7 Tips for Managing Your Schedule Like a Pro
Stephen Covey, once said, “The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities.”
So simple, yet so true.
I don’t know about you, but I completely agree with the above quote. It effortlessly highlights the biggest and the most obvious mistake employees make. In the quest to become hyper-productive at work, most of us tend to undervalue the importance of being deliberate with the time we get in a day.
The result? We end up feeling stressed and under productive. However, over the years, individuals and teams have gradually learned that scheduling and planning can make a huge difference in how they get work done. While the lesson is true, it’s still impossible to get the added advantage if you’re not making any effort to improve your scheduling skills.
If you’re looking for some can’t-beat ideas on how to better manage your schedule at work, here are a few tips that you may find helpful:
Create a daily routine
No matter what you’re working on or where you’re working, follow a routine. Consider blocking specific time for specific tasks and activities. When you’re done creating a routine, stick to it. And if something is not included in this plan, do it later.
The whole idea of creating a daily routine is to ensure that everything gets done in its own time. From working on a task to going on a coffee break, add include everything in your routine and see how you will get through your day more productively.
Use a calendar
Do you practice the habit of maintaining a calendar? If your answer is no then you’re making your work life unnecessarily complicated. Today where you’ve got quick access to tools like ProofHub and Google Calendar, keeping an eye on your upcoming tasks, milestones, events, etc is easier than ever. However, if you’re still relying on your notebooks and sticky notes, it’s high time that you change.
Keep your meetings, appointments, tasks, events, milestones, etc in one place using an online calendar application. Doing this will not only allow you to save important dates seamlessly but you will also be able to track your schedule on the go.
Start time-boxing
Time boxing is the technique of assigning a certain amount of time to specific task or activity in advance. It’s works best for office meetings and calls. Have you heard of a feature named appointment slots in online calendars? It’s exactly what time-boxing is. The whole idea behind this technique is to minimize the amount of back and forth emails and help you save a lot of time.
Plan meetings wisely
Meetings are a necessary. But if not planned properly, they can turn things upside down for your team and your business. Too many meetings are #1 reason for poor productivity in the workplace. Many employees today believe that they spend more time attending unnecessary meetings instead of doing the work that needs to be done.
Don’t let your work routine fall victim to such issues. Keep meetings and short and limited. If you need to have a team meetings, save a specific day and time for those meetings. Also, keep your meetings agenda clear. Do the same thing with calls, and plan them all wisely.
Keep an eye on the deadline
Sure, you’ve created a plan for everything. You even created a routine and added tasks to your time slots. But plans and routines can easily go out of your hands if you are not tracking them. Be mindful of the activities and deadlines you have set for the day to ensure that you are not running late or missing anything important.
Make it a habit to remind yourself what’s coming ahead in your schedule. Also, figure out what entries in your schedule have changed or are no longer needed to avoid wasting your or anyone else’s time.
Block out distractions
Have you ever tried keeping track of the number of time someone or something interrupts you in the middle of your work? If your answer is yes the you probably already know that workplace distractions can easily turn into the biggest workplace productivity killer.
Whether it’s your mobile phone, your social media feeds, or a chattering fellow employee, the most dangerous productivity killers and time wasters are right in front of you. Your job is to block out these distractions for good and make better use of your time at work.
Track the time spent
Whether it’s your time or money, you need to keep a close eye on your expenses. If you are wondering how you can get better at planning and managing your day, start using a time tracking software. Keep track of how much time are you spending on each task.
There are plenty of automated time tracking tools and simple timesheets that can help you clock in and out of various tasks and projects. At the end of the day, see where you are spending your most time and figure out ways to become more efficient with your most valuable resource — your time.
Final thoughts
Just remember that it’s impossible to get everything done, even for the most productive people. The only way you can make your day worth is by prioritising duties and limiting the number of time-wasting activities. Make sure you get a sense of what’s important and how you can efficiently schedule your day. With the above tips in mind, things would be much simpler and smoother. However, if you have questions related to any of the aforementioned points, just ask.
Author Bio:
Sandeep Kashyap is the Founder and CEO of ProofHub — a leading project management and collaboration software. He’s one person always on a lookout for innovative ideas about filling the communication gap between groups, teams, and organizations. You’ll find him saying, “Let’s go!” instead of “Go!” many times a day. That’s what makes him write about leadership in a way people are inspired to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.
