10 Ways to Manage Time and Maintain Productivity

“Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s values out of a year while another man gets a full year’s values out of a week.”

–       Charles Richards

One quantity that you can never get back in your life is time. Once you lose it, you won’t get it back. It is the one thing with which you struggle the most in your life.

So, how can we manage time in the most productive ways? In this article, we will talk about several ways that can rescue you from an unproductive day.

1. Keep Everything Scheduled

You need to schedule everything. If something is not there in your calendar, don’t do it. Putting everything on your calendar means blocking your time for the essential things you need to do.

From waking up and drinking tea and taking a shower to client calls to design time to marketing time, block each and every moment of your day. And try to treat each block as your deadline that you have to meet.

2. Keep A Reward

When you finish a task, why not reward yourself with something you like? Give yourself a reward for getting something done or a series of things done. This can vary depending on your interest, and it could be as low as having a cookie or listening to some music or could be as big as a dinner out or outstation trip. But just try not to overdo it, as it will leave without any meaning then.

3. Parkinson’s Law

Parkinson’s Law states that your work will expand to fill the time allotted for its completion. You can see it as when you give yourself a whole day to complete an article, you will take that whole day to complete it. But when you give yourself just an hour to complete that same work, you will surprisingly complete it in an hour. Thus, try to leverage artificial deadlines.

4. Declutter Your Workspace

It is one of the most important steps towards managing your time and having an organized workspace help you in saving your while looking for important papers. Plus, it adds up to the stress-free environment around your table. So, keep only important documents around you. And de-clutter your workspace.

5. Use Apps for Organization

If you are tech-friendly, an organization app is something you should be looking for. You can use any project management tool to keep your tasks visible and workflow clear. Or you can use apps to keep a simple checklist.

6. Turn off the Notification

Unless you are not in social media marketing, turn off all the notifications while working. The notification sounds of various social media and apps distract you from your actual work. If you can’t resist looking at your phone, put your phone on flight mode.

7. Avoid Multitasking

Many of you have this assumption that multitasking is a great skill to have, but it is proven scientifically that we are not actually built for that. So, trying to focus on one thing at a time is going to be more productive than multitasking. So, try to get rid of all the distractions while working.

8. Take Breaks

Taking frequent breaks in the middle of your busy schedule is very important when you are trying to keep your productivity high. It helps you to keep your energy level intact for a more extended period. It is proven that top performers take 15 min of breaks after every hour of work. Taking a break clears your mind, and when you get back to work, you feel fresh as you have started doing it for the first time. It makes you more focused to work. You can find it counterintuitive, but it actually works for you.

9. Priorities Your Work

Once you schedule your work, rank them in order of priority. The way you do it is entirely up to you. You can use a numerical ranking system, highlights or metal notes. It is crucial for you to understand your most important job and get that out of the way first.

10. Do Something Unrelated

Do something unrelated to your scheduled list. If you are doing a lot of writing, you may distract yourself a bit with a crossword puzzle or do some drawing. By giving a break to your brain and doing something unrelated to your to-do list, you give your brain a proper refreshment. And you will find yourself more focused when you get back to work.

Conclusion

You can’t develop these skills overnight, but you will enjoy a much more efficient work-life by following these tips. If you have more productivity hacks, lets us know in the comment section given below. Stay Productive!

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