Effective time management - Pointers to help you maximise your potential

Time management is a subjective term - how do you really know if you’re managing your time successfully? If you’re reading this blog post, chances are that you feel you aren’t or at least, looking for ways to improve time management.

If you know you’re not performing to the best of your capabilities - ending each day overwhelmed or feeling that you ‘haven’t got anything done’ - you probably aren’t managing your time effectively. It’s okay to admit it. Our continuously managed performance creates a sense that we need to ‘work harder’. We scrutinise our own achievements and compare ourselves to others who may not even be undertaking the same tasks as us.

1. Stop comparing yourself to others

Striving to improve your own performance based on your perception of someone else is setting yourself up to fail. If you tell yourself that you’re not as good as someone else, you never will be. You are holding yourself back.

2. Positive mental attitude

Don’t underestimate the importance of good mental health on your productivity. A positive mindset brings positive results. Athletes at the top of their game describe how they visualise the win. It’s not just about dreaming big. It’s about focusing on the step-by-step approach and the feeling of winning. When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself that ‘today will be a good day’, set your goals and focus on how you will achieve your objectives. Over time, these positive behaviours build resilience and enable you to cope better when things don’t go to plan.

3. Setting Goals

SMART goals create a benchmark and remove ambiguity. You want to know if you’ve successfully managed your time? Setting a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound goal will help you understand what you need to achieve and when you have achieved it. This is the simplest and easiest form of evidence you can provide to your managers during your performance management meetings, but used daily, can really show you what you’re capable of. For more information about setting deliverable objectives, you can read my blog post here.

4. Task Management

If you don’t know what you need to achieve, how do you know if you’ve achieved it?

The most powerful action you can take daily is to create a ‘priority list’. It’s not to be underestimated. This simple trick will allow you to effectively plan out your day. Personally, I take great pleasure in summarising the tasks I need to complete in a list and then simply ticking them off when they’ve been completed. You don’t need anything more than a pad and pen to write out who needs what and by when - use a highlighter for priority actions - and then relish crossing tasks off as you complete each job.

Time management tools of the trade

Naturally we all want to make our lives easier, and there are various office tools and programs out there to help us do this.

● A task tracking tool I like to use is Trello. This software not only creates lists, but optimises your processes and manages your individual or team workflow. Task information is displayed on cards which are then allocated to boards showing you exactly where you are within your task or wider project. These boards can be presented to management (or client’s if you choose to share them), and updated with attachments and files so everything is in one place. The best feature of this software is that you can integrate it with Dropbox, Outlook, Gmail or even Salesforce (amongst others) to create a solution for all types of businesses.

● CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software is big business, and there are many different time planning solutions out there. My top three for project time tracking are Salesforce, Monday.com and Hubspot. They all come with a fee but have vast resources and possibilities which can be tailored to meet the needs of your business or client. This software is great for keeping you on track whether you’re managing marketing funnels, building customer relationships, managing a project or scheduling sales. It is especially useful for Operations Managers to use on team performance management.

Stress reduction to boost productivity

Sometimes the feeling of being overwhelmed is entirely created by ourselves. Taking regular set breaks, stepping away from our work and thinking about something external can re-set our minds and bodies. Good time management skills involve the ability to plan and anticipate. When the feelings of pressure start to build, take a few moments away from the task. Use this time for exercise or meditation and to drink some water. These simple steps help to calm you and allow you to focus on the task in hand. Companies such as Headspace offer support to employees and enterprises by providing resources and engagement tools.

What's going on outside the window?

Procrastination is not laziness, but it is poor time management. Distractions can include low-priority tasks (or tasks that appeal to you more), checking social media or even reading the news (because it’s always important to know what’s going on in the world). Acknowledge your priorities, organise yourself and commit to the task - promising yourself a reward once it has been achieved. Get those unpleasant or monotonous tasks out the way first, giving yourself the rest of the day to concentrate on tasks that are more enjoyable.

Delegation

If you find yourself increasingly unable to manage your time, perhaps you need to consider delegating to your team. A VA (Virtual Assistant) can work remotely as an administrative office specialist, taking on time-consuming or repetitive tasks - allowing you to focus on project time management , building customer relationships or other priorities. You can find a list of the tasks a virtual assistant can do here, or read more about how a VA can provide you with a one-stop-shop solution in my previous blog post.

Time management and organisation skills not your forte? For a free discovery call to find out what tasks you can outsource, contact me today!

Thanks for reading!

Amanda Watson

Founder & Virtual PA at Pavilion Virtual Assistance