8 Helpful Tips For Busy People

If you consider yourself as someone who has heaps of tasks or activities to attend to everyday, wasting precious time is the least you would want to do. So if you consider yourself busy, here are 8 time management tips for people like you who are always busy and on the go:

1. Record

Make it a habit to carry with you a notebook and a pen wherever you go. This is particularly time-saving and useful every time an idea hits you or you meet a new person. If you like, you may also use a digital recorder for faster documentation or use your cell phone if it has a recorder application. You may also greatly benefit from keeping a To Do list. If you are the forgetful type, this one is a sure-fire way of improving your time handling skills.

2. Prioritize

Managing time effectively involves prioritization. It’s not just about listing or remembering the tasks you have to accomplish for the day. It’s all about following the adage “first things first” and ending the day with all the major, all-important tasks already checked and completed. The principle here is that you work on the biggies while your energy is at its peak and then proceed to the smaller batches afterwards.

3. Read

It’s very unlikely for anyone to even consider reading as one of the so-called time management methods because it takes time to read. However, smart people with excellent time management skills know that reading is one of the ways they save their energy and time. When you are given instructions on paper, read them well. When you are on the streets or wherever, read the signs. Whatever you read, input them in your mind actively. You’ll never know when you would be needing these information in the future.

4. Listen

Master the art of listening. When someone is talking to you, giving you instructions or information, listen with your ears and mind. Developing the habit of proactive listening saves you time as in the case of receiving orders or instructions. Missed deadlines, resubmissions, repeating or redoing work are all hassles, why not try to do it right the first time by listening carefully every time.

5. Observe

It pays to be observant. You will be amazed at what you can learn from the people and things around you. Want to know if there is a shortcut from your home to your office? Want to know how your efficient officemate manages to finish all his tasks before 5PM? Want to learn keyboard shortcuts to save time? Observe. And ask.

6. Focus

Some people claim that multi-tasking lets them work on more tasks in a given time but only a handful could say they finish everything they multi-task on. If you know you are not as efficient as that small percentage of the population who do well with multi-tasking, then do one thing at a time. Putting your complete focus and attention on one task at a given time helps you organize your thoughts well and may even be healthier for your body and brain. Plus you can put your best effort and ideas on what you are doing because you’re less distracted.

7. Organize

A messy work desk is a picture of a disorganized mind. A disorganized mind is rarely efficient. Even if you firmly believe that an artist’s soul thrive in disorder, physically putting things in order would help you work faster and more capably.

8. Act

Finally, act. Stop procrastinating. When you are given a task, work on it as soon as possible. All the other time management tips listed here are useless unless you drag yourself to really act. While taking lots of naps and cigarette breaks are tempting, quench it and work on the task at hand. When you are done, you can take all the break you want and nobody would bother you.