How to better manage your time at work ?

Time management is planning how to efficiently use and deliberately control the time you spend to maximize productivity. In short, get more done in less time. Other upsides include:

• Better work quality
• Less stress
• More time to work on strategic or creative projects
• Less procrastination
• More self-confidence

Here’s how to get started:

1. Know how you’re spending your time

If your productivity is measured by output over a certain period, lost time can mean dollars out the window. Just like creating a budget, you have to track what you’re actually spending your time on to reveal any areas or habits that are blocking you from reaching your goals.

Start with a time check. Time-tracking tools like RescueTime can tell you, based on the categories you set up, how many hours you’re productive in a day versus how much time you’re spending on non-work-related activities, such as browsing social media or shopping.

2. Stick to a daily schedule

Go beyond “I have eight hours to do XYZ.” Create a daily schedule with allotted time blocks for different tasks. Sticking to it is the key to success.

• Create realistic timelines. People overestimate their capacity to get things done, a phenomenon scientists call “planning fallacy,” which usually results in overly optimistic delivery estimates. Add time buffers between tasks so that even if one goes over the time limit, the overall schedule stays intact.
• Give your undivided attention. Avoid sneaking to non-work-related sites (or whatever it is you’re not supposed to be doing) during work hours. Close all those “for later” browser tabs. Turn off your phone or stow it out of reach until it’s time for a scheduled break. Again, self-discipline is your best friend here.

3. Prioritize

To-do lists can be productivity lifesavers. But if you’re not careful, they can get so big and overwhelming that you don’t know where to start. A tool known as the Eisenhower Matrix can help you decide what to prioritize according to importance and urgency. Using this decision matrix, you can break down your list by:

• Do immediately: Important tasks with defined deadlines, or ones you’ve put off for so long they’re now overdue
• Schedule for later: Important tasks with no defined deadlines
• Delegate: Tasks that someone else can do
• Delete: Tasks you can eliminate because they’re not critical to your goals or mission