Sometimes it feels like there is not enough time in the day to fit everything into your schedule, especially after a full day at the office. You might even put off all your responsibilities until the weekend because you believe that the window between getting out of work and going to bed is too small to squeeze anything in there. But the truth is, with the right time management skills, you can accomplish more than you think throughout the week, leaving your weekend wide open! Luckily, through 30+ years of success stories, ISGF has acquired various tips on how to better manage your time and feel more satisfied with your scheduling.
- Understand How Much Time You Have
Let’s say you get home around 6 p.m. after work and start to get ready for bed around 9 p.m. That is THREE HOURS of time you have on your hands… Monday through Friday! Over the period of these 15 accumulated hours, you have more time than the sun is out on a Saturday! Use this time to be productive. If you are set on the idea that this is not enough time, start with something small that you know will not take up too much of your time, and gradually move up from there.
- Treat Your Time Like It Is Your MONEY
You have most likely heard the phrase “Time is Money.” How you manage your time is comparable to how you manage your money in that you only have a set amount of each. You need to create an allowable budget of how you spend them. Like money, if you waste too much time at the beginning of the week, it will become required of you to fit in as much as possible into the time you have left.
You might have neglected this idea a few times in the past. There was a certain project due by a specific, non-budging deadline, but you spent your time procrastinating or working on other projects that you deemed easier. Because of this, you had to spend most of your time working to make sure it got done on time; stressing the entire time and regretting your decision to put it off. You can easily turn this around by following our next tip…
- Set Daily Goals for Yourself
Consider investing in a physical, paper planner that you can write in. Using a planner allows you to set daily goals for yourself by writing out your plans and what time frames you would like to complete them in! This also gives you a visualization of just how much time you have on your hands. Additionally, it is beyond satisfying to cross out what you had written down on your to-do list.
Bonus Tip: Before going to bed each night, think about one or two things that you know you can do in your next day’s allotted free time. Doing so will allow you to jump right into being productive after work or any previously planned task, rather than using that time trying to decide what you could be working on.
- Reduce the Possibility of Distractions
Your phone, although used for virtually everything these days, can be a black hole of distractions and procrastination. While working on your previously planned objectives for the day, think about putting your phone on silent, “Do Not Disturb,” or the opposite side of the room, minimizing your chances of becoming distracted by notifications and alerts. These notifications and alerts can lead to you picking up your phone and wasting time by scrolling through your favorite social media.
- Reward Yourself With a Break
It is important to take a break or two if you have numerous responsibilities planned throughout the day. Going all day without taking a break can cause you to burn out and have a negative experience. Like your other tasks, plan out a few breaks here and there. Taking the time to eat something, play with your pets or take a nap is a rewarding experience that can improve your mental health. It gives you the chance to look back at your accomplishments and evaluate your time spent being productive as a positive experience. This, in turn, will set the tone in your subconscious that being productive is rewarding and will encourage you to continue planning your time out.
Managing your time to be more productive is made simple with these first few steps. After putting your time management skills to the test, you will be able to enjoy your time off on the weekends even more; rather than spending them doing chores, running errands, and finishing other responsibilities that could have been taken care of during the week. And as a bonus, you can add time management as one of your skills on your resume!
Written by
Spencer Ford
Marketing Contributor
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