Do important and difficult tasks first
This is the golden rule of time management. Each day, identify two or three tasks that must be done and do them first. As soon as you deal with them, you will feel a clear relief.
Learn to say “no”
At some point, you definitely need to learn how to say “no” to everything that negatively affects your time and mental state. You physically cannot be torn apart, but help everyone. Learn to refuse a request for help if you understand that you yourself are suffering from it.
Sleep at least 7-8 hours
Some people think that sacrificing sleep is a good way to carve out a couple of extra hours for the day. But this is not the case. A person needs 7-8 hours of sleep for the body and brain to function properly. Listen to your body and don’t underestimate the value of sleep.
Focus on one goal or task
Turn off your computer, put away your phone. Find a quiet place and listen to soothing music if that helps. Focus on one specific task and dive into it. Nothing else should exist for you at this moment.
Don’t put off
Almost all of us like to put something off until later, thinking that someday it will be easier to do it. However, these cases accumulate and fall on you like a shaft. In fact, doing something right away is very simple. Just decide for yourself that you want to do everything at once.
Don’t let unnecessary details drag you down.
We often get hung up on any small details in projects, because most of us suffer from the perfectionist syndrome. However, you can move away from the desire to constantly improve something and be surprised to notice How long time you actually save! Believe me, not every little thing catches the eye of the boss. Most likely, only you see it.
Make Key Tasks Habits
If you need to write similar emails every day for work or personal reasons (maybe you blog?), make it a habit. At first, you will have to take time for this, but then you will notice that you are already writing something on the machine. This saves a lot of time.
Control the time you watch TV and news feeds on VK or Instagram
The time spent doing all this can be one of the biggest costs to your productivity. Start noticing how many hours (!!!) a day you spend staring at your phone or sitting in front of the TV. And draw the appropriate conclusions.
Set time limits for completing tasks
Instead of just sitting down to work on a project and thinking, “I’ll be here until I get this done,” think, “I’ll be working on this for three hours.”
The time limit will force you to focus and be more efficient, even if you have to come back to it later and do some more work.
Leave room to rest between tasks
When we rush from task to task, we cannot adequately assess what we are doing. Give yourself time to rest in between. Take a breath of fresh air outside or just sit quietly.
Don’t think about your to-do list
One of the quickest ways to get overwhelmed is by imagining your huge to-do list. Understand that no thought can make it shorter. All you can do is focus on a specific task and get it done. And then another. And one more.
Eat right and exercise
Numerous studies have proven that a healthy lifestyle is directly related to productivity. Like healthy sleep, exercise and the right foods increase your energy levels, clear your mind, and make it easy for you to focus on specific things.
Slow down
If you realize that the work is “boiling”, try to slow down. Yes, just like in the movies. Try to look at yourself from the outside, think, are you fussing too much? Perhaps right now you need a break.
Use weekends to unload weekdays
We look forward to the weekend to take a break from work. But most of us do absolutely nothing on the weekend that really helps to relax. If you are one of those who spend Saturday and Sunday watching TV, set aside at least 2-3 hours of time to solve some work issues that can reduce the load during the work week.
Create organizational systems
Being organized can save you a lot of time. Create a document filing system, organize your workspace, allocate special drawers for different types of documents, folders on your desktop. Optimize your work!
Do something while you wait
We tend to spend a lot of time in waiting rooms, lines at shops, in the subway, at bus stops, and so on. Even this time you can spend with benefit! For example, you can carry a pocket book with you and read at any convenient moment. And why, in fact, not?
Link tasks
Let’s say that during a given weekend, you need to complete two programming assignments, write three essays, and edit two videos. Instead of doing these things in a different order, group similar tasks together and do them sequentially. Different tasks require different types of thinking, so it makes sense to let your mind keep flowing in the same thread, rather than switch unnecessarily to something that will require you to refocus.
Find time for stillness
Too many people these days don’t take the time to just stop. However, what the practice of silence can do is amazing. Action and inaction must play a key role in our lives. Finding time in your life for silence and stillness reduces anxiety and shows that you do not need to constantly rush.
Eliminate irrelevance
This has already been mentioned in one way or another, but this is one of the most useful tips you can glean for yourself.
Our lives are full of superfluous things. When we can identify this excess and eliminate it, we realize what is truly important and deserving of our time.
Pleasure should always be the goal. Work is supposed to bring joy. Otherwise, it turns into hard labor. It is in your power to prevent this.