Time Management Tips: Simple Ways to Keep Yourself from Stressing Over Your Schedule

Do the days seem to get away from you? Not keeping to your schedule or maybe you don't have a schedule? Here are some time management tips that will help you get things under control.

Set Time Limits

What eats most into your time? When you look at what eats up most of your time it is usually e-mail, web surfing, and television. Don't turn off your electronics. Instead set time limits for these activities. Decide upon an amount of time you will do each and stick to it. Just following this time management tip will free up tons of your time.

Distractions

Set up times when you don't check email, answer your phone, or gab with coworkers or friends. During these time periods do the things that are most productive. These are activities which contribute to your health, wealth, and spiritual/mental well being. This is the most important time management tip of all. Spending quality time focusing upon productive activities without any distractions will make you incredibly productive. You will see the benefits of following this one tip within weeks.

Busy Work

When you start to do an activity ask yourself, Why am I doing this? Will it further my goals in any way? Will it benefit me or someone I care about? Will it create something or leave me just as I am when you started? If you can't get a positive answer to any of these questions then it is probably busy work that you don't need to do. Leave it. Can't leave it. Then set aside a half hour to take care of the task or delegate it to someone else. Completing busy work only gives you a false sense of accomplishment. It also gets you closer to burn out because you constantly feel like a hamster on a wheel.

Say, No

Have you over scheduled yourself? Do you automatically say, yes? You need to practice saying no. You don't have to give an excuse. If you must, then say, I already have another appointment at that time. The appointment can be with yourself. That is perfectly acceptable.

Put it Down

There are some things that will never be finished - cleaning, prospecting, organizing, etc. These are important tasks that are ongoing and beneficial, yet tedious. With these types of tasks you need to set aside weekly or daily time blocks to work on the tasks. Once the time limit is up, stop, and go on to the next thing on your schedule. Don't fret because you finished in the middle of something. Remember, these tasks will always be with you and can be picked up and put down at any time. Don't drive yourself crazy with these types of tasks.

Stop Doing the Same Thing

If something is not working in your schedule then stop doing it. Don't keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. Adjust your activity until it works for your schedule and you. If after a few adjustments it doesn't work, then STOP. It is that simple.

Life is hectic. Follow a few of the above time management tips and give yourself some breathing room. Also, don't forget to give yourself a break when you let your time get away from you. Remember, every minute is a chance to pick yourself up and start all over again.