Whether we are 10 years old or 100, I think that as humans one of our greatest challenges is our time management , so finding your way to some new time management tips is a great way to start off the new year!
Over the holidays, I had a wonderful discussion with my niece who is in high school, about it. Even though we move in different worlds, we both have to juggle appointments, assignments and meetings while simultaneously pursuing new opportunities. For her, this may mean submitting a new activity or application for an exciting opportunity by a deadline; for or me it may mean devoting time to identify new business opportunities and meeting with potential clients.
After commiserating about our busy schedules, we put our heads together and started to exchange our favorite time management tips. While we had many in common, we learned from each other too! Here are some of our greatest hits that we hope will help you become more productive in 2018.
- Use a timer. Challenge yourself to complete projects, or a phase of a project within a certain period of time.
- Plan ahead. Planning can save you 10 minutes for every one minute of planning you do.
- Get in the zone. Hunker down with whatever you need to concentrate and get a job done. For some, that means a cup of coffee, favorite pen, or headphones with music.
- Turn your cell phone down. You can’t be distracted by what you don’t hear!
- Do the big projects when you’re at your best. That may mean 6 am if you’re a morning person, or 11 pm if you’re a night owl!
- Do the big projects in phases. You’ll produce better, more thorough work than trying to get it all done in one sitting.
- Approach problems creatively. Try thinking visually and use blank sheets to let your imagination flow. Use colors and draw your solutions, without constraints.
- Celebrate every accomplishment. You deserve it!
- Recalculate every strategy that doesn’t work. Make adjustments and move on.
- Share with others. They will appreciate you and make important contributions that can improve your work.
- Apply new lessons or techniques you can learn yourself or from others. Sharpen the saw!
- Color code calendar items. Color can make it easier to identify and prioritize work and important items.
When it comes to time management, I believe most tips fall into one of five major areas: controlling your time, controlling your environment, working strategically, letting creativity flow and motivating yourself. If you think of your time management within these categories, you’ll get your work done as quickly and productively as possible.
Here’s a little infographic that can help you remember the best ways to manage your time in 2018. Could your team use some new ideas on time management for the coming year? Contact me for a custom presentation!
Jacqueline Camacho-Ruiz is the CEO of JJR Marketing (www.jjrmarketing.com) and Fig Factor Media LLC (www.todayslatina.com), founder of The Fig Factor Foundation (www.thefigfactor.org), author of eight books (www.jackiecamacho.com), international speaker, and pilot. Jacqueline speaks to hundreds of audiences about marketing, servant leadership, finding your passion, and achieving success in business. She has addressed the United States Army, BP International, United Airlines, Allstate, and Farmers Insurance among other corporations to share her inspiration.
If you or an organization you know needs as speaker, please get in touch with us at http://www.jackiecamacho.com/contact.