Procrastination, procrastination, procrastination. It’s something that plagues us all. Every person has a limited number of work hours in a day. Yet, some seem to complete a lot more tasks and have better time management skills and some do not. Learning the secret that leads to high productivity and success isn’t as complex as you might think. Add a few tools, processes and essential habits to your regular routine to get to the top and stay at the top. So if you want to improve, then keep reading to learn how to improve time management and save 1-hour a day!
When employees use their time effectively, implement as many productivity hacks they can and are leveraging productivity apps, they naturally become more productive and improve operational efficiency. They have time for checking errors, developing growth strategies, and building a stronger organizational culture.
The Importance of Time Management
The day is full of distractions. The chatty coworker stops by, your inbox is full, and you have more meetings that honestly could have been solved via an email. Productivity vs. efficiency is a constant struggle both professionally and personally.
Time management skills, however, teach you to juggle multiple tasks.
In addition, at times even your own computer technology can get bogged down causing massive productivity loss. Ever pressed a button on your keyboard or clicked your mouse, and then you began to sit and wait? Funny, one of the top searches on Google includes how to speed up Chrome and keyboard shortcuts because we are always looking for answers on how to be more productive.
The importance of and frankly, some of the benefits of better time management in learning how to schedule your day include:
- Better working memory
- Lower stress levels
- Better response time in a situation that requires self-discipline
- More effective time management when overwhelmed
- Making progress on big projects
- Better and more productive meetings
These are just a few of the ways you can manage your time well and get more done.
What Are Some Ways to Improve Time Management Skills?
People can learn better time management skills by gaining insight on wasted time. Learn to focus on the important tasks first. Training and role-playing allow you to know how to respond when your schedule becomes overwhelming.
Try these top tips to climb out of a work overload.
Eliminate Nonessential Communication
Businesses thrive on communication. The average employee spends around three hours and 43 minutes every day communicating. One way to get more done is to reduce the amount of time talking, texting, emailing, and scrolling on social media.
Time management skills include knowing how to prioritize emails. You should limit how much time you allow for writing emails. In fact, this is where top productivity tools like an auto text expander would be super valuable to help you type less and do more. Top users of FlyMSG save 33+ hours per month. That’s 1-hour or more per day!
In addition, if an email isn’t urgent, wait to respond. If you can create a standard response we suggest you save it as a template also known as a FlyCut inside the free AI writer and text expander tool called FlyMSG. Spend less time on nonessential things and more on important tasks.
Create detailed frequently asked questions (FAQs) to answer the most common questions that come into your inbox and then add them as a FlyCut inside FlyMSG.
Streamline Goals
Spend time on the front end writing out goals, breaking them into smaller tasks, and see what you can delegate. You’ll save time on the backend by freeing your schedule from tasks someone else can efficiently complete.
Learn how to improve time management by breaking big tasks into smaller ones. When you break big goals into more manageable chunks, you also avoid burning out, which can slow your productivity.
Use Autoresponders
Email marketing is still one of the most powerful forms of reaching your customers. Around 59% of marketing professionals feel email auto responders give them the highest return on investment (ROI) compared to other channels. However, sending and responding to emails is time-consuming.
Setting up automated canned responses in Gmail or outlook saves a lot of time. Think about the last time you shopped with a site such as Walmart.com.
Rather than the brand sending you a personalized message, they sent an automatic email letting you know the order was received and providing an estimated timeline or tracking information.
Anything you type repeatedly can likely be automated with FlyMSG. Find the right mix between personal attention and responses that you write once and use repeatedly.
Assign Tasks to a Time
Set a time for certain tasks and time block them on your calendar. When you work on something and suddenly remember you needed to get a report in, then switch to that task, you lose momentum. Each time your mind shifts to a new task, you’ll waste minutes getting into another thought mode.
Instead, set aside a certain amount of time to complete the report and put it on your schedule. When you allot time to items, you also avoid procrastination or spending too many minutes on something nonessential.
Making small changes, such as scheduling your day and filling blocks of time with certain tasks, improves time management skills quickly.
Avoid Distractions, Avoid Squirrel Syndrome
Modern life can have a lot of stress and modern technology can present lots of shinny new objects daily. Each takes away from our personal productivity. It’s often referred to as squirrel syndrome. Look it’s a brown squirrel. Wait what was I writing about as I just saw a squirrel?
So turn off your notifications on your phone for every IM, text, email, social media ping. Why? Because you know you’re going to look at it anyway and check it. So do it when you’ve blocked out time to do it.
Or how about this improvement… turn off the WhatsApp, Slack, Google Chat, email notification or equivalent off your computer. They are all the worst time sucks and distractions on the planet. Rather instead, time block. When you’re ready to check apps like WhatsApp at 3pm or Slack at 2pm, or look at your LinkedIn profile, then do it.
In the meantime, you don’t need a notification to tell you to check something that you’ll be checking anyway at a designated time.
To increase productivity, put a sign on your door to not knock or interrupt you. Turn off the ringer on your phone. Hone in on the task at hand.
Use an AI Writing Assistant
Whenever possible, try using an AI writing assistant like FlyMSG to help you craft answers in seconds. You can use tools such as FlyMSG where you type a few words and the system finishes the rest of the sentence for you.
Create a Priority List Rather Than a To-Do List
Making lists can take up precious time you could be working on a new social media marketing post for your blog or finishing up some tasks for a project. Consider what the most crucial tasks are and organize your list, so it motivates you to finish. Some people may find knocking out a few low-priority items spurs them onto the more difficult ones. Others may do better when they list the priorities first and work on those and leave the unimportant stuff for the end of the day.
How to Fix Poor Time Management
What happens if you’ve fallen into bad productivity habits that result in bad time management behaviors? Breaking a routine is challenging and may require a lot of effort to overcome the repetitive mistakes that eat into your day. So here are a few tips to fix poor time management.
Find Your Productive Hours
People have different circadian rhythms. A morning person will be most productive shortly after rising. A night owl may do their best work in the afternoons and evenings. Use productivity trackers to see when you complete the most work. Once you have an idea of when you are at peak productivity, schedule the most important tasks during that time.
Practice Focus
Learn to focus on the task in front of you. Techniques such as listening to classical music or deep breathing can help center your mind and prevent outside distractions from creeping in.
Focus is a learned trait. You have to learn to tune out other people’s conversations and even worries you might bring to the office from home. With practice, your focus will improve, and you’ll create more effective time management skills.
Knock Out the Hardest Task First
Procrastination is a productivity killer. It’s natural for a person to go to the easiest items on their to-do list first. After all, you can knock those little things out of the way and feel a great sense of accomplishment.
However, starting on the most difficult task may be a better use of your time management skills. If the item still seems too big, consider ways to break it down into smaller segments and set realistic deadlines based on the amount of work.
Complete one task at a time to stay focused. Multitasking might seem like a good idea. In reality, working on several things at once slows you down because the brain’s working mode shifts and impairs executive function. Avoid multitasking, take short breaks to refocus, and choose items of highest importance first.
On the other hand, focusing on one task boosts productivity and teaches self-discipline.
Set “SMART” Goals
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for:
S – Specific: When setting a goal, it’s essential to be specific about what you want to achieve. Rather than saying, “I want to improve my sales productivity,” a specific goal would be, “I want to increase my monthly sales prospecting time by 1-hour a day this next quarter.”
M – Measurable: Measurable goals allow you to track progress and determine success. So find a way to measure and track them.
A – Achievable: Goals should be realistic and attainable. While aiming high is admirable, setting unattainable goals can lead to frustration. Consider your resources, constraints, and capabilities when defining achievable goals.
R – Relevant: Relevance ensures that your goals align with your overall business or the individuals job objectives. Ask yourself, “Is this goal relevant to our company’s, job function or my personal mission?” If not, reconsider or adjust it accordingly.
T – Time-Bound: Setting a deadline provides urgency and focus. For example, instead of saying, “I’ll improve our website,” set a time-bound goal like, “I’ll revamp our website design by the end of this quarter.”
Remember, SMART goals help you create a clear roadmap for success, whether you’re launching a new campaign, improving processes, or growing your business.
Seek Feedback from Those With Good Time Management
Another way to boost productivity is to ask those who have excellent time management to offer feedback to you. Tell them you’re looking for ways to streamline your process and ask for advice. You sometimes need an outside perspective for more effective time management. A coworker can see the little things you spend time on that impact your overall productivity.
3 Things That Further Develop Good Time Management Skills
Soft skills can further improve time management and create a better work-life balance. While stopping for a rest or taking time out to study might seem counterintuitive to productivity, taking only a few seconds to pour into your internal well-being can improve mental health and make you more productive. 
1. Develop Mindset Growth
Companies that embrace a learning mindset culture find employees are more creative and happier in their roles. Google is the perfect example of mixing business and creativity to come up with groundbreaking innovations. They give their employees 20% of their schedule for downtime to brainstorm ideas, pursue interesting projects, and work out their thoughts in creative ways.
When everyone in the business strives to get a little better each day, the entire organization thrives. People springboard off one another with new ideas. People aren’t scared to brainstorm, speak up, and share radical thoughts.
2. Take Breaks
Many schools of thought surround taking breaks. Everyone can agree that working nonstop leads to burnout. If you find yourself blocked and unable to focus on the task at hand, try taking a walk, getting a snack, or moving outside with your laptop.
The Pomodora technique encourages people to work for 25 minutes and then take a short break. After four sessions of 25 minutes/short break, the person should take a slightly longer break.
3. Create Work/Life Balance
People who are extremely dedicated to their jobs may put their heads down and work nonstop. On the surface, they seem highly productive. Unfortunately, their mental health can suffer if they don’t take time to care for their emotional well-being.
Most companies build a certain number of days off into employment packages for a reason. They know employees do better long-term when they get breaks here and there. Having a few days off for your personal life or completing to-do lists breaks up the monotony and reduces stress. You’ll return to work better able to focus on tasks.
Improving time management skills may boil down to something as simple as stepping outside for a brisk walk and gaining some distance from the problem.
Find More Time for Family Members
Workers who are more focused can complete work in almost any setting or work ahead for a bit of rest and relaxation. A healthy work/life balance means you’ll better manage your time for activities you enjoy.
When you have time for family members, they’ll be more supportive of your work and understanding when you do have a deadline and need to focus.
Practical Time Management Skills and Dos and Don’ts
You may be asking, “How will I improve my time management skills?” Fixing bad time management may be as critical as learning positive steps to improve time management.
DO: Start the Day Early
How can I improve time management at work? Unless you work in the entertainment industry or a factory on the third shift, you have to run on the same schedule as the rest of the business world. Starting the day as early as possible gives you a jumpstart and overcomes the time limit factor of end-of-day deadlines.
DON’T: Multi-task
Trying to work on several different items at the same time can reduce efficiency. The human brain has to shift from one topic to the next rather than a task-based approach. Those who multitask frequently can’t withstand the ongoing pressure and either burn out or effectively reduce their productivity in the process.
If you’ve ever started a bunch of things but not finished any of them, you’ve experienced multitasking at its worst. While there are times you must work on more than one thing at a time, do your best to avoid the scenario and hone in on the most crucial thing first.
DO: Tap Into Time Management Tools
One of the ways to improve your time management is by utilizing productivity software such as a writing assistant, AI post generator, and timers. Use online tools to allot time for the most critical tasks. Your Google calendar can keep you on track with reminders. Use Google tasks as well as it makes for a great checklist tool.
You could even time your breaks, making sure you don’t run over and can return to the task quickly without wasting too much time. Pay attention to how different tasks can negatively affect your progress.
Other strategies consistently helpful with time management include project management software, checklists of tasks, and focusing on one task at a time. Improve your time management and gain a reduction in stress with productivity tools.
Luckily, there are many innovative tools available that not only save time but also streamline productivity effortlessly. Check out the following testimonial about why you should use FlyEngage AI:
DON’T: Always Say YES – Learn the Power of NO
You want to be a helpful coworker, friend or professional. Offering your support and taking on projects seems innocent and builds a cooperative company culture. Unfortunately, when it comes to how to improve and add to time management skills, adding tasks to your agenda may mean ignoring some of your most crucial tasks.
You can soften the “no” by saying, “I can’t. I wish I had the time.” If you soften your response too much, though, they may ask repeatedly, or you may find yourself backtracking and taking on more than you can handle.
DO: Delegate Tasks
Once you’ve learned to work effectively, figuring out how to delegate tasks is easier. Various tasks can be shuffled to assistants, so you’re working smarter and more productively. You can better manage your time when you have fewer tasks.
For example, you’ll have less stress when someone else answers emails. Lose the repetitive work and focus on the most important tasks to make a good impression on your clients and company leaders.
You may find you have as many responsibilities as ever. However, if your manager can trust you to plow through the high levels of work and maintain productivity, you’ll gain a reputation for excellent time management and be given long-term goals and more trust.
What Are the Four P’s of Time Management?
If you’ve seen examples of people with good time management skills, you already know there are specific qualities highly successful people have. They lean on the four P’s of time management to boost productivity.
- Prioritization – Rank critical tasks first and unimportant ones last.
- Planning – Take a few minutes each morning to plan out your day and set goals you wish to accomplish.
- Process – Try different tactics to see what time management tricks work best for your personality.
- Positivity – Keep a positive attitude. If one process fails, find a new one. Talk to others about what works for them.
How to Improve Time Management Tricks
You know your work style better than anyone. Make a list of what distracts you. Make another list of when you’re most productive. Pay attention when you have less time and how you manage stress. Improving time management is an ongoing process.
Work to improve each small component impacting productivity, and you’ll find your time management effectively improves. Before you know it, you will zoom through your to do lists.
