Improving your time management skills could be the difference between securing a promotion or wallowing in the same position for years on end. Furthermore, business owners who master time management frequently see the overall health of their company skyrocket, especially when those time management skills trickle down to their employees. Nonetheless, improving your time management skills isn’t always easy, and many struggling professionals continue to find it irksome and difficult to get a better grasp on their daily schedule.
Here’s how to improve your time management skills, and what technology you can rely upon to keep your appointments and hit your deadlines.
Time management is a digital endeavor
In the modern age, time management is a digital endeavor that requires the help of some handy gadgets. The current business world is dominated by computers and tight schedules, which means everyday workers need technology of their own to help stay abreast of rising workflows. Both your personal computer and smartphone can be immensely helpful when it comes to keeping track of time as it slips by, and smart “wearable” technology promises to make the future of time management a breeze sooner rather than later.
Relying on your smartphone is a surefire way to receive periodic reminders when your deadline is approaching. Most modern smartphones actually have a reminder or notepad app built in with this specific intention in mind, so don’t hesitate to take your phone out the next time you need to jot something down in order to remember it. Using your cellphone as a time management tool begins with reminders and gets even better over time as you learn to master calendars for long-term strategic planning.
Don’t be afraid to book digital appointments into your phone’s calendar, which you should be checking every day if you’re struggling to improve your time management skills. Furthermore, you can rely on the contacts in your phone if you’re uncertain of a deadline; with a smartphone in hand, figuring out when something is due or when you’re expected to arrive is as simple as sending out a text message or calling someone on the phone. It’s important you don’t allow yourself to become distracted, however; browsing social media apps on your smartphone is a good way to lose track of time, for instance, so don’t let your handy digital gadget become an impediment to time management thanks to your lack of self-control.
You need to track your time
The next step to mastering time management is to track your time in a journal or digital blog. While it can be ironically time-consuming to jot down every little bit of your day instead of focusing on your work, you’ll soon discover that tracking your time by writing down what you’re doing helps you identify wasteful moments of the day. Even the most productive of people have one or two things that hold them back, but few of us understand what we’re wasting time on until we actually write out entire schedules out to get a bird’s eye view of our daily responsibilities and habits.
Remember that you need to be as specific when possible when tracking your time, and that forgetting to review your schedule after jotting it down is yet another waste of your time and energy. Thus, you should again rely on the help of digital technology when it comes to tracking your time, especially with helpful smartphone apps that make it a breeze.Some of the best free vpns will allow you to integrate this more securely.
Finally, you must learn to instill an iron discipline in yourself, as no amount of technology can help you improve your time management skills if you’re unwilling to make changes to your personal life.
Become a disciplined worker
You should be brutal honest when assessing how good you are at time management, as many of us want to deceive ourselves about how productive or on-time we are. If you’re lying to yourself about the many ways you squander the precious minutes of the day, you’re only holding yourself back from becoming more productive and healthier. After all, research from Northwestern Medicine has demonstrated that those who maintain a daily routine are generally healthier and happier than those who struggle to keep a strict habitual schedule.
Finally, you should assess the people around you to determine if they’re wasting your time. Beloved friends and family members may be intruding on you during your working hours, for instance, which can stymie your productivity and force you to miss a deadline. Make sure that you’re surrounding yourself with happy, productive people who maintain regular schedules themselves if you really want to become a time management pro.
Improving your time management skills is a step-by-step process, so don’t be disappointed if you don’t immediately generate amazing results. Keep relying on the help of digital technology and be brutally honest when assessing how you waste time, and you’ll soon impress yourself with how more disciplined and scheduled your everyday life has become.