Do you ever find that time flies by and you’re suddenly way behind on your tasks? This happens to everyone but some people experience it more than others, which is when changes need to be made to the way you work.
A few time management tips
Time management should be taken seriously and integrated into your week as much as possible, as it comes with multiple benefits:
- Increases productivity: Effective time management allows you to prioritise tasks, set realistic deadlines and work more efficiently. This will lead to increased productivity and smoother workflow, making the working day more manageable.
- Reduces stress: When you use your time effectively, you reduce stress by avoiding last-minute rushes and deadlines. This can do wonders for your mental wellbeing and general mood.
- Improves decision-making: Good time management skills help you to make decisions with greater confidence thanks to uninterrupted focus.
- Boosts motivation: When time management is in place, you accomplish more and experience higher levels of motivation to tackle new challenges.
- Maximises free time: It’s not just about the workload, as managing your time will allow you to free up more hours for leisure activities and doing the things you love. In turn, this helps to create a healthier work-life balance, ensuring that friends, family and loved ones are also given the attention they deserve.
Saving time vs. cutting corners
It should never be a case of taking shortcuts, as this will only result in problems that require even more time to fix. Instead, there are numerous ways to reduce the amount of time it takes to carry out tasks in full without compromising on quality.
Create a to-do list: Starting with a simple yet effective method, the creation of a to-do list that’s categorised by the types of tasks and their levels of priority will ensure that the most important ones are completed first.
Set up templates: You can create templates for frequently used documents in Word, Excel and other Microsoft Office applications, as well as in email software and content creation platforms such as Canva. This can save a lot of time over the course of a week and especially throughout the year.
Use keyboard shortcuts: Okay, there is one type of shortcut you can take. Keyboard shortcuts allow you to perform tasks in a fraction of the time – here are some quick guides for Windows and Mac).
Reduce distractions: Eliminate or at least minimise distractions wherever possible, such as social media notifications, noise coming from outdoors and disruptive music. When your mind is left to focus on the task at hand, it will be completed much faster.
Delegate tasks: If you have a team working under you, the delegation of tasks not only saves time but can also help to empower your employees.
Use the Pomodoro technique: This is where you carry out your work as 25-minute sprints rather than a marathon and have 5-minute breaks between each one, which can help to increase and maintain productivity.
Organise your workspace: Put simply, a tidy desk is a productive desk!
Hire a virtual PA: Don’t like doing certain tasks? Always seem to leave particular jobs until it’s too late? By hiring a virtual personal assistant, you’ll free up your time, get more done, and also benefit from your PA’s wealth of knowledge and expertise.
Save time with virtual PA services
To explore what a virtual personal assistant can do for your business, get in touch with Niki Bardsley at nicola.bardsley@smartpasupport.com or call 07707 830394.