Netflix playing in the background if you know it’s going to distract you.

Really try to have a clear head and focus on one thing at a time.

Maybe you need to pick a different room or place to work.

Trying to go to a coffee shop or a library to be around other hardworking people. Osmosis will kick in. Motivated people motivate people. It can be contagious! Try it out if you’ve never worked in a different location before.

4. Time Block Your Work | Time Management

This may not work for everyone if you have no idea how long it takes to get certain tasks done. When I first started a task that I was unsure of how long it would take, I blocked off about 4 hours to get it done.

When it took less time than the amount that I blocked off, it made me feel extremely happy. It made me realize just how much I can get done in a short amount of time.

If you know exactly how much time it’ll take to get a task done then block off that time and get the job done.

5. Be Self-Aware

When you block off time and complete all of the strategies above, it’s time to figure how well you work. You have to track your time and yourself. Did you get distracted? Does it take you less time to get tasks done?

Using time effectively gives the person “choice” on spending or managing activities at their own time and expediency.

Spending time with yourself helps you figure out exactly what it is that you need to do. It all starts with having a great routine.

*Here are 12 of The Best Ideas for a Perfect Morning Routine Most People Forget About.*

Have you ever heard of the 4 Ds of time management? After doing a lot of research, I came upon the 4 Ds that contribute to productivity.

So what are the 4 Ds? Keep on reading to find out!

4 Ds of Time Management:

1. Do

Obviously, you need to actually start. Walt Disney said, ” The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

One of my favorite things to do is find motivational quotes. Sometimes you have to feed yourself the motivation you need!

When you have major tasks to complete, simply just start doing them.

2. Defer or Delay

If you find that the tasks aren’t a top priority, assign the task for another day. You can either assign it to another day or you can do it later within the day.

Following strategy number 2 on this post can help you determine which tasks can be deferred to a later day.

3. Delegate

Do you work with other people? Perhaps you can delegate, which means to give the task to another person. Have them complete things that you don’t need to monitor closely.

For example, I’m a full-time teacher with a student-teacher. Sometimes I have to make a lot of copies for my students. Instead of me taking time to do this task, I can delegate this to my student-teacher.

Usually, they are waiting to be told what they can do to help anyway.

Do you have children? Maybe you can delegate some chores to them so you don’t have to do everything.

4. Delete or Drop

Do you even need to do this task?

Just drop it if it’s not important! Why waste time doing unnecessary things when you can use your time to get other things done.

I like to think of R.O.I with almost everything in my life. R.O.I means the return of investment. In other words, how much will this benefit you later? Is the time you’re putting into whatever task now going to benefit you or reward you in the future?

If not, think about whether or not you should even complete the task.

Lastly, having great time management skills can help with so many other factors in your life.

It frees you up and actually gives you more time to do the things you really care about. Lately, I’ve been all about using my time wisely. Our time is so limited as it is. Might as well learn how to better manage your time because it’ll directly lead to a better life!

Set thoughtful goals and deadlines and get to work! Make your dreams come true!

Last quote from Walt Disney: “Everyone needs deadlines. Even the beavers. They loaf around all summer, but when they are faced with the winter deadline, they work like fury. If we didn’t have deadlines, we’d stagnate.”

If that quote resonates with you, leave a comment below and let me know! I think it makes a lot of sense! With no end goal or anything to work towards, what are we doing?

Manage your time and manage it well!