Time management refers to the idea of managing your time in a way that will allow you to optimize it. With better time management, you will find yourself with less stress and more success in your day-to-day life. There are many time management techniques out there but some are better than others.
The two techniques described in this article demonstrate great beginner tips for what time management is and how to start taking advantage of it. They are less common than other tips you may have seen during a quick Google search, but they are very important!
It can be hard to get started with time management since it is such a broad topic and a big change, but stick with it! Once you get started you will see the benefits almost immediately.
These time management tips are less common than typical ones you might come across, but they shouldn’t be that way. Both tips are very useful and I am sure you will want to implement them right away! They both lay a foundation for how you will continue on your time management journey. Once you get these techniques down, you will never turn back.
This post is all about time management techniques that you won’t want to miss!
Time Management Techniques
What is time management?
So far you have heard that time management is important and worth sticking to, but what does it actually mean? Well, Wikipedia describes it as the process of planning and controlling your time to increase things like productivity. This definition is relatively representative of what time management means to me. It really is all about increasing productivity in the end. The definition of time management is more socially accepted as just being on top of things. You should always know what is coming up for your day, and should avoid any surprises. One of the best ways to do this is by using schedules and planners!
Utilizing schedules and planners is the best way to plan your time and get better at time management. I have a calendar in my kitchen that is filled out at the start of each week. I find that it helps me immensely with keeping myself and my schedule on track. By using little tools like this, you will improve your time management immediately.
Why is time management important?
Time management is important because it can change your life if implemented properly. By using these time management techniques, you can go from being an unproductive person to being a task-completion machine.
Time management affects your entire day, from sun up to sun down, and affects each activity you do. For example, at work, your time management will control how much you can get done and how well you perform each task. At home, your time management will affect whether or not you have time for the gym, how early you go to sleep, and how much you can get done on a given weekend.
Therefore, it is important to consider time management in everything you do and to improve your time management whenever you can. Check out the linked post below for more on the importance of time management!
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Time Management Techniques
If you try to implement these time management techniques into your day-to-day, you will see major changes that will optimize your day. Continue reading to learn more about these two time management techniques that you won’t want to miss!
1. The 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule, also known as the “Pareto Principle,” is the idea that the input to anything is rarely representative of the output. Vilfredo “discovered” this concept in 1897 when he noticed that 80% of the land in England was owned by 20% of the people. What does this mean? Basically, what Pareto was saying is that there is a natural imbalance in the world. Not everything works out so that your outcome equals the effort expended.
In terms of time management, this principle applies to the time you put into something and what you expect the results to be. If we follow the rule exactly, what it means is that 80% of the outcome will come from only 20% of the work. This sounds a little crazy at first. Why would that be true? Why would there be so much wasted time? The more you think about it, the clearer it becomes that the 80/20 rule is relatively realistic. Think about when you sit down and try to get something done. How often do you get distracted by a call, text, food break, bathroom break, boredom break, or “quick” nap break? All the little seconds or minutes that we spend away from the task is adding up to create that imbalance.
In order to implement this rule and use it to improve your time management, you need to figure out what that 20% is and how to make it happen consistently. Figuring out why that 20% is so much more efficient is a challenge, but it is worth it! As you go through whatever task you have coming up soon, work or personal, think about the times when you feel motivated and are working fast, and the times when the opposite is true. Maybe that inefficient work can be delegated to somebody else. Or possibly you can figure out what is giving you satisfaction as you work and try to match that in the tasks you don’t love doing. If you can start to recognize your 20%, you will become much better at time management!
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2. The Time Management Matrix
The time management matrix is a great tool that will help pick what the optimal priority may be. Below is an example of what a time management matrix can look like.
As you can see there are some distinct categories that help you decide on priorities. These categories are also numbered, which signifies the proper order things should get done.
When thinking through your upcoming day or week, try to pin down the major activities you expect or want to do. These may include things like going to the grocery store, cooking dinner, watching a movie, hitting the gym, or going out for ice cream. Start by looking through your list and assessing the tasks based on the categories (bold text in blue squares) that you see above. As you evaluate, you will start to be able to drop things into certain areas of the chart! From this point, using the time management matrix becomes fairly self-explanatory. All you need to do is audit your week and you will be able to figure out what should go where, and therefore, what your priorities should be.
This matrix is not the end-all-be-all for time management. Just use it as a starting point to evaluate your week! Also, feel free to still do activities even if they fall into category 3 or 4. Sometimes, something silly that is not important or urgent is just what you need to get through a tough week.
Give this time management matrix a try! I have found that it helps keep my stress level low since I can easily figure out my priorities without much hassle.
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Hopefully, you understand a little bit more about these two time management techniques and the role they can play in improving your life! If you have any questions or ideas, feel free to send them to us at ourteam@wellroundedyou.com. Thanks for reading!
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