If you own or manage a business, you know how difficult it is to budget your time and focus on those tasks that are most important. You probably have a never-ending to-do list and many people asking you to complete additional tasks. Being unable to manage your time leads to burnout.
Keep Your Top Goals to a Short List
Begin each day by deciding which tasks are most important for the day and the week. Be sure to break those tasks down into smaller steps. Don’t attack entire projects, but instead focus on the specific steps. Even if they feel small, they’ll add up. It’s also important to set clear deadlines for yourself.
Don’t go crazy when making your to-do list. Keep the list short and manageable. The point of creating a to-do list isn’t to list every single thing down that you would ever hope to accomplish. The list is supposed to be an effective tool, so it should be short and focused.
Regain Control of Your Inbox
Set regular times to check your email inbox during the day. Don’t worry about checking it obsessively or responding to every email ping right away. Let your coworkers know when you’ll be responding to their emails.
Organizing your inbox will also help you stay on track. Delete emails that you don’t need to read again. If you receive email updates you don’t ever actually read, unsubscribe from them. Set up folders, categories, and labels to organize your emails.
Schedule Meetings Mindfully
When you book meetings, schedule them for as short a period of time possible. This shorter time frame communicates a sense of urgency, which encourages people to get to the point more quickly. If you run out of time and find you still have questions, schedule another follow up meeting.
When you schedule your meetings, do your best to schedule all of them back-to-back. This way you can give all your meetings the attention they deserve. You’ll also have the rest of your day to complete projects without having to start and stop to go to meetings.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with these different methods to find out which ones work best for you. After all, each person is different. Being able to better manage your time will help you be more productive and engaged during the workday.
This article was originally published at FredSines.co.uk.