Have time for everything. Nine Time Management Tips

I suggest 9 working tricks that will optimize your working day, do your work better, and not suffer from routine tasks so much.

1 - Start your morning with a nice

Where does your work day begin? A cup of coffee, browsing your mail, and planning your errands? Okay. And what's at the top of that list? I recommend starting work with things that feel good to you. That way you set the mood for the day. For example, 3 times a week I start work by writing a blog post. Because I enjoy writing. And because, when I write an article, it is as if the gyrations in my brain begin to move faster, and all subsequent work time, I am full of energy and strength to conquer the tops..

2 - Wake up at least three hours before work

A study comparing the different habits of rich and poor people (conducted by Thomas Corley) showed that the rich wake up at least 3 hours before work (44% of the rich vs. 3% of the poor).

That doesn't mean you have to get up at the crack of dawn. In many companies you can get to work at 11 a.m., so there is time to get a good night's sleep. The point is that having three hours to spare, you can, firstly, have time to wake up, secondly, have breakfast, and thirdly, do some small household tasks in the morning. Of course, this is a big plus to further productivity at work.

"Don't sleep much. If you sleep 3 hours less every night of the year, you'll have an extra month and a half to succeed." Aristotle Onassis

3 - The 9-to-do Rule

When making a list of things to do for the day, limit it to 9 items (you can do less). The list should consist of one very important thing, on which you will spend, for example, 3-4 hours. The list should also be 3 cases of lesser importance, which will take you 2-3 hours. And 5 very small ones that you can handle in 1-2 hours.

"Most people are only able to be productive for four or five hours a day. The rest is running in place." Thomas Limoncelli

4 - No more multitasking

You shouldn't rush from task to task, chaotically trying to do everything at once. That's not going to happen. Take it as an inviolable law, and do your work consistently, without being distracted by sudden requests and tasks.

Many people talk about the importance of consistency, but not everyone manages to stick to it. It's hard not to be distracted, it's hard to say no when a colleague stands over your shoulder and asks you to solve his problem. But if you learn to focus on a particular task and the ability to say no, then your productivity will undoubtedly increase. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't help others - just designate 1 hour in your 8-hour workday during which you solve such "sudden" moments.

5 - The rule of 5 questions

When a project comes your way, ask five questions: why, what, who, when, where, and how. It's important to understand:

• Why this project is being done (its goals)
• What this project sells, offers (products, services, ideas, innovations)
• Who is the target audience of the project (people)?
• When it should be delivered (deadlines)
• The geography of the project, customer, clients, where the CA draws from, and other "where?"
• How will the project work, how will it be monetized, and other "hows"

Do not be afraid to ask questions - as they say "the right task is half the success. With these 5 questions you will help the one who entrusts you with the project to formulate the clearest possible terms of the task.

6 - If you don't understand, draw.

There are tasks that you can't figure out how to solve at first. Try to draw all the details of these tasks and the methods of solving them will emerge by themselves. This can be mein-maps, sketches, or simply illustrations. Read more about how to visualize information in the articles "Sketch Writing: what, why, and how?" and "About the Land of Blah Bland, the Fox, the Hummingbird, and the Living Forest.

7 - Simplify

There are days when it feels like everything has fallen on you. Everything that could have been piled on top of you. And you don't know how to clean up the mess. That's where simplicity comes in. Stop panicking and see how to make this difficult situation easier. For example, break down global projects into smaller subtasks, and you'll be surprised at how much easier it will seem to you to solve these tasks. For more on how to keep things simple, see "Simplicity as the Key to Perfection.
"Out of two possible words, always choose the simplest one." Paul Valery

8 - Eat!

This is strange advice, at first glance. But! How often do you forget to eat when you are immersed in work? You are even proud of yourself - "I worked so hard today that I didn't even eat, I just sat on coffee. And there is nothing to be proud of. And it's not because it's bad for your health - of course it is, I won't remind you of that. It's bad for your productivity. Energy is expended, and with intellectual work, it's even more expended, and you need to replenish it. So be kind enough to eat lunch, snack, and replenish what you've spent. Take at least 20 minutes for this. Let the body rest.

9 - The 2-Minute Rule

A very simple rule that will reduce the frequency of "no time" excuses by 2-3 times. If you can do a task in 2 minutes, do it right away. Reply to an email, estimate hours of work on a project, make a minor revision. But it has to be exactly 2 minutes. If it takes longer - see item number 4 of this article.

"You can't manage time, you can only manage yourself" Brian Tracy