Everyone in any career and from any walk of life can benefit from effective time management. Time is one of the most valuable resources we have. However, many people waste it on things that don't matter and won’t benefit them.
If you find that you’re not getting things done and your priorities are in all the wrong places, then it might be time to craft an action plan in the form of time management.
We’ve compiled a list of valuable time management and eCommerce skills that just might improve your quality of life.
Why is time management important
As you know, there are only 24 hours in a day. While most think that’s not enough, with an effective time management strategy in place, 24 hrs is more time than you think. Once you learn how to effectively manage your time you will find that your productivity increases overall, leaving you with more time to spend on the things you really want to do.
For most people, there’s a lot on your plate. Simply knowing this tends to cause undue stress. However, this stress can be eliminated if you know how your time is going to be spent each day. You can even allow yourself some time to relax and take a break!
The more organized you are the better equipped you are to handle what needs to be handled in a timely manner. Moreover, you can spend less time planning and more time learning a new skill or having fun.
3 time management tips
The most successful people know how to manage their time and do it well. Do you ever wonder how entrepreneurs are able to juggle ten different tasks everyday, but seamlessly still have the time to go out and have fun with their friends? The answer is simple: time management. But how exactly do you manage your timer and what are the best time management skills to have?
Minimize distractions
Overall, the point of time management is to help you reduce distractions during your work day and allow you to show up as your most productive self. With so many distractions you can lose your thoughts and end up scrolling endlessly on whatever social media app that catches your attention first. But it doesn't have to be this way. There are various apps and tools you can use to help keep yourself focused and still give you time to scroll as you please.
The pomodoro method is one of those tools. The pomodoro method is a way of breaking your tasks into 25 minute increments and giving yourself 5-10 minute breaks to spend how you please. The pomodoro method is scientifically proven to help you focus better as it operates on the brain's natural cadence. For the most part, not everyone can power through the day without distraction, and this method thrives on that knowledge. Give it a try next time to plan to start your workday. There are many computer integrations of this app you can add.
Set SMART goals
Another way to manage your time is by setting SMART goals before starting your workday. SMART goals is a tool that helps you identify what your task is, the way you want to achieve it, and how/when you want to achieve this goal. You can use SMART goals for any task you’re given at work, or for personal use as well.
SMART is an acronym and each letter outlines what you want to achieve:
Specific– What is it that you want to accomplish?
Measurable- How will you know when you’ve accomplished your goal?
Achievable- Is your goal attainable and realistic at this time?
Realistic-Can you realistically achieve this goal?
Time-When do you want to reach your goal, and is it possible to achieve within the time constraints you’ve given yourself?
The SMART method is an easy way to help you outline your goals and gives you a way to identify whether or not your goal can be achieved with the constraints you’ve applied. Mostly, it can keep you on track.
Prioritize your Time
Prioritizing your time goes hand in hand with managing your time. Each task you plan to complete should have a priority. In order to do this it helps to list out your tasks for the day then ask yourself a couple of questions.
- Why am I completing this task (is it a personal task or a work task?)
- How will this task help me achieve my goals?
- How important are these tasks for my goals?
When you answer these questions you’ll be able to organize your tasks by priority. During a 9-5 workday your work task will, of course, take priority over your personal taks. But you can take it as far as to divide your work tasks in order of importance too. Your more important tasks are completed first while the less important tasks can be completed last.
Time Management tools
Effectively managing your time includes having the right tools at your disposal to help you do that. Today, there are thousands of eCommerce tools out there that can help you manage your time. One of the tools we’ve mentioned previously–the pomodoro method. However, not one tool will work for everyone. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best time management tools that can help you stay focused on what matters and increase your productivity.
- Harvest
Harvest is a time management tool that is easy to use and effective. Harvest allows you to track your time spent on daily projects and it also has an innovative client billing feature too. With harvest, you can track your time spent on any interface and browser (iOS, Android, Chrome, Mac, phone…etc). More than this, it seamlessly integrates your time tracked across all platforms, so there’s no need to worry if you need to switch your workspace. It’ll pick up right where you left off.
- Toggl
Toggl is another wonderful time tracking tool that works with your project management systems. You can add it onto existing tools or use it as a stand-alone. Toggl provides you with the ability to create projects and subtasks that need to be completed throughout the day. It can even generate team reports to share whether you’re on or offline.
- HubStaff
Hubstaff is a tool that tracks the time you spent on a specific task and your overall leisure time. Workplaces can use HubStaff to track the hours someone worked as well as time spent on specific tasks. HubStaff has a screenshot integration that will capture exactly what someone is working on at the given moment. Your clients and staff can also receive time usage reports fully customizable to them.
Time management for entrepreneurs books
As an entrepreneur your time is as valuable as you make it. However, the act of managing your time is always much easier said than done. Luckily, online tools aren't the only way to help you manage your time. If you are an avid reader, which most entrepreneurs are, then you might prefer to read a book on time management. Here are some of our favorites:
- “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change” by Stephen R.Covey
- “How to Stop Procrastinating: A Simple Guide to Mastering Difficult Tasks and Breaking the Procrastination Habit” by S.J. Scott
- “Organize Tomorrow Today: 8 Ways to Retrain Your Mind to Optimize Performance at Work and in Life” by Dr. Jason Selk and Tom Bartow
- “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World” by Cal Newport
Manage That!
The fact of the matter is that you can't get back wasted time. So it’s best to spend it in ways that feel most productive for you. Developing time management skills is no easy feat and it will take trial and error. However, once you learn them, they can’t be unlearned. You’ll soon find that your day’s become less stressful and more productive than you could’ve ever imagined. Properly managing your time will help you become more successful and help your business thrive to exceed its break even point.