Strategies for Effective Time Management

Do you wish you had a few more hours each day to get tasks done? Are you constantly scrambling at the end of the day to complete the myriad of projects you began that morning? You are certainly not alone. It seems like one of the most prevalent complaints or worries among Americans these days is never having enough time in the day.

Set aside the popular turn of phrase “Einstein had the same 24 hours a day you do” and start to consider what you can actually do to make the most of your hours. Namely, how can you “find more” hours? Using the right time management strategies, tips, and hints, you will discover that you can get more accomplished than you ever thought possible.

Consider this list of simple yet effective time management skills and strategies:

• Sleep more: This might sound like a contradictory way to begin a list about time management and making the most of your days, but it isn’t. Sleep is crucial for making you feel and be energized, and energy is necessary for you to do the most and at your best. People who get less than 7 or 8 hours of sleep a night to “get more done” are actually doing less and not realizing it.
• Prioritize: Realistically, not all the tasks on your to-do list are of equal importance. Decide relatively quickly which two tasks are your priorities and get those done first. You’ll find that after wiping out the toughest projects, the rest will seem much easier and require less effort.
• Create habits: If you find that you keep needing to do the same important task, then you might want to just consider it a habit and work it naturally into your routine. Rather than scrambling to fit it into your schedule, you will just start getting it done as if it was second nature.
• Cut down electronic entertainment: Both the advantage and addiction of our current culture and society is the smartphone. Take a look around you right now and you’ll probably see someone nearby using their cellphone for some form of entertainment, even if that’s just chatting with friends. Become mindful of how much time you really spend watching shows, playing games, or browsing social media and try to intentionally cut that in half. In a few weeks, if you find you don’t miss those distractions, cut that time in half again.
• Deliberate steps: Haste makes waste. This mantra has been around a while, and for good reason. If you try to rush between the tasks on your daily list, you are more likely to make mistakes that require you to revisit something you thought you completed. Or, if you are a perfectionist, you are still more likely to wear yourself out too soon. Give yourself a little bit of breathing room between projects.
• Weekend warrior: No one wants to work on the weekend, or whatever off-days they might have, but the truth is that weekend hours are prime hours to catch up or get ahead. Use at least two hours each free day to do tasks you otherwise would have done during your busy days. The change this makes can be dramatic, and you will probably start to like the feeling of productivity it brings.
• Delegating tasks: Want to clear up some of your time in the fastest way possible? Delegate tasks to capable people. You might not be comfortable with passing along your prioritized tasks (see above) but there are probably plenty of little things you need to do but don’t need to be done by you personally.

Concierge At Home, a division of At Home Healthcare, can help you manage your time better and easier by offering comprehensive, reliable, and cost-effective concierge services. By allowing you to delegate all the menial or distracting tasks to one of our highly-trained concierge service members, you can clear up your plate for more important projects without worrying about the little ones. Or, you can just use that extra time to relax – you certainly deserve it!

Some of the services Concierge At Home offers include:

• Home office assistance and organization
• Errand services
• Scheduling appointments and making reservations
• Personal, online, or holiday shopping
• Housesitting and short-term nanny services

Want to know more about our concierge services or in-home nursing or therapy and personal care services? Just call 903.593.9330 to connect with our team today.