The NP Associates newsletter for January contains a very interesting article about proper time management and how to avoid several time management mistakes. The key to proper time management is to make sure you are taking the correct steps necessary to become effective. This article list ten mistakes and how to easily overcome them.
Mistake #1. Failing to Keep a To-Do List: To make sure that you stay on task when working on a project it is mandatory that you create and keep a to-do list. The secret to the to-do list is that it is not enough to just have it, you need to manage it. It is important to detail each part of the to-do list so that you understand what each task entails. It is also important to prioritize each aspect of the to-do list. This is very important overall in time management to make sure you are optimizing every single aspect of whatever time you have designated for the given project.
Mistake #2. Not Setting Personal Goals: It is important to always set goals so that you have something to work towards. With out proper goals the threat of slacking off is omnipresent. By setting and understanding your goals you decide what the priorities are for your projects and you can then effectively plot your time.
Mistake #3. Not Prioritizing: When presented with multiple problems and projects at once it is important that you prioritize them so that they get the correct amount of your time. A good tip is to create cretirea for all of the information that is presented to you. If it meets a certain criteria than it is labeled urgent and should be dealt with before other projects get worked on. Proper time management allows you to always have time for each project and problem if you make sure that each one get dealt with at the proper time.
Mistake #4. Failing to Manage Distractions: When working efficiently you get into a groove and you enter the prime state to finish projects. When you allow distractions into your mind it brings you out of the groove and your productivity is reduced. It is very hard to return to the groove once you lose it. All of these things negatively impact your time management. Different people get distracted from different levels of stimuli. Some people only need to log out of Facebook where as other people need to be in an isolated room. The key is to reduce whatever distracts you so that you can focus on your task at hand.
Mistake #5. Procrastination: Procrastination develops when you have a lack of desire to complete the task assigned to you. You keep holding off on working on the project because of your lack of motivation. If you break up each task of the project into bite sized portions then the uninteresting project seems more manageable.
Mistake #6. Taking on too Much: You should never take on more projects than you can handle. You also need to leave room for any problem or emergency that my develop spontaneously. You need to be able to focus the correct amount of time that each task requires to ensure that the highest level of effort is put into each project. You never want to spread yourself to thin.
Mistake #7. Thriving on "busy": It is never a good thing to be working to the last minute and racing deadlines. There are no time management tools and tricks available to you if you cram everything in at the end.
Mistake #8. Multitasking: While multitasking seems like a good idea, it is impossible to give each task the correct amount of time they need. When you split your concentration each task only gets a small percentage of the total concentration and effort that the project needs to be completed to the best of your ability. You need to give each task the proper amount of time and utilization of your time management skills.
Mistake #9. Not Taking Breaks: The secret to taking breaks is to give your mind some downtime so it can stretch and develop new ideas for the next task ahead. Your break should only be a couple of minutes and should always involve you steeping away from your work center to walk around for a bit and to contemplate the work that you have just performed to check for mistakes you might have missed while in the groove.
Mistake #10. Ineffectively Scheduling Tasks: There are times during the day when you are most productive and when you are less productive. You need to schedule your higher level work during the times of the day when you are most productive and the lower level and easier work turning the times of day when you are less productive.
By following and implementing these techniques into your time management skills you will produce more effective work while also not stressing out over time or energy.
For more information and the full article follow the link provided.
http://bit.ly/g73H1M
Written by Brandon Kassof
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