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Expert Answers to Biz Questions
Listen in! Pick up some expert advice to a reader's question that we selected from CyberSchmooz.
How to Maximize Your Time Each Day
Time is fleeting. Every minute that passes is another that disappears forever. We can’t go back in time, we can’t retrieve expired time, and we can’t hold onto those precious moments as they slowly slip away. The only thing we can do is maximize the time we have, in this current moment. Making the most out of every moment in your work and personal life will help increase your sense of fulfillment and ensure that you’re getting everything you can out of your life. Here’s how to maximize your time each day at work, home, or school.
- Plan Ahead
Benjamin Franklin once said, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Getting yourself to bed early and rising early in the morning will not only help increase your energy, but it can also help motivate you to accomplish more during the day.
Planning ahead is the best way to achieve this goal. Have a plan for the day ahead when you awaken each morning. If you’re going to bed too late and don’t have enough energy in the morning, plan for an earlier bedtime. Wake up earlier to give yourself more energy and motivation to drive you through the day towards your goals.
Write down your daily goals in a journal or on a sheet of paper, and put it where you’ll easily find it the next morning. Starting your morning off by reading the day’s goals can solidify your resolve and give you a direction in those early hours of the morning, which are some of the most important moments of your entire day. With better planning and a more regular sleep cycle, you’ll find that your days become more productive and fulfilling both at work and at home.
- Use Technology to Your Advantage
Turn your cellphone into something more than just a means of communication with apps and other tools to help you maximize your time. Check your phone’s store for available time tracking apps or productivity apps that will not only help you manage and plan your days better but also track your productivity and hold you accountable for successes and setbacks.
When we think of technology such as cellphones, we usually think of distraction as a synonym. This can be the case, but it doesn’t always have to be. Technology can have a major impact on productivity and help you reach your goals when it’s used correctly.
Time management and tracking apps will help you understand what’s taking up your time and how you can change or modify it to work for you. Maximize your time down to the minute. Plan your projects, ideas, and delegate time slots to each one.
- Turn Your Phone on Silent
Yes, we just said that your cellphone can help you be productive, and that’s true. There are also instances where those endless notifications can be incredibly distracting, even if you’re using your phone’s time management app or some other productivity tool. Turning your phone on silent or disabling notifications while you’re working will prevent you from being distracted by text messages and social media notifications.
The death of productivity is distraction. Notifications are simply that; distractions from the current task. Whether you’re in an important meeting, writing a paper or proposal, or simply catching up with work emails, a constantly buzzing phone can kill your productivity and satisfy that itch to check your various accounts.
Turn your phone notifications on silent while you’re working. Not on vibrate, but on silent. This will ensure that your phone won’t make any kind of noise when you get a text or notification. You can even take this a step further and lock your phone in a locker or desk drawer until you’re finished with your task(s).
- Don’t Browse Social Media
How many times have you been working on an important project, only to find you’ve opened a new tab and have been browsing your social media accounts for the last hour? Time can disappear beneath your feet when you’re scrolling; precious time that you’ll never get back.
Think about what you truly gain from scrolling social media. What value does the time you spend scrolling actually hold? Little to none. Social media doesn’t make you better at your job, or increase your salary, or even improve your relationships with people. Maximizing your time means filling it with productive, enriching activities and sticking to them. Remove the distraction of social media. Delegate time slots to check your accounts, and set time limits and stick with them.
It’s ok to want to check your Facebook, but checking it and spending hours on it are two different things. Use a time tracking app or another tool to analyze the time you spend on social media, and then ask yourself: “Am I happy that I’ve spent in upwards of 12 hours this week simply scrolling social media?”
- Hold Yourself Accountable
For any time management regimen to be effective, you must hold yourself accountable. Make yourself aware of the activities that take up your time. Be aware of whether or not those activities hold real value for the time you’re spending on them.
Remember that time is our most precious and coveted resource. It’s a finite resource and one that we so easily give away each day to things that give nothing back. Hold yourself accountable for the time you waste, or that you don’t spend improving yourself. Identify the areas where you can improve and address them.
Conclusion
Plan your days ahead of time. Rise early, and go to bed early to ensure you’re well-rested and motivated to meet the goals you’ve set. Use the right tools and eliminate distractions, and most of all, hold yourself accountable for the time you have each day, and you’ll effectively maximize every moment.
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