We all have been there: we wish there were more days in a week, more hours in a day; we sleep in late, are proud that we were only a few minutes late, blame it on the traffic and go through the rest of our time and our focus is scattered and inconsistent. At the end of the day we scratch our heads and wonder what happened to the day. We think that we could have done so much more with the time. You say to yourself “that day I could have done so much” but in reality you did very little. If this is you, and I think that this is all of us at one point in our lives, then we are in need of time management strategies. Time management strategies help us slice up the day into parts.

The major key to these time management strategies is this: while we cannot literally add more time to our day, we can realign our priorities so that we open up the time each of us is given to do more of the things we want. It is just as impossible to give yourself a 25^th hour as it is to cut-out sleep from our schedule or skip eating. So the task is not to create more but the secret to these time management strategies is to make sure that the time we are given goes to the things that matter most to us.

The effect of these time management strategies is that they help us do what is most important with the time that we are given. To be conscious of this is itself one of the major time management strategies. While willpower is not enough, (if it were we wouldn’t need these time management strategies) having the right kind of intent is very important. We know that you may need to better spend your time; that’s why you are reading this. Now if you wake up each morning and make a conscious effort to spend each day to its fullest, and if you think of all of your time as the single most important resource given to you and a new chance to try out these time management strategies, then you have done well.

While all of these time management strategies are different, a major principle of our list is that our suggestions go with the grain of your body: In other words, we will NOT be advocating filling your body with caffeine or anything else unhealthy. We think the best thing to do is to go with the flow and use your body as a time resource. If it is unhealthy or uncomfortable, it won’t last as a viable option for helping yourself.

This brings us to the list of time management strategies:

Time Management Strategies: Make Goals

This is the first thing that you should be doing. Let’s say that you have to do 10 major tasks of the day; by simply writing down these goals that need to be done you can visualize what you have to do each day. Make both short term goals and long-term goals. Have the big picture in mind but micro-manage your time by focusing on the smaller goals. A journey that goes for many miles begins with a single step. While this is an often-said cliché, it makes a difference in your thought patterns. If you have a huge task, think about doing these things step by step

When you set these goals, challenge yourself by making these goals as concrete as possible. This makes a huge difference. If you want to clean your office, say to yourself that all of the papers will be in order by a certain time. Set an exact time that you want to reach this goal. This leads us to the next of our time management strategies…

Time Management Strategies: Measure The Goals

Studies have proven that our memories are generous with how much we have actually done. We naturally color the past with rose-tinted glasses. So if you have set up concrete goals (as opposed to vague ones) and have written them down, follow this up by jotting down how much you do. It can be as simple as thinking about your time as “clocking in” at a certain time and measuring how much you did. Be objective about this; write down by the end of the time that you designated as work time exactly what you did. Doing this will keep you honest about how much you have done and most importantly, it will give you a tactile sense of pride in how much work you did. This reinforces good habits by giving yourself a mental pat on the back.

Time Management Strategies: Make Priorities

Chances are that if you made a list of ten tasks, some of those are more important than others. Don’t simply go up and down the list but rank the things that are most important and the things that are least important. When you achieve the really important tasks first, you will know that your time is being well spent. When looking back you will feel even better if you did the most important tasks first. You are also more likely to achieve the hard tasks because you spent the time when you had the most energy doing the things that really matter to you.

Time Management Strategies: Don’t Go Overboard

Do not burn yourself out. Remember that when you set up a list you are doing this for yourself, not some outside authority. Make sure that your goals are realistic. Only you know what this means. If you are tired and you burn yourself out trying to do every single thing on a list then you will discourage yourself. When feeling burnt out, stop! Tomorrow is another day and you know you can do even more then when you are rejuvenated.

Tags: strategies, Time Management, time management strategies