Chances are you have looked at the clock recently and wondered how it got to 5:00pm already and why your inbox and voicemail are both still full and where exactly did your day and time go. On the slide into the holiday period our time feels even more precious as we try to cram everything in to finish off the year. Below are my top 3 tips on how to manage your time effectively to help avoid the surprise arrival of 5:00pm as you work out the balance of 2015.
1 – Create a to do list! Simple and easy, at the end of the day grab a pen and paper and do a brain dump of all the tasks big and small you need to accomplish the following day. Going into the office the next morning with you day already planned out means you can jump straight into ticking of those tasks from the minute you sit at your desk. This is also a good way to delegate tasks that other team members could be helping with.
2 – Break up your day! I think breaking your day into chunks as follows can be really effective and can help you become more disciplined with how you manage your time. 8:30am – 10:00am is for emails, call backs and admin, 10:00am – 12:00pm is for activity that makes you money (emails don’t), 12:00pm – 2:00pm is admin and email time again, then 2:00pm – 4:00pm dollar productive activity again, with 4:00pm onwards catching up on admin and calls.
3 – Block out distractions! Things like Facebook, turning your email off whilst making prospecting or follow up calls, and avoiding getting caught up in office gossip about TV and Christmas plans in your work time will make a big difference. Maintaining focus on the task at hand will ensure you get through what you need to do a lot faster.
