No matter how badly we may wish for more, there are only 24 hours in a day. The best way to make the most of them is to maximize your productivity during those hours. Learning to manage time doesn’t have to be a burden. Here are four creative and effective ways to manage your day, allowing you to get the most out of each day.
1. Schedule Breaks Ahead of Time
Want to avoid burnout for as long as possible? Try scheduling your breaks instead of taking a break when you hit the wall. Schedule a 5 minute break every hour, but don’t spend it on social media. Get away from the computer and do something completely different to revive your mind and help it get back on track at the end of your break.
2. Use the “Touch It Once” Rule
It can be time consuming to have to go back to a single task or email again and again. For example, the more tasks you put off until “later,” the more tasks you will have to come back to, meaning that you’ve doubled the amount of time spent in transition. Consider what you can do with a task or an email to finish it once and for all. Can you do it now, or can you delegate it to someone else? Even if you have to stop what you’re doing and take 10 extra minutes to complete a task, you’re saving time and increasing your productivity by knocking it off the list for good instead of transitioning back and forth.
3. Download a Time Management App
One of the easiest ways to manage your time effectively is to download a time management app. Priority Matrix is a completely customizable, intuitive time management app that has a simple user interface that makes organizing and prioritizing your tasks a breeze. When you can access your tasks and rearrange them with the touch of a button, managing your day takes just seconds.
4. Prioritize Your Email Messages
It’s easy to let email overwhelm you, especially if you have dozens of messages and not a lot of time to go through them. The Priority Matrix app allows you to drag and drop your emails into the app in the order of your preference. You’ll know at a glance which emails are critical and need to be responded to as soon as possible and which emails can wait for your response or can be delegated to another member of your team.
Taking steps to manage your time more efficiently will help you be more productive in the office. The Priority Matrix app gives you the ability to handle everything you have on your plate with less time figuring out which task to tackle next, and more time finishing the ones that matter most.