How To Manage Your Time Effectively

No matter if you work for yourself or in an organization, time management is one of the most essential skills you can master. Managing your time makes you more productive and opens the door to new personal and professional opportunities.

Here are three proven strategies to manage your time effectively:

• Understand Where Your Time Goes

You can't manage your time if you don't know how you currently use it. When I first started working for myself, I would get to the end of the day and realize I hadn't accomplished anything substantial. My time had been spent doing smaller things that pulled at my attention. But I had to come to that realization before I could make changes and have a frame of reference of how to manage my time. Spend a week keeping a journal of where your time goes. Track what you're doing throughout the day and what is happening. You may be surprised at certain patterns or distractions that can lead to major time management changes.

• Batch Tasks

Some people claim that multi-tasking is the most efficient way to get things done, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Every time we switch tasks, our brain needs time to refocus, which makes us less productive overall when we're pulled in different directions. Batching tasks is grouping things together and doing them back to back. You might batch your writing or brainstorming tasks and do them in the same block of time. I batch checking my email and social media to certain times of the day to avoid distractions.

• Prioritize The Most Important Tasks

Start each day by prioritizing the three most important things you want to get done that day. There is always more work we can do, which can feel overwhelming and pull you in multiple directions. Prioritizing your top tasks sets the direction for the day. When you've accomplished those things, no matter how long it takes, you know you've been successful. As you master this strategy, you can extend it to the top four or five things for the day.

Time management comes with practice. Try these strategies to find what fits your work environment. When you can control your time, you'll find you get more done, have more energy, and can enjoy more time doing things you enjoy.