If you feel too much anxiety and stress when you start your day, welcome to the club. It’s not a club with an exclusive membership, however – in fact, if we could find a way to get out of the club, we would! But too many of us are already feeling stressed and anxious, and we feel there aren’t enough hours to accomplish all our tasks and manage all our responsibilities. If we don’t find enough time, we could burn out – and that’s the last thing we need. But the experts say the best thing you can do is manage your time well. And how do you do that? Here are the top – and proven ways to enhance your time management skills.
- Come up with a list of priorities
One of the first things you can do – and it’s a relatively easy one – is to come up with a list of priorities. Everyone has heard of a ‘to-do list,’ but this list is different because you are taking stock of your priorities. Think carefully about what you need to do, and prioritise the most crucial tasks you need to accomplish. Don’t just create a list of things you need to do – instead, focus your energies on creating a list of priorities and check items as soon as you are done. This way, you will not feel as though you’re just doing the tasks because that’s what you need to do – you will also feel a renewed sense of accomplishment and be more motivated. Tip: if you want an online calendar to help you through your days, Google has a great online calendar you could use.
- Begin early
Procrastination never did anyone a bit of good. That said, it’s always best to begin early. When you start early, you can get the full range of the day and tackle your tasks early on. There’s a reason why some of the most successful business leaders begin their day early, such as Warren Buffett and Steve Jobs. If you begin early, you can have a better grasp of your activities and have lots of time to think. You can plan better, too. The early morning hours – before everyone rushes to work and things get hectic – are calmer, which helps unleash your creativity and allows you to maintain a clear head. You can even hire a virtual assistant who will be up at the same time; you can dictate the day’s tasks and priorities to them as you go along, making them accomplish more, too.
- Delegate your tasks and duties
This is another great reason to hire a virtual assistant – you can delegate certain tasks and duties to them. All successful business leaders have another thing in common: they have learned the importance of delegating tasks. You can improve and enhance your time management skills when you learn how to delegate your tasks properly. When you delegate different tasks to your VA, colleagues, or subordinates, this will free up your time to focus on the ‘real’ work you must do. In the same vein, the members of your team will feel motivated and valued – and will even perform better than you had expected. When you delegate or outsource, you can give yourself the time to concentrate on tasks that require the most care.