24 hours seem not enough for you? You end up feeling exhausted every single day? You need to work the smart way, not the hard way. And to do that, you need time management skills. It tells you how to use your time for effective results. We all need to master at least a few time management tips to keep up with the busy lives we lead in these fast-paced times. Of all, there are 10 golden pointers for effective time management. And here’s what they are!

1. Declutter and organize

One of the most effective time management tips is decluttering. The cluttered environment always makes you lose focus, lose so much time, pushes you to stay lazy than work. Your environment influences the way you think and the way you work. In order to keep your focus intact, you must always work in organized environs. Declutter your work desk and every other place you work.

2. Turn off social media alerts

Social media is the biggest distraction this generation has and one should know how not to be a slave to social media to be focussed. You don’t have to check your phone every five minutes to see what’s happening. We must know how to keep hands off of our mobiles. Before you get started with your work every day, turn off social media notifications or better yet, delete some of the unnecessary applications on your phone and all the while you are working, and keep your mobile in a different room. This will help you get less distracted.

3. Make a realistic to-do list

To-do lists are the most powerful time management tools that let you keep track of your work and stay focused at the same time. Every evening jot down the things you wish to do tomorrow. But one thing you must remember is to make it in a practical or realistic way. Most of the people write too many things to do for a single day and unable to cope up with their over-the-top expectations, they end up demotivated at the last. List out a practically possible number of things that really matter to you. That’s the right way of goal setting. So, remember not to bite off more than you can chew.

4. Thoughtful prioritization of tasks

The next one in our effective time management tips is prioritization. Lining up of tasks is very important. Always try to work on the most important tasks first. Finishing up the most important jobs makes you feel relaxed. So, rank the tasks you have at your hand currently and work on one by one accordingly. This way, you will make a better use of the time.

5. Wake up early

I personally think this one is the best of all. Getting an early start is just as important as careful prioritization of the tasks at hand. When we wake up late, the day seems so short and you will find yourself working in a lazy way all day. And comparatively, we work more concentratedly in the mornings. So to have a productive day at work, you must become a morning person.

6. Keep your distractions at bay

Allow yourself to be distracted for a brief time. Put a reminder for that and when it’s time turn off all your distractions. And, whatever you think is distracting you from your goals, stay away from it. Let it be your phone, laptop, television, or anything else, try to stay away.

7. Spare some time to relax

If you want to work productively, you must rest enough, eat healthily and exercise daily. These things can take the way you work to optimum levels. And, one effective way to relax is power naps. Stressing yourself with a big load of work will just slow you down. So, take short breaks every now and then to rest. Work smarter, not harder.

8. Strike off the tasks when done & reward yourself

You did your work, what’s your incentive for that? It’s up to you. When you finish a particular job, tick it off from the to-do list you’ve made before and that gives you the confidence you need to go through the rest of the day. And reward yourself with something, as a form of self-appreciation.

9. Find your work spot

Know where you are comfortable working, where you can work for hours with any disturbance. Your work area motivates you to work and when you feel lackluster, do something that you think triggers motivations for yourself.

10. Have a mentor or be one yourself

And the last but not least of our effective time management tips is, ask someone who you can rely on to warn you when you are distracted or squandering off precious time doing trivial things. If not anyone else, you act as your own mentor who guides you but you must swear you will listen to yourself.  So, find a good mentor that can help you along.

Finally, it’s difficult to reach your goals without proper time management. So, use these 10 effective time management tips that will help you get your work done on time and that too, stress-free. It will never be an uphill battle ever again.

Love, Love!