5 Steps to Better Time Management

Do you feel like your workload keeps piling up, with no end in sight? Are late hours and weekends in the office a typical occurrence? If this is the case, you may need to reconsider your current time management strategies. Often times, an overwhelming feeling at work can be easily addressed with a few simple changes to your day-to-day habits.

1. Create a list of goals and prioritize accordingly. Having a master plan helps you identify which tasks are must be accomplished to reach your short and long-term goals. Take some time to write out what you wish to accomplish this month, this year, in the next five years. Then, create a list of which tasks lead to these goals and refer to it before creating your daily to-do list.

2. Don’t multi-task. Working on two tasks at once will prevent you from spending your time effectively on either. Researchers have found that multitasking actually inhibits our brains from focusing properly, and makes assignments more time consuming.

3. Budget your time. Designate a specific amount of time to spend on each item on your list. This will keep you motivated to stay on task, and ensure that your day stays on track. Make sure to also budget time for lunch, exercise and breaks.

4. Avoid distractions. When you choose a task to work on, focus all of your attention towards it. Don’t let co-workers, interesting online articles or social media distract you. This might be the hardest habit to break, but if you wait to do engage in these activities until your breaks, you will notice that even the most difficult tasks seem easier and take less time.

5. Delegate tasks. Stress at work often happens when we take on too many tasks. This results in fatigue, poor quality work, and less productivity. There’s no shame in delegating tasks to juniors or capable freelancers.

By implementing these simple time management practices into your routine, you should notice an immediate improvement in your productivity and will have more energy at the end of the day.

If you find that desk work is still getting in the way of your productivity or delegating tasks only leads to more frustration, try working with LeanScout. Originally developed for two of the world’s largest consultancy firms, LeanScout addresses the issue of excess desk work by leveraging our supervised global workforce, that, today, is utilized by both large and small businesses to confidently delegate office tasks.