Google Calendar
Something free from Google, this Calendar presents a task list with an estimated time of starting and getting them done. You can add or remove tasks as you go. You can put in new tasks, set appointments, and block time for certain activities. The great thing about Google Calendar is that it’s very pervasive so that you can put it in your phone, your tablet, and your laptop. If you happen to lose your gadget, you can always obtain your account from Google so there nothing is nothing lost.
Todoist
Another time management app that works for both single users and group work, the Todoist lets you arrange tasks, set deadlines, and have yourself reminded of anything that needs to be completed. It helps you keep track of urgent projects and collaborate with other people in your team. It’s available in several languages and can be synched through all your gadgets.
Focus @ Will
This app uses the power of music and neuroscience in boosting productivity. The app essentially provides a continuous release of music that is proven to help with brain activity. It is meant to be used for those cerebral activities like paperwork or when you’re trying to write a paper. For menial tasks like cleaning the house: however, it won’t be as effective. It’s NOT available for free, so you have to consider that.
Atracker
This personal time tracker lets you find out everything you do the whole day through a comprehensive reporting. You can customize the options for the tracker, add more tasks, and check the ones that have already been finished.
Evernote
Evernote is one of the more popular time management apps in the market today. You can use it to organize, synchronize, edit, and store your tasks so that you can access it anywhere. It functions mainly like a post-it note that you can view from any device.
If This Then That (IFTT)
Another unique time management product, it makes use of a basic logical precept wherein one action triggers you into doing another. It has the same principle used in the “Rhythm Routine” discussed in a previous Chapter. The app, however, uses the term ‘recipe’ and offers a host of preset and customizable recipes. For example, IF you’re in the office, THEN you put your phone into silent mode. IF it’s Friday, THEN you take your laundry to the cleaners. It also comes with a “To-Do” list that works with GPS and Maps. Hence, if you go to a certain spot and your “To-Do” list has something that is to be done there, it would alert you to that task.
Chapter 6: How to Manage Your Work Environment
The term “work environment” here covers both your home and workplace – and any other place where you plan to do any activity. It is an accepted fact that to work best, a conducive atmosphere is important. If you are not happy with your environment, it becomes challenging to focus on the task at hand – since you would be constantly distracted by various irritants.
It is, therefore, imperative that you create an atmosphere around you that promotes optimal output for you and all those who work with you. This covers your style of working, the equipment you use, the people you work with, and your motivation level.
Get Rid of Physical Clutter
Clutter is like a hidden monster, who gobbles up your energy. You will find that wherever there is clutter, productivity decreases considerably. You need to get rid of clutter from your environment as well as from your mind if you want to be able to do your best at any given time.
Here are a few top tips to ensure that your environment is clutter free and stays that way:
Everything needs to have a place – this is one of the most critical rules whether you are an office or home (or traveling). Everything needs to have a place. On your desk create a flow order where papers come on the left and are sent onwards on the right. The table top should consist of only those items you need to work with during office hours. The rest go in drawers or any designated place.
Extend the workplace vertically – lack of space is often the most common reason for desk-clutter. If you do not have enough space to put things away in their own place, think about expanding vertically. Different sized open cubicles on the wall behind or besides can instantly de-clutter your environment.
Add hidden storage space – think of where you can insert a couple of drawers and do so. Your desk would become a versatile storage unit if raised a little and then equipped with partitions and/ or drawers. You can add a hidden cabinet in many places in the work station. Let your creativity flow – or call in an expert.
Organize drawers – just having drawers is not enough. Ensure that the drawers are designed to keep everything in place as well. Use partitions inside the drawer to ensure that you can reach anything you want even without looking. It’s incredible how much your productivity can improve when you have all the things you need in their place.
Clear the computer desktop either daily or weekly – if you are a person who saves everything on the desktop you will, in no time have a vast mass of files cluttering your desktop. Besides making it difficult to trace stuff, the clutter would also tire your mind. Make it a habit to send all data to their respective folders and clear the desktop – either by the end of business or at the end of the week.
Filing of documents must be done immediately – in offices where the paper flow is high and, it is imperative that filing should be done the same day, every day. About 30 percent of work time is generally wasted looking for documents in an office. Do not allow this time to drain.
Keep what you need around you – forget about the items that “I might need some time”. Keep only things, which you need around you. Send everything away that does not need to be used on a daily basis.
De-cluttering Your Mind
De-cluttering of the mind is as vital as de-cluttering of your work environment. How do you de-clutter your mind? Here are a few tips that will ensure that your mind stays free so you could totally focus and concentrate on the task you have on hand.
Write it down – here your to-do list comes in handy. Write down everything you need to do each day. Complete your next day’s to-do list before you retire for bed. In this way, you know what you have to do when you wake up in the morning.
Use a planner – what needs to be done in a week, a month, and a year can be fixed and outlined in a yearly planner. Put the planner in a place where you can see it clearly and daily.
Use technology – don’t send yourself mental notes and feel overwhelmed by the necessity to remember so many things or worrying about forgetting anything important. Use your smartphone to remind you about tasks, keep track of time spent, announce meetings and deadlines, and so on. In this, your mind will stay free to focus on the work and nothing else.
Leave office things in the office – make it a point to shut off your mind to office matters the moment you step out of the office. The same applies to house issues; leave all your home worries at home and do not allow it to overlap with things you have to do in the office. It takes a little practice, but it is possible. Program your phone not to ring between 8 PM and 9 AM. Also, do not open office email once you are out of the office.
Take time to de-stress your mind – you need mental relaxation to release the stress that builds during working hours, especially if your job involves a high-stress environment. Find out means to relax your mind, such as 5-10 minutes’ meditation,
Staying Motivated
Staying motivated is one of the most significant challenges people face with work. Whether you refer to household chores or office work, finding the drive within you to get things done is often quite tricky. How do you do it? How do you manage to keep your motivation high so you could accomplish all that you set to do?
Reward a Good Job Done
One of the best motivators is a reward at the end of the task completed. Make a list of rewards you are eligible for at the end of each task on your to-do list. It could be a cup of coffee, a game on your smartphone, a 5-minute break on Facebook – whatever motivates you.
Take a Quick Break
Br
eaks are excellent boosters for productivity. Studies show that people who take a break at intervals of 90 to 120 minutes actually are more focused and work better. Put an alarm for 90 minutes and take a break to do something relaxing – grab a healthy snack or a cup of coffee, play a game, do a 10-minute meditation session, listen to a song, etc. Aim to keep the break under 15 minutes to enjoy the best results.
Watch Out for Time Killers
Perhaps one of the most significant challenges you will have to conquer is how to deal with time killers. The first thing to do is to identify which are the tasks that kill your time most. Once you have the list, you work out a plan to minimize the damage. Here are the top 7 most common time killers:
Checking Emails
Unless strictly necessary otherwise, turn off the email notification function on your smartphone and allow a specific time to read-and-answer email every day. It could be early morning, around noon, or at the end of the day. Have an automatic announcement that gives the sender a heads-up about the time you usually check your email.
Watching TV
Watching TV is relaxing for most people, but if you end up watching something beautiful on every channel available, you will have precious little time left for doing anything else. Please make a list of the programs you want to see and check the time it takes to do so. If you are comfortable with the time you spend watching TV, it is okay; but if you find that TV takes away too much from your productive time, work out a better schedule. Also, stick to it.
Commuting
Commuting is one of the biggest time gobblers, but there is little you can do about it. Try using the commuting time to complete tasks that are time-consuming but do not require too much focus – such as checking your emails, sending memos, organizing your to-do list, researching for presentations, online shopping, etc. this way you are limiting the time wasted.
SmartPhones
It’s lovely to have a phone that can do so many things – emails, games, online shopping, banking, etc. On the other hand, the smartphone can become an addictive time killer. Resist chatting/ talking on the phone more than you need. If your calls take longer than 2-3 minutes, you are doing it wrong. Communicate instead through chat apps – which allow you to reply in your time.
Resist the impulse to “just check the notification” for Facebook, Twitter, games, emails and so on. You would think you would just take a look, but then you would be tempted to play a game, answer another email, check out the offers and before you know half-an-hour has passed while you were on the smartphone.
Friendly Chatting
While it is important that you maintain a good rapport with your colleagues at work, it is best to keep chatting limited to coffee/ lunch breaks. Friendly chatting can steal up to 2-3 hours of your time every day. Discourage friends and family reaching you on the phone unless it is strictly necessary. Have the friendly phone chats over the weekends, while you commute to and from your work or in the evening.
Surfing the Net
Surfing the Net is one of the biggest gobblers of time. Whether you start by reading the headlines or watching a YouTube update, you will find spiraling into surfing for this and that and before you know it 1-2 hours have gone. Stay focused when you surf the Net; use it only for what you need for the task at hand.
Social Media Networks
Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and so on are addictive. You feel you will check it out for 2-3minutes and end up spending 2-3 hours over it. Allot time for this purpose so it would not interfere with your work schedule.
Chapter 7: Managing Time Spent with Other People
Regardless of how well you can manage your time, the people around you may not be as passionate about being efficient. It would help if you accepted now that you could never control how other people think and behave. You can only manage your interactions with them to minimize the chance of wasting time. Here are tips on how to avoid wasting time when there are other people involved:
Always have a goal when meeting people during work hours
You are sacrificing productive time when meeting during work hours. You are using the time that you could have spent working on important projects. It would help if you have a good reason for sacrificing such a valuable time slot.
To make sure that you do not waste the time meeting with people, you should have a goal coming into the meeting. The goal has two purposes: 1) it makes your behavior purposeful, and 2) it tells you when the meeting should end. If you do not have a goal coming into the meeting, the small talk may last too long. If you sense that this is happening, you should ask yourself if the intention of the meeting has been achieved. If so, you should end the meeting in a polite way.
Share information relevant to the meeting in advance
If you are expecting a meeting, you should tell people about the agenda of the meeting as well as the types of input expected of them ahead of time. This will arm people with knowledge coming into the meeting. When you ask the questions, they will be quick to answer you because they are prepared. It will reduce the time spent thinking of answers. You will also have a more productive meeting this way because your team will have more time to think of constructive ideas before the meeting. This will save the group a great deal of time.
Reduce chances of miscommunication
Miscommunication is one of the ultimate time wasters in a group setting. If there is miscommunication, group members may not be clear about what needs to be done. Their activities may not help achieve the group’s goals.
Lead when no one wants to
A group should always have a leader. If no one wants to take the leadership position, you should take it. If you do not, all the group’s meetings will be a waste of time. The efforts of each member will not be coordinated. Meetings will also become chaotic.
Most people do not want to take this position because they do not want to appear bossy to their friends or coworkers. t would help if you did not allow this fear from preventing you from controlling the use of your time.
Chapter 8: Health’s Role in Time Management
Health is a critical factor in a person’s well-being. You cannot function correctly unless you are relatively healthy both in mind and body. It is imperative that you develop and maintain a healthy lifestyle if you want to perfect the art of time management.
Eating right
Eating right is at the root of good health. Take a look at your eating habits and take steps to improve wherever there is scope. You need not go for any drastic measures; instead, you aim at adding better value to what you put on your plate.
Increase the number of colorful vegetables (green, orange, red, purple, etc.) on your plate.
Snack on raw vegetables and fresh fruits as much possible. When eating fruits pay attention to the sugar content if you have diabetes or have a family history of diabetes.
Reduce the intake of processed and preserved foods.
Change to grass-fed meat and wild-caught fish. Eat organic vegetables whenever possible.
Eat 4-5 small meals instead of 3 significant meals.
Moderate your intake of coffee and alcoholic drinks.
Quit smoking.
Carry nuts, carrots/ celery stick for quick snacks instead of junk food.
Pack your lunch for a healthier (and pocket-friendly) meal.
Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is a huge energy drainer.
Exercising
Exercising is of paramount importance today when the majority of physical-effort -intensive tasks are carried out by machines and computers. Your body needs to exercise not only to burn calories and keep weight in control but also to ensure that the muscles in the body stay fit and the systems within your body function optimally.
Don’t worry, you need not enroll for heavy-duty gym workouts. Simple exercises can help. Here are a few simple steps that will keep you fit physically:
Do a 10-minutes stretching routine first thing in the morning.
Walk for 30-90minutes every day. It
need not be even brisk walking. Just walk as you normally walk, but do it every day. To ensure best results, change your route and speed every week.
Park your vehicle a little away from your workplace so you could benefit from the walk.
Always take the stairs if there are 1-2 flights of stairs to navigate.
Pace around when you are on the phone.
Invest in a health monitor watch (it comes as low as $20). It will tell you when you need to get up from your desk and do some walking.
Use the commercial break to do some quick exercises (choose your routine beforehand).
Sleep
Another crucial factor which contributes to your health is sleep. Busy people feel that it’s okay to encroach in the time meant for sleeping to complete a task. Wrong. Stealing your sleeping time will tire your brain and lead to many severe problems such as impaired memory, inability to focus, decreased ability to solve problems, indecisiveness, and so on.
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