3 Steps to Improving Your Time Management
For many of us, productivity is often equated with spending more time working. However, there are techniques that can help you organize your time more efficiently.
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One area where I’ve consistently been sought out for assistance, whether directly or indirectly, is time management during 1:1 coaching practice. Time management is an ongoing process for all of us. as we navigate different stages in life, it’s crucial to take a step back and ensure we are effectively managing our time. This not only helps us remain in a proactive mode but also guards against falling into a reactive one, among other benefits.
Learning effective time management strategies can significantly enhance your productivity and overall well-being. In this article, I present a framework to help you assess and improve your time management.
Step 1: Look at how you are currently spending your time.
Consider your entire life — both work and personal — as interconnected, where one area can significantly affect the other. In general, the typical 5-day work week breaks down into three equal 40-hour segments:
- Sleeping
- Working
- Personal Time
Reflect on the hours you spend on various tasks throughout your week, both in your personal and work life. Does the sum of these hours exceed or fall short of the 40-hour mark? Is there room for unexpected events, or do you find yourself stretched thin? Assess whether you feel a sense of accomplishment in meeting your priorities and if there’s anything you wish you had more time for.
Step 2: Take a week to track how you are spending your days
This step is to evaluate how close your perception alignes with your reality. Each day track the following:
- Goals/Priorities for the day
- Tasks completed and the time dedicated to each
- What did you not have time for?
- Did your routine take more or less time than expected?
