Everyone has those moments (or many moments) where it feels as if there is too much to do in the time available. Here’s how you can manage time to reduce stress.
“15 Time Management Tips for Achieving Your Goals” in Entrepreneur provides some excellent strategies for tackling the time-use problem.
Among author R.L. Adams’ top tips to avoid distractions and reduce procrastination:
- Think about how to set effective goals. Goals are great, but they must be the right ones. Is it possible to achieve them? Are your goals really connected to the long-term plan? Are they specific enough that you will know when they are completed?
- Consider how you spend your time now. Document your actions on an hourly basis. What things are consuming more chunks of your life than necessary?
- Have a plan for the day ahead. Make a to-do list at the end of each day when needs are clear in your mind. Start by achieving the most important activities. Doing this gives an early sense of accomplishment when energy levels are highest and sets the stage for the next day.
- Figure out which activities give the biggest bang for the proverbial buck. Often a small number of tasks result in the bulk of the results. Calculating which efforts bring the most impactful results is time well spent.
- Taking breaks can increase productivity. Take a few minutes to meditate, exercise or organize.
For more of Adams’ tips, visit Entrepreneur.