15 Time Management Strategies and Tips You Need to Know

Managing your time wisely is a must, but let's be honest—it's not a very easy thing to do. 

We all wish there were more hours in the day, but that's not going to happen anytime soon…at least not for a few billion years. Many of us feel like we don't have enough time, but the good news is there's plenty we can do about it. 

Want to know how to manage time? Check out these great time management strategies. 

1. Create a List of Daily Tasks

First, begin each day by jotting down a list of tasks you wish to complete. 

If you want to learn how to manage time better, list-making is right up there at the top. Formulate a picture of what you want to accomplish before the end of the day, and then break that down into realistic milestones. 

Check off each item as you go, and watch the completed tasks pile up. 

2. Learn to Prioritize

Of course, writing a task-list in random order isn't going to cut it. 

This is where prioritization comes in. Emphasize the more important tasks first, and relegate the less important to the back of the list. 

Priority tasks are those that are more difficult to complete or come with a time limit. If necessary, disassemble these big tasks into smaller, incremental steps that are easier to complete. 

3. Set Time Limits

As time management strategies go, this is big. 

Leaving yourself an open-ended time period to complete a task is just asking for procrastination and time-wasting. Don't acquire this bad habit. 

Set firm but realistic goals for each of your tasks. By now, you should know about how long it might take you to perform a specific task. Try to finish your work within the designated timeframe, and keep aiming for faster finish times. 

4. Avoid Distractions

A major part of learning how to be better at time management is avoiding distractions. 

Sometimes, distractions are unavoidable. But let's be honest—you could do a better job eliminating some very avoidable ones. 

So use the "do not disturb" function on your phone or computer, don't go down the rabbit hole of reading junk articles on the internet, and turn off the TV. Distractions are your enemy—vanquish them! 

5. Avoid Multitasking

This is related to the above. Time management at work is difficult, and sometimes it's tempting to try to do several things at once. 

Sometimes, you don't have much of a choice. But try to pare down the multitasking as much as possible. Focus on one thing, do it well, and follow it through to completion. Then move to the next thing. 

Trying to do everything at once will only leave you with nothing accomplished. 

6. Time Management Apps Are Your Friend

This age of computers and digital devices comes with innumerable distractions. 

But there are also plenty of newfangled applications to help you focus and manage your time. Organizational apps like Trello and Toggl, and time managers like RescueTime and Remember The Milk help you organize your tasks and boost your productivity. 

7. Set Aside Time for Emails

Look, we all get caught up scrolling through the inbox, checking and responding to emails. Or we instantly respond to emails as they roll in. 

But this is another distraction, and if you can help it, set aside a chunk of time during the day for answering emails. Turning off email notifications would also help out. 

Either way, this is about prioritization (see #2). Designate certain times to check and respond to emails (in the morning, at lunchtime, and late afternoon), and ignore them the rest of the time (if you can). 

8. Perform Weekly Time Audits

Auditing your performance every week will help you track your progress and better understand your time management. 

Keep a record each day of how much time it takes you to complete your tasks. Then, at the end of the week, you can see how you've done. Look for those areas where you performed better than you thought, and find where you need some more work. 

9. Change up Your Schedule

Sometimes you need to shake things up a bit. 

If you find that you're still having trouble organizing your time, despite using various management tricks, you might consider a schedule change. Maybe you need to wake up earlier or focus on certain tasks in the morning and others in the afternoon. 

Change your routine every once in a while, and see if that helps out. After all, everyone gets into a rut sometimes. 

10. Always Have Backup Tasks

It's good to have a little ancillary list of low-priority, but still important tasks always on hand. 

The reason is that sometimes unforeseen circumstances insert a hard break in your main task routine. A computer program stalls, the network is down, or the internet has a meltdown. Could be you're waiting on someone else in order to complete your task, and they're not cooperating with your schedule. 

Whatever it is, it's always a good idea to have a few backup tasks that need to be done and that can fill up your wait-time. 

11. Organize Your Space

Time management strategies are always helped by efficient space management strategies. 

If your workspace is a sloppy mess, get in there and get organized. Put your desk in order, and remove all that clutter and those piles of papers that have been accumulating for at least a decade. 

The same goes for your digital space. Take the time to organize all the files and apps on your computer, and put your inbox in order by using all those handy folders and other organizational features. 

12. Use the Calendar!

A calendar is your friend. And it's also a great way to organize your tasks and manage your time. 

If you prefer the old, physical kind of calendar, then go nuts. Schedule tasks with differently colored pens and markers, fill it with Post-It notes, and do whatever else you need to organize your time. 

If you'd rather use the digital kind, avail yourself of all the many features. Set up reminders, devise schedules, and use alerts to keep you focused and on track. 

13. Don't Try to Be a Perfectionist

Obsessive perfectionism is the nemesis of good time management. 

If you suspect you're a perfectionist, figure out a way to moderate this behavior. If you're always trying to follow your tasks through to an unrealistic standard of perfection, you'll be spending hours on it. 

Oftentimes, what's needed is for the work to be completed, not completed to the point of being a masterwork. Sometimes, good is good enough. Stop trying to be perfect. 

14. Learn to Delegate

It can be a little unnerving to entrust one of your tasks to someone else. But if it's possible to delegate some work to a teammate, then by all means do it. 

If you offload some of your tasks to others, this will lessen your workload and allow you to concentrate on the more important tasks of the day. Start with the less important tasks, and see how the teammate does. If they do a good job, you can begin to share more important tasks. 

15. Nope Out When You Have To

There comes a time when you have to put your foot down and say "no" like you mean it. 

If you're always taking on extra work from co-workers, or fielding their requests, you won't have time to complete your work. And what response will you have when asked why you didn't finish your tasks? 

Create some boundaries, and maintain them. When your work is completed, then you can assist others. You can only do so much, and there are only so many hours in the day. 

Bonus Time Management Strategies

So those are fifteen time management ideas to help you get the job done. 

If you focus on them, you'll start to see results in managing your time. But let's look at a few bonus tips to further help you get organized: 

Bonus Tip #1: Do the Most Important Tasks in the Morning

That's right. Get the most serious chores done right away, when you've got the energy and drive to tackle them. Leave the lesser stuff for the afternoon. 

Bonus Tip #2: Don't Wait on Inspiration

Sometimes you're just not feeling it. You haven't got the divine "spark" instilled in your brain by the Nine Muses. Never mind—dive into the work and the motivation and inspiration will follow. 

Bonus Tip #3: Do Less

Understand that you can't always get everything done in a single day. Look at your list of tasks, and decide which ones are really important. Focus on fewer tasks, and do them well. 

Use These Time Management Tips to Meet Your Goals

We hope these time management strategies will help you better organize your time and achieve your daily goals. Remember, all it takes is determination and a little chutzpah. 

Are you ready to explore the many ways you can succeed in life? Go ahead and book a discovery call with Michael Morrison.  

3 Critical Things All Great Leaders Do To Earn Respect

Great organizational teams are a result of exceptional leaders. It may be true that good leaders are born with prevailing leadership characteristics, but extraordinary leaders are not born, they are the product of constant learning, discipline, and humility. Exceptional leadership is what separates excellent companies from average companies.

There are countless books, articles, and blogs on leadership. Experts in leadership have numerous principles required for leading a team to greatness. Which policies work best for your organization will depend on the culture of your company.

Here are three key things that all great leaders do, no matter the circumstances of their culture or team.

 Never Complain Or Criticize

Growing up, we all heard those infamous words, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." We've listened to these words not just once or twice, but numerous times throughout our childhood. We've heard them so often that it should be as easy as walking and chewing gum at the same time.

Yet, for most, it is easier and faster to complain and criticize, rather than to find a solution. Finding a solution takes time and energy, which most of us don't have enough of in the first place.

Constant complaining and criticizing will earn you the "that person" title. We all know them. We've all been around them. We have all probably worked for one. You know, "that person" who no one wants to be around because they are consistently negative, complaining, and criticizing others. You know, "that person" who is continually talking about others in a demeaning or passive-aggressive way.

It's unfortunate that, in most cases, "that person" never changes. It's almost like it is in their DNA as if they are on this earth for the primary reason of showing us how miserable life really could be. As a leader, you do not want to be "that person!"

To some degree or another, we all complain or criticize from time to time. It is human nature. Although we should always try, we cannot control our emotions 100% of the time. When we have had a bad day, sometimes, we just need to vent. As a leader, we need to be aware of our audience. It should never be in front of our employees.

When is it not okay to complain or criticize? Always! Leaders are at a higher standard. Leaders need to be "that person." No, not the "that person" that no one wants to be around, but "that person" who everyone wants to be around. "That person" who does no wrong, "that person" who always has the solution and "that person" who is a confidant. You will not be a successful leader if you say anything negative about another employee. You will lose all trust with employees.

If you want to lose the trust and respect from those around you immediately, complaining and criticizing will do the trick. Not only will you become "that person" who no one wants to be around, but you will also bring your colleagues down, annoy and depress those around you, drain everyone's energy, and, most importantly, create counter-productivity. You should be building everyone up, not talking negatively, and bringing them down.

Never complain or unfairly criticize when you are in a leadership role. A golden rule of effective leadership is learning when and when not to open your mouth. There is a fine line of saying too much and not saying enough.

  If You Are Wrong, Admit It And Apologize

Let's get one thing clear here; if you can read this, you are a human with a drive to learn before you earn. All humans, not just some, make mistakes. Knowing this, admitting to an error should be easy to do, but the reality is that it's much easier said than done. 

Ego and arrogance are the biggest obstacles we must overcome as leaders to begin admitting our wrongdoings. Unfortunately, there are far more leaders who possess extreme pride rather than humility. Arrogant and egotistical leaders believe admitting their mistakes reflects a sign of weakness. It indicates just the opposite. Nothing displays a stronger character or reaps more amounts of respect than someone who can confront their mistakes, head-on, and apologize for them. But, it is hard to convince arrogant types of people because typically, their self-esteem is low. Even though they should show employees a different side, they don't know how or don't want to.

Now, I've been around quite a few of these types of people, and it is not pleasant. Their insecurities are so deep within that they have no other way to feel good about themselves, other than to push people around. It does not matter what advice you give, these types of people are going to throw their weight around, and the last thing they would ever do is admit when they were wrong.

The leadership principle of admitting mistakes and apologizing is not for the weak. The greatest leaders always admit their mistakes, apologize, and apologize swiftly. They are leaving no doubt within their team that they were wrong, learning from it and moving on to greener pastures.

When business owners and company managers fail to own up to their mistakes and push all of the blame onto their employees or colleagues, the team surrounding them always notices. They are aware of each attempt by their boss to cover the truth or refuse to apologize. There is nothing more devastating to a team than a dishonest leader. The immediate consequences of such behavior are for the best employees in the organization to seek opportunities elsewhere. The people a company can't afford to lose will be the first ones to go.

To grow as a leader, be humble, quickly admit to mistakes, and apologize immediately. Saying you were wrong and apologizing is not a liability. Assuming you were wrong and apologizing builds your credibility and the trust that employees will place in you. Extraordinary people want to follow exceptional, credible leaders.

  Empower Your Team

What separates average leaders from exceptional leaders is the ability to empower those around them. Many leaders confidently say they practice this leadership principle within their organization. Let's look at Merriam-Webster's official definition of the word empower.

Empower:

-     to give official authority or legal power to

-     to enable

-     to promote the self-actualization or influence of or influence of

To give official authority? Legal power? Enable? Promote? Whoa!

It would be in everyone's best interest if every individual in a leadership role were required to read, dissect, and truly understand the definition of empowering. Most leaders claim to empower their people, but most leaders do the opposite and exert their power over people. I am not saying that you should give legal authority to your employees, but you have to enable them and appreciate them openly for what they do.

I often hear individuals in a leadership role asked the question, "What do you contribute to your organization's success to?" The response used too often is usually, "Our people. Our people make this organization great. We EMPOWER our people." This response goes all over me and crawls way beneath my skin because we all know from experience that there are very few organizations that truly empower their people. Proclaiming empowerment, rather than practicing empowerment, is rampant in today's work culture.

There is a company that I happen to know that the word empower is used in its mission, vision, and culture statements. Self-proclamations were so prominent that their entire staff and all of their clients could see. Yet I witnessed the head manager ask the leaders of the company if they could post a sign telling semi-truck drivers that they could not drive behind the building for safety reasons.

Are they empowered? Really? Your lead manager needs to ask if they can post a sign warning truck drivers not to go past this point. Indeed this company has not authorized its employees.

Unfortunately, many organizations think they are empowering their team, but they do not understand the true meaning of empowerment. Truly understanding what it means to empower others and fully implementing this leadership principle is what separates the exceptional organizations from the average.

 To be an exceptional leader, you must fully, not partially, empower your people.

 Closing

Great leaders regularly invest in continued personal development that educates on how to be an exceptional leader. Exceptional leaders know that a leader is just that, a leader, not a boss.