Do you find it difficult to manage your time?

You are not the only one. Most of us have tight work schedules, countless meetings, loads of things to do and a very limited amount of ‘me’ time. As life runs faster and faster, there is only one way of getting everything done, while having space to enjoy yourself, managing time efficiently. My experience showed me that this is not something that happens from one day to the other, you need to train your self in being more efficient and time savvy, much like building a new habit. If you are trying to up your time management skills, here are 5 ways you can make this happen.

Make lists  

Every morning when you wake up take some time to write down your to-do list. Your project deadlines and your daily appointments should be in there. Even if making lists sounds blunt, you will never forget a thing and just imagine the feeling of crossing off things you completed.

Time yourself

Time is not always by our side, so timing ourselves is a great way to see how we deal with time. Next time, try and time yourself as you are getting ready in the morning and as you are making lunch and eating. How long does your morning routine actually take you? Knowing this, you will help you figuring out if you need to be faster to gain more ‘work’ time or that maybe you could relax and sleep in some more.

Find the right space

Finding the right space for your things is very important. You don’t want to be running around, trying to remember where and when you last saw your keys or your sunglasses. Create a specific place for them by the door, so every time you are in a rush you can just crab them and go.

Sometimes you need to say ‘No’

Sometimes when we get enthusiastic about a project or an idea is just hard to say no. However, if you are feeling overloaded with work, you should stop yourself from taking up more responsibilities. Saying yes the whole time will only make you feel stressed and in the end will make getting things done harder. It’s better focusing on a small list of things that you have to do, rather than trying to do everything at the same time.

Just do it

Starting something is the only way to finish it, but its also the hardest step of the whole process. Try not to postpone things that you could have started in that moment, by starting them  immediately you will discover that it actually took you less time than you originally thought and it wasn’t that bad after all.