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10 time management tips for busy professionals

10 time management tips for busy professionals

If you feel like your life is moving faster than a Nascar race, you’re not alone. We live in a time where dual-income families and single-parent households are the norm, a stark contrast to the happy families on the sitcoms we grew up watching on TV.

So how is it all accomplished when there are only 24 hours in a day? The first step is to reprioritize. Does it really matter if your house is spotless? Does your family really need a 7-course meal on the table every night? Instead of spending time preparing an elaborate meal, wouldn’t you rather use that time with your family or to catch up on some R&R?

Regardless of how you define your priorities, we all could use a little extra time in the day. The following are some time management ideas that can help you increase your productivity and improve your quality of life. Try incorporating some of these ideas and see how it affects your life. You will be glad you did!

1. Turn off your email. It can be hard to break away from your constant communication with the world, but if you check email twice a day, you’ll be amazed at how much time you save. Specify specific time periods during the day that you will spend on email and stick to your schedule.

A Silicon Valley company recently implemented a no-email rule on Fridays. If you need an answer to a question, you should pick up the phone or walk over to the person who has the answer. While this may not always be the most productive solution, it makes it clear that we rely too much on email for our communication. When you stop letting it rule your life, your productivity will finally increase.

2. Create email filters to send spam directly to the trash. With the latest version of Microsoft Outlook, you can right-click a spam message and add the sender to your Blocked Senders list, preventing future messages from that sender from reaching your Inbox.

3. Hire a virtual assistant to handle administrative tasks. VAs are remote office managers who can handle tasks including large shipping, contact management, and other office tasks. They can be hired for a single project or on an ongoing basis. To find a VA, visit the International Association of Virtual Assistants.

4. Get in the habit of using a to-do list every day. At the end of each day, make a list of items to complete the next day. This helps you put closure on the day so you don’t worry about forgetting the tasks that await you tomorrow.

5. Manage your meetings. Set expectations when starting a meeting by announcing a cut-off time. You could say something like, “I know you’re busy too, and I have another meeting at 3:00, so let’s plan to wrap this up at 2:45.” Not only does this keep your agenda on track, but busy attendees will appreciate it too. Keep an eye on the clock and stick to the time you have allotted.

6. Get your filing system in order. Do you waste time looking for invoices or receipts? Create a file folder for each month’s receipts and simply place your documents in each corresponding folder. This can also come in handy later when you have a question about a January credit card expense. Just pull out your January folder and voila, you have your information at your fingertips!

7. Use pre-printed lists for supplies, groceries, etc. Make a list of the office supplies you use regularly and post one on a bulletin board near your desk. Simply check off the supplies you need when you’re running low to remind yourself what you need to reorder. This system also works well for groceries and household items. Get your family in the habit of marking items that are running low so they never forget to buy something at the grocery store again.

8. Use templates to repeat projects. Do you have a daily, weekly or monthly report to write? Do you spend time manually calculating numbers that could easily be done in a spreadsheet? Create templates to reuse over and over again and minimize your setup time.

9. Freeze leftovers. If you have a slice or two left over from tonight’s dinner and you know no one will want it tomorrow, store it in a freezer-safe container and save it for lunch or a quick dinner option in the coming weeks.

10. Designate a daily chore for everyone in your family. In previous generations, most children worked for a living! Take your kids away from video games for twenty minutes to help them clean up the garbage, dishes, vacuum, or take care of pets. Delegating a task to everyone on a daily basis will lighten your load and keep your home organized and clean. You can even make a list or spreadsheet and rotate tasks or make it fun by offering a reward after everyone is done.

Don’t forget the most important time management tip: take some time for yourself. You’re no good to anyone if you’re sleep deprived and miserable. We all deserve a little down time, even if it means you have to schedule some time for yourself in your calendar every day. Your business, family and relationships will benefit when your priorities are in order and you have balance in your life.

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