3 Essential Keys to Effective Time Management

Are you someone who always seems to be rushing from task to task with never enough time to finish everything? Or, do you always have enough time to get everything done and even have some time to relax? Chances are that many of us fall into the first category and would love to be that person in the second.

The key to getting more things done is time management. Of course, it’s impossible to manage time because it relentlessly moves forward, no matter what we do. However, we can control—or manage—how we use the time we’ve got. Basically, time management is planning and controlling how much time we devote to certain activities.

In the article, you will find out about the three essential keys to managing time effectively. You’ll also find out why quality should always beat quantity when it comes to time management.

The Challenges of Time Management

One of the reasons why managing time is so challenging is because all of us are under pressure. In some circles, time management is connected with getting more done in less time. So, we often hear the phrases “increasing productivity” and “boosting efficiency”. Bosses are wanting more done in less time so that they can improve productivity.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with boosting productivity—after all, companies need to stay competitive in a global market. However, real time management should focus on doing quality work. Managing time efficiently should help a person or business progress towards a specific goal or objective. Therefore, time management is not focused on the volume of work a person can accomplish.

Here’s an example as to why correct time management skills aren’t connected with quantity.

Let’s say a person has 20 things to do, and they decide to manage their time to get them done in ten hours. Then they successfully finish all the tasks in the timeframe. Is that proper time management? Of course, they have done a lot in a relatively short space of time. But the burning question is this: did they really manage their time effectively? Or did they just rushing from one job to the next to get as much done as possible?

Three Essential Keys to Manage Time Effectively

Time management should focus on results rather than activities. So, quality should always be more important than quantity. If you manage your time wisely, you will have enough of it to complete any task to the highest standard you’re capable of.

Let’s look at three essential time management tools.

1. Prioritize tasks that are important and urgent

Let’s face, we’ve all got a never-ending “to-do” list. With that in mind, you need to divide tasks into ones that are important and urgent ones—also known as the Eisenhower Principle. Here is how it works:

• Important and urgent — You must deal with these tasks first. They could be unexpected matters that come up and can’t wait. If you have many things that are urgent and important, try to schedule some tasks better to prevent too many tasks from becoming critical.
• Important, but not urgent — These are activities that will help you achieve your most crucial goals. You should schedule plenty of time for these things.
• Not important, but urgent — Usually, the source of these tasks are other people who are making demands on your time. Try to delegate these tasks or learn how to say “no”. In the workplace, schedule regular meetings so that people know when they can speak with you.
• Not important and not urgent — In other words, avoid distractions. Usually, you can just ignore these things. One example of non-important and non-urgent activities is scrolling through social media when you should be focused on “important and non-urgent” activities.

2. Set up a workflow to manage time better

Most likely, you know when you are most productive and when you need to rest. Also, you can look for common patterns in the regular tasks you must do. If you can streamline your work and establish a work pattern, you will find that your productivity improves without sacrificing quality.

3. Take breaks between times sessions

You may have heard of the story about the woodcutter. He was trying so hard to chop down the tree that he didn’t have time to sharpen his axe. Of course, if he took a timeout to sharpen his axe, he’d get the job done faster, using less energy. 

The lesson? Split work in timed tasks and have regular breaks between sessions. This way, you can “sharpen” your mind to get more done without compromising on quality.

One useful time management tool is the Pomodoro Technique. This strategy to manage time involves dividing tasks into 25-minute sessions. Then you take a 5-minute break, before continuing with your next session.

Effective Time Management: A Takeaway

The best way of managing your time should focus on getting the best quality of work done in the time you have. When you learn how to prioritize, develop workflows, and take regular breaks, you’ll find you have more time on your hands.