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This is, for now, the last and final part of my series on how to use time management tips to boost your productivity. As mentioned already in part 1 and part 2, the tips I am sharing here are based on what I do almost daily. Some suggestions are more recommendations that you should follow all the time. Others, if applied correctly, need to be incorporated into your daily routine only once.
9. Find something different every day
Focussing daily on the same thing will get boring most of the time. At least, for me, that’s the case. So to be more efficient and more engaged with the tasks that I have to do, I decided to do something different every day.
Of course, some tasks repeat themselves every day, which I can’t change, but I want the most important job (please refer to part two – 7. Do the most important thing first) to be different every day.
That way, the time I spend at work does not get boring.
10. Stop multitasking to manage your time – my favorite the time management tops
Those who believe humans are multi-tasking individuals should read one of the following research papers. Humans cannot split their attention on more than one task or activity at once.
A study found that only 2.5% of the research group are so-called supertaskers. For basically everyone, there is a simple rule. Don’t try to multitask because you will be less effective and less productive.
But why is that? Multitasking divides our attention and makes it harder to give one thing our full attention. Doing more or less complicated math calculations during a driving test is something everyone imagines is hard.
But even simple tasks like listening to music while reading emails are considered media-multitasking. It allows you to focus less on what you need to do.
I focus only on one thing at a time, if possible. Of course, sometimes I have to take a call while doing some research, but I stop immediately with the study as soon as I realize that I can’t focus enough on the call.
So don’t let yourself get pressured into multitasking or the vague idea that you need to be able to do that.
Only take one task after the other; you will significantly boost your productivity with this time management tip.
11. Plan gaps in your daily schedule
Gaps are essential to help you significantly increase your time management. You can’t work all day and have to take care of yourself. Incorporate fixed breaks for lunch, a coffee break, or for going for a walk.
This is even more crucial when you work from home. At the beginning of the pandemic, I suddenly worked from home every day; I hardly realized how much time I spent in front of my computer.
This got even worse until I could no longer decide when to stop, so I worked very often until late at night. That had some unpleasant side-effects from a health perspective.
After a few months, I started putting in fixed timeslots where I had lunch daily and 60 minutes throughout the day, where I take a break, go outside, get some fresh air, walk, or read something that’s not work-related.
What gaps can help you with your time management
Here is one other time management tip that’s directly related to planning gaps. I make sure that I have at least 1 hour every single day where I can potentially squeeze in meetings if necessary.
If that time is not needed, I use it to work on client work or take some time to get breaks or gaps into my calendar.
12. Track your progress
Lastly, one of the essential time management tips to boost your productivity is here. Tracking your progress is helpful to learning and understanding the importance of micro achievements.
I incorporated a daily, weekly, and monthly routine to track my progress with the tasks I had to do. But why is tracking your progress helpful at all? Isn’t it just adding more time to your calendar?
Yes, on the one hand, it does, but on the other hand, it’s beneficial as you will learn how good you are at getting things done in time.
That track record also satisfies me a lot because I get an excellent understanding of what I do daily.
I hope you found that series helpful. If you have some comments or other time management tips, I’d be happy if you shared those with me here.
