Time Management: Ways To Get Things Done On Time
As a business owner, you have lots of things on your plate and seemingly less time. Learning about smart ways to manage your time can be a great way to get things done. But you can also hire a virtual assistant online, and scrap off the non-core activities from your to-do list.
It is not uncommon for business people – and even professionals – to be busy. With so much to take care of every day, it can be hard to get things done and still have time to spare for family and friends. Unfortunately, the busy lifestyle is not usually the best, as it limits one from doing the most important things like hanging out with the loved ones, thinking about ways to expand the business, getting all things done, attending appointments, answering important calls, etc.
As you may or may not know, more input doesn’t always translate to more output. When you are working overtime every time, it’s likely your productivity will plummet. In fact, according to some studies, most people are only productive between 2 and 6 hours. Fatigue sets in by hour 9 and productivity levels drop. But that’s not the only problem.
There’s also the issue of making mistakes: overworking makes it harder to carry out normal tasks like reading people, making judgment calls, and managing emotional reactions. Health issues associated with overworking include an increased risk of heart problems and sleep impairment. This is why most smart business people, busy professionals, and even average people hire a virtual assistant online.
With that in mind, let’s now have a look at some time management tips to help you get things done.
1. Do A Time Audit
The first and perhaps the most important thing to do is to take a log of your daily activities – to find out how you are spending your time. You are indeed busy with business stuff, managing employees, looking at investment options, among other things – but you need to know what’s taking too much of your time.
You may be surprised to learn that some activities are taking up much of your time than others. You may also realize that some of these activities are non-core, and can be better handled with another person so that you can only focus on what’s important.
2. Differentiate Tasks According To Their Importance
As mentioned earlier, some jobs are core; others aren’t. Again, your attention span and productivity diminish with time. When you start your day doing non-core tasks, you’ll likely feel tired to handle your core duties and end up postponing or doing a not so great job. So, ideally, you should prioritize your work, depending on their importance and urgency.
Important tasks are those that, if left undone, will affect other projects. Such tasks usually have a lot of value. Urgent tasks, on the other hand, are those that overdue, or about to be due. They often need immediate attention and attract immediate consequences if not done.
3. Plan In Advance
Planning can be a time-wasting activity, depending on when it’s done. Smart entrepreneurs, high officials, and CEOs spend enough time to create the next day’s plan just to prepare for any eventualities and also avoid wasting time in the morning. This gives them a competitive edge over other entrepreneurs who do things as they come.
When you plan your time, you understand how to use your resources better. You also avoid confusion and increase the chances of obtaining an excellent work-life balance. Remember, if you don’t control your time, others will.
4. Don’t Think Twice About Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the new norm. Today, busy people don’t need to suffer in silence because they cannot afford the value of bringing in a full-time employee to take care of the non-core activity. Thanks to the internet, it is now possible to outsource any extra work, time-consuming tasks, repetitive tasks, and the hard tasks to experienced third parties.
Unlike an in-house employee, a third-party employee will work on a need basis – meaning you’ll only pay them for the work they have done. You do not need to create an office space for them or pay for their insurance or holidays.
And the best part is that you will get the job executed correctly. The only tip here is that you’ll need to do your due diligence first to ensure you’re settling for the right option.
5. Stop Procrastinating
Procrastinating is one of the reasons you don’t get things done. Putting off tasks that you dread won’t do you any good because, in the end, you will still have to do it anyway. So, rather than postponing it, handle it head-on and get it over and done with.
Conclusion
Time management is not rocket science. With the right mindset, planning, and outside help, you should be able to get things done – and even create more time for other activities.