21 tips for tenacious time management

Look, either you’re working smart or you’re wasting your time. And since time is literally the most precious commodity anyone owns, wasting it is not the wisest thing to do, is it? I mean, if I asked you, “Hey, do you want to lose 500 days on Facebook?” Would you ever say yes? Yet people have done exactly that. And when I say 500 days, I mean 500 24-hour days.

Oh.

That’s why it’s so important to become an expert in managing your time, so you can spend more time having the life you want rather than trying to build the life you want. hope have some day. In other words, work smart and you will reach your goals much faster.

You may notice that my 21 time management tips below are a bit stubborn. But hey, I’m not here to make you feel good, I’m here to see if I can lead you to higher productivity and stellar success.

1. Do the important things first. That is first, before anything the rest. As in, FIRST. Yes, it is basic. It is also surprising how many people check their email and social networks, read the newspaper and visit YouTube, etc., before doing the important things, which, as a consequence, are usually not done.

2. Say “no.” Much.

3. Sleep until you are done sleeping. For most people, this is 7.5 hours. Reducing sleep means that you won’t be as productive the next day. You may think that if I stay up late or wake up early, you are taking advantage of a few more hours to get some work done, but your productivity will suffer and your creativity and decision making will be hampered.

4. Focus. Hey! I said attention. Imagine that you are hypnotized and can only focus on the task at hand. Nothing else exists, including your email.

5. Start early. Start working early in the day and get started on projects long before they are due. Procrastination will kill your ambitions, your dreams, and your goals. Procrastination is your sworn enemy. Treat it as such.

6. Details? We don’t need stinky details. Go ahead and get him out the door. If you are seeking perfection, you are aiming for failure.

7. Turn your most important tasks into habits. If they are as important as brushing your teeth and combing your hair, then make them a priority.

8. Blow up the TV. Smash your game console and stop messing around on the internet. No, you don’t need to watch that cute kitty compilation video. Back to work.

9. Set time limits and deadlines. Live for them. Die for them. Work expands to fill the allotted time, so only allocate what you need and no more.

10. Go for a walk. When you finish one task, take a short walk before starting the next one. It will clear your head.

11. Don’t worry about your 46 to-do list. Focus on one thing at a time and only on one thing. Work on it until it’s ready. Breathe.

12. Exercise and eat like a sane person. They give you one body and only one body. Treat it like one of your most treasured possessions, because until you perfect your body transplant, it is your only home.

13. Do less. This is like saying “no”, only maybe you already said “yes” and now you realize it was a mistake. Don’t compound the mistake by complying (unless you’ve made a promise to someone else and they depend on you). For example, you were going to write that article, but now you realize that it is a lousy topic. So don’t write the thing. You get the idea.

14. make Monday better doing some work on the weekend. Two days without work makes it very difficult to start on Monday. So also take 2-4 hours to work on Saturdays and Sundays. This gives you plenty of free time and sets you up for a spectacular start on Monday. Plus, if you really catch up on work, you can now take a weekday afternoon off.

15. Organize your things – both physical and digital. Spending 30 minutes trying to find a file is not productive. So get organized, and this is the key: stay organized. Every day before you leave work, put everything in its place so that you can find it again when you need it.

16. There is no “downtime”. Are you waiting in line? Do you drive your car? On the elliptical at the gym? Then listen to podcasts that can help your business or do something productive. If nothing else, you knit in the doctor’s waiting room, it’s a great stress reliever. Seriously.

17. Lock yourself up. Or more specifically, block everyone else. Don’t leave until you finish your current assignment. Radical, but it works.

18. Don’t discount your plan. Once you decide to do something, should. If it’s not 100% worth doing, it doesn’t belong in your plan.

19. Batch it, baby. If you need to make 5 phone calls, answer 12 emails, and write two blog posts, then do those things in batches. Once you make the first phone call, you have the right mindset to quickly make the others. Once you reply to the first email, the other 11 are very straightforward.

However, if you need to do several similar time consuming things, batch processing may be a bad idea due to exhaustion. In that case, do one, take a break while you do something else small, and then go back and start the second big task. Doing a small task between large tasks resets your head and gives you a better sense of accomplishment.

20. Find time for stillness and foolishness. It is important to practice stillness for a few minutes every day to reduce anxiety and clear your head. Focus on your breathing and relaxing every part of your body.

Foolishness is also important. Read something funny. Make faces in the mirror or at your child. Jump rope or hula hoop. In other words, play with your inner child every day, if only for a few moments.

21. Eliminate excess and not essential. Simplify. Find out what is important and what is worth your time, and then get rid of the rest.

One last thing … Love your life. I love your day. Love your friends and family. I love your job. Above all: love yourself.