Stop Spending Your Time:
Start Using Your Time!

“Ordinary people think merely of spending time. Great people think of using it.” – Arthur Schopenhauer

Want to know the secret to being more productive? Two words: time management.

That’s right. The most successful people in the world are successful because they have a grip on how they use their time – and they use it to best advantage. As anyone who’s ever panicked about a deadline knows, time is a weapon. It can either be used against you or it can be used for you. Why not grab that sword by the hilt?

We wield our social media platforms for the express purpose of providing you with useful tips for improving daily life. This week, we’re talking about time management. In this post, we’re sharing our top five favorite tips for time management.

1. Perform a time audit. How do you know how you’re using your time unless you track it? Grab your favorite notebook (or find a cool time-tracking app) and spend one day or several days tracking the amount of time you spend on chores, work, free time, errands, commuting, and everything else.
2. Use your time wisely. Once you have an idea of how you use your time, sit down and look for time-wasters, time-losers and time-winners. A time-waster is any task that’s not worth your time (like endlessly scrolling Facebook? #burn). A time-loser is any task that takes up way too much of your time and could be easily remedied (instead of spending an hour wandering the grocery store, opt for grocery curbside pick-up!). Time-winners are those tasks where you couldn’t be more efficient if you tried (aka you spent your commute on a conference call or listening to an Audible book) – or those tasks where you finally sat down to do what you intended to do (like reading a book).
3. Find the time method that works best for you. Are you most productive in 30-minute bursts, 2 hour blocks or with strict scheduling? Do you like to set timers for yourself, or just put together a to-do list for the day and tackle it as you go along? There are as many time management methods out there as there are people in the world. While variety can be overwhelming, it may also be your saving grace. The point is that there’s no one right way to manage your time. All you can do is experiment and find the right method to help transform you into the most productive version of yourself.
4. Stay flexible.  As your life changes, the time management methods you use may also change. Consider this situation that probably sounds all too familiar to a lot of you in the COVID-19 Era: you used to work in an office with an hour-long commute; now you work from home. In that situation, the separation of home life and office life can diminish quickly, and suddenly you may find yourself having to tackle a home-life emergency in the middle of your work day. Just because you’ve set out a strict 8 hour schedule for yourself doesn’t mean you can stick to it – because stuff happens. And that’s okay. Take that emergency break, deal with the problem, get back to work, and find a way to shuffle your time blocks and to-do lists to accommodate the unknown.
5. Remember to take time off. Vacations, down-time and relaxation time: these things don’t just happen. They have to be scheduled. These blocks of time-off are also precious and necessary to ensure you don’t get burned out, worn out or sick. So remember, when you’re out there trying to time-block your whole week, make sure to take time for rest, too.

So, if you’re interested in learning more about time management, follow along with us over on Facebook, share your best time management tips and discoveries with us through social media or email. Above all, remember that we’re always here for you! If you want help with your to-do list, call us at 615-970-7700 today.