Affiliate links | Time management is something I’ve worked hard over the last few years to perfect. As a self-employed, work from home blogger, it’s my responsibility to stay productive and organized in my work. I don’t have a boss looking over my shoulder, making sure I get all my work done before home time. If you’re in a similar position or just find yourself slacking in that area in general, here are 10 time management tips you’ll definitely thank me for later.
Time management certainly incorporates a few different elements, such as procrastination (or lack of it), productivity and organization. But even the most productive person in the world might find themselves falling behind and not managing their time in the most efficient way possible. There never feels like there’s enough hours in the day. But if you work smarter – there’s more than enough to get everything done and have some time leftover at the end.
Related read: 22 Ways To Organize Your Life
Over the years, I’ve had a rocky relationship with productivity and time management. I’ve been through many phases where I worked too hard, didn’t know when to stop and ultimately ended up with burn out throughout the week. I’ve had a few blogging breaks for that very reason because I worked myself too hard, didn’t manage my time well and just couldn’t deal.
Which is the exact point you don’t want to get to. And if you use these 10 time management tips effectively, then that will prevent you from reaching that burn out point that none of us need or want. Time management is everything. And effective time management can allow you be productive, grow your business and have that important time off as well.
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- 10 Meaningful Things To Do On Your Day Off
- Why You Should Have a Digital Detox (and What To Do Instead)
Let’s get stuck in to these 10 time management tips you’ll thank me for later:
10 time management tips you’ll thank me for later:
Get used to working from a to-do list
To-do lists are great for helping you manage your time and workload. I would highly suggest categorizing your to-do lists as well into certain categories such as “blogging”, “chores” etc to help make it a bit more manageable. I know how long these to-do lists can get sometimes!
Get up earlier + establish a solid morning routine
This makes a huge difference for in terms of my time management and productivity. If I don’t perform my morning routine, I feel off for the entire day. If I get up too late, I don’t feel motivated. So really, starting your day right can have a hugely powerful impact on how you manage your time and work throughout the day.
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- 7 Things To Do Every Morning For An Amazing Start To the Day
- 15 Minute Morning Mindset Routine
- The Miracle Morning: 10 Things To Do Before Work
Stop multi-tasking
Multi-tasking eats into your time like a maggot. You might think you’re saving time and getting more done but you’re not. Ultimately, all you’re doing is a half-assed job on two things, rather than a great job on one thing and both things are taking twice as long because you’re not focused.
Get rid of distractions + turn off notifications
A good follow on point from the one above, in order to stop multi-tasking, it helps to switch off distractions. If you have a specific task you need to get done, turn off the notifications on your phone so you’re not distracted when they go off so you can get that task done in a much more timely manner!
Stay organized + tidy your work space
This is a big one for me and if you’ve been reading my blog for long enough will know how important it is to me to be organized in all areas of my life. Staying organized with my work is a huge tip for time management because being organized quite simply saves you time. This includes keeping your workspace tidy.
10 time management tips you’ll thank me for later:
Focus on the end goal
Focusing on the end goal of a task is a great time management tip because it stops you from looking backwards and getting distracted and allows you to focus on what’s ahead instead. Think about how good it’ll feel when this task is done. What goal you can tick off once it’s complete.
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Work when you’re the most productive
This is a little contradictory to the point about getting up early, I know. But it’s important to work when you’re the most productive. Although I still believe it’s worth having a morning routine because that really can set up your mindset for the entire day, there’s no point forcing yourself to work at 6am if you’re half asleep.
Set deadlines + prioritize
As well as categorizing your to-do list, it’s also helpful to prioritize your to-do list. Highlight the tasks that are the most urgent and get stuck into those first – during your most productive time of the day. Trust me, it’ll help your time management massively! Also set yourself deadlines for tasks, to give you that extra motivational boost.
Keep on top of stress and overwhelm
A great way to manage your time is to ensure you’re not stressed and overwhelmed with what you have to do. This goes hand in hand with prioritizing, categorizing and also staying organized. Which can all have a say in how stressed we end up with our workload.
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- How To Switch Off and Relax In Times of Stress
- 6 Treatments For Stress and Anxiety
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Stay alert and energized
And finally, my last of these 10 time management tips is to ensure that you’re staying alert and energized throughout the day. It’s so easy to waste time procrastinating when we feel sluggish or tired. But there are a ton of ways we can avoid that happening throughout our day.
Related read: 10 Natural Ways To Beat the Afternoon Energy Slump
Bonus tip: Remember that not every day will be the same and some days even these 10 time management tips won’t work. Life will get in the way and unexpected things will crop up and that’s okay. It happens. Its important to remember that there’s always tomorrow and things can wait.