Guest Contributor
Trending

Time management: 7 things to consider to be more efficient in the workplace

By | Katarina Kovarovicova | Digital Marketing Specialist

We all know the following situation: You are at work and you are concentrating on a certain project and before you know it, your working day is already over. However, you haven’t even finished half of the work you had planned for that day. You are wondering, how is that possible?

When we are at work, our main goal is usually to get all the things done that we have set out to do. We don’t pay attention to how much time and effort it has cost us, as long as we have accomplished our goal at the end of the day. The main purpose should be to work more efficiently and to do that we need to optimize our work habits. When we become more efficient at work, we achieve the same goals with less effort. 

The question we need to ask ourselves is: What can I do to become more efficient at work? 

Here are 7 tips:

1. Define precise goals for each day and set priorities

Every goal on your to-do list must be clearly specified. This will help you keep a good overview of all your tasks and to stay on track. The next step you need to take into account is what priority your tasks have. Prioritization is key to achieving long-term goals. Sometimes it can be difficult to decide which tasks are more important than others. If you understand what you’re really working on, it will help you determine which tasks are most important for future results.Think about what lasting value the task will bring you, and always keep your end goal in mind.  

2. Divide big tasks

Your to-do list is your guide. The list should not overwhelm you from the start. That’s why it’s a good idea to break these larger goals down into smaller and shorter goals. For example, a year-long goal can be broken down into monthly to-do lists, and then those into weekly lists, daily priorities, etc. Therefore, set yourself many small goals so that you can always cross a task off your list during the workday. This will keep you motivated and satisfied with your own performance.

3. Use the timeboxing method 

A long to-do list and the vision of the work that lies ahead of you can easily completely overwhelm you, which will reduce your productivity and you will slip into procrastination. This can be avoided by evaluating tasks according to the effort they require. Prioritize tasks that require minimal time and effort and complete them quickly. Don’t worry if you don’t follow the time intervals exactly. Sooner or later, you will develop a sense of estimating your efforts correctly.

4. Minimize distractions 

When working on projects, try to minimize any distractions. Mobile phones, emails or social media can easily distract you when you’re trying to be productive, making it difficult to maintain an efficient work routine. One effective method to combat distractions is to make a list of all the distractions in your work. If a creative idea strikes you, don’t deviate from your current work but write it down on your list and come back to it later when the time is right. Don’t avoid interacting with your colleagues, but try to socialize so that you don’t stray unnecessarily from your work routine.

5. Check e-mails later

As soon as a new email arrives, we usually want to respond to it immediately. Yet, many emails are not urgent. They only distract us from work and if we already reply to one email, we reply to all of them right away.You don’t have to be constantly available and respond to every email with a turnaround. Set aside a regular time to deal with your mail, constantly going through your inbox will distract you unnecessarily. Reading incoming emails once or twice a day is usually plenty enough.

6. Learn how to say no

Overexerting yourself and functioning “at your best” for long periods of time leads to permanent stress and it certainly won’t contribute to your performance in any way.

You don’t have to take on all the tasks.Get enough sleep, relax and don’t be afraid to occasionally turn down work without remorse, whether it’s directly related to a client assignment or your supervisor’s requirements. Turn down new projects if you already have too many. Your time and energy are limited. You’re not a machine and you can’t stand the constant onslaught of work. That’s why we stick to quality over quantity.

7. Take breaks

Take regular breaks. Have a coffee or go for a walk. The most important thing is to get up and walk away from your desk for a while. Don’t spend your breaks on your smartphone and definitely don’t skip on your meal break.  

Good to-do lists, regular breaks, and a balanced lifestyle are key to being more efficient at work. Now, if you want to keep track of all the tasks and projects you’ve been working on over the past few weeks or even months, time tracking software is just what you need! Not only will you keep up with your achievements and activities, but you’ll also be able to see how much time you spent at work.Try these tips to become more efficient. 

 

Show More

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button