How To Master Time Management
Prioritize Your Tasks
After creating a to-do list, categorize each task in one of four groups:
Important and urgent (should be accomplished first)
Important but not urgent
Urgent but not important (should be delegated)
Not urgent and not important (potentially remove these)
This will help you decide which activities are most important and need to be scheduled in versus those that can be delegated, pushed back, or eliminated altogether.
Create a Schedule
What gets scheduled gets done. Planning your work in advance is a primary habit for productivity. Take some time each week to plan the week ahead. Schedule time for all the projects you need to get done.
Take Breaks
Taking breaks can give you a fresh perspective on challenging projects. It’s hard to develop new ideas or solutions when you’ve been looking at the same thing all day. Regular breaks give you time to practice healthy habits in the workplace. You can use break times to make a healthy lunch, exercise, meditate, or engage in a self-care activity. Without taking adequate breaks from work, your productivity, mental well-being and overall work performance begin to suffer.
Engage in Healthy Behaviors
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, well-being is the ability of individuals to address normal stresses, work productively and realize one’s highest potential. Research shows that employees in good health are more likely to deliver optimal performance in the workplace. Exercise and movement aids in brain development. Eating well increases energy, improves sleep and can help improve mental health. Sleeping well can improve focus and productivity.
