What is your equation with time? Do you manage your time or your time is making you run? If you are taking the time to answer this question, you are probably in the latter category.
Women are hustling and nothing can stop them. However, managing time is a never-ending struggle. It becomes tough to be productive all the time if you have a haywire schedule. Time needs management by you, and the following ways will help you do exactly that, and you can achieve your daily goals smoothly.
1. Become An Early Riser
Become An Early Riser
If you haven’t tried it, you won’t believe us. Yes, nights can be productive, with no one else to bother you. But mornings are way better because you have taken the required sleep and with a fresh mind, you can achieve a lot more. It’s only in the morning that we can cherish the greenery of nature and breathe in the goodness of fresh air. Yes, you can focus on self-care at night as well. But how often do you do that? At the end of the day, a bed is all you can see.
And you can bring this change with a slight shift in your sleep hours. Research shows that emotionally we feel more ambitious and confident in the earlier part of the day as compared to evenings and night. So, why not make the most of the morning?
2. Prioritize Your Work
Prioritize Your Work
People are accountable for their work on both fronts, personal and professional. To be productive and manage work and time, prioritize your work and know what is an urgent task and what can wait. Then start off your day with clarity in mind. With a planned task list and a fixed timeline, you can try to achieve the goals you have set for the day. When it comes to planning and setting up a task list, we tend to procrastinate. With a planned task list and a fixed timeline, you can try to achieve the goals you have set for the day. Ladies, it’s time to crisp up your task list.
If you think of some home chore that needs to be done, you can always take some time out on the weekend and complete your weekly task, whether it is shopping or decluttering your wardrobe.
3. Say No
Say No
Yes, you are multitasking and juggling a hundred things every day, but you don’t have to increase your to-do list just because you cannot say ‘no’ to something. Learning to say ‘NO’ is as important as being accountable for your work. With prior planning, you will know when something isn’t aligning with your plans, whether it is your daily plan or weekly, and that it might not be your topmost priority, you can always choose to say no.
If you already have your plate full and another task comes along, you can say no to it politely or offer a different timeline as per your schedule. This way you will be able to balance your task list and not extend your working hours.
4. Follow POMODORO Method
Follow POMODORO Method
We have heard of many techniques that can help us manage our time but this technique has helped us the most. Do you struggle with the continuous workload and decreasing productivity? Well, that’s because you haven’t cracked the code of taking breaks.
The format is to do work for 25 minutes, followed by a five-minute break. Follow this technique four times and then after the fourth interval has passed, take a 20-minute break. You can follow this technique for any sort of work that needs concentration and motivation, after all, even 5 minutes of break feels like a reward.
5. Ask For Help
Ask For Help
We know how our conditioning has made us think that we have to be perfect at everything and missing out on even one duty will make us feel ‘not good enough’. Asking for help isn’t easy for most of us and we try to take charge of EVERYTHING. One fact that we all need to accept is that women who hustle to be on top aren’t superwomen. They are women who try to get all the work done, irrespective of hurdles. And if you are one of them, just know that it is okay to ask for help. Whether it is from your partner, parents, friends, or co-workers; ask for help, and you will be able to manage your life easily.
Nobody is going to judge you for seeking help. Trying to get all things done shouldn’t be the agenda. The focus should be on being calm and ticking off your task list, one thing at a time.
6. Start Timeboxing
Start Timeboxing
Have you been struggling to complete some of your tasks? Did you try timeboxing? It is a technique where you pick a task, assign a date, starting time, end time, and set the desired outcome. Once you have finalized it and put it on your calendar, it has to be considered as important as one of your scheduled meetings, and there shouldn’t be any distractions or rescheduling to this task.
If you have a bigger task on your plate, you can break it down into smaller tasks and fix several blocks to complete the work. Rather than delaying a task and putting it down in your priority list, it’s better you face the task and set a particular timeline on your calendar.
7. Draw A Line
Draw A Line
Your workplace and personal life are two different things. In recent times, it has been difficult to keep these two apart. We are all striving to grow on both fronts, but it can be difficult to manage everything, all at once. You must have read multiple blogs and social media posts on how to keep your two lives separate. But have you applied that in real life?
It’s time you gave some time to yourself and your mind. Working and hustling for 9 hours a day is enough. You don’t have to take the stress of work to the remaining 15 hours of the day. So, shut down your laptop after work and take time to recharge yourself. Zoning out always helps to strike that balance.
We hope these ways will help you manage your day well and be more productive throughout the day.
