Be efficient, be effective and get things done!

Time management is really life management and personal management. It allows you to gain control over your workload, be prepared for problems and emergencies, get the important work done on time and plan for the future. With your time under control, you can become more relaxed and confident, giving you a powerful tool for furthering your career or any aspect of your life.

10 common time management mistakes

Which ones do you know you do? Which ones do you do most often?

1. Failing to keep a to-do list.
2. Not setting goals.
3. Not prioritising.
4. Failing to manage distractions.
5. Procrastination.
6. Taking on too much.
7. Thriving on being busy, which can become addictive.
8. Multitasking.
9. Not taking breaks.
10. Ineffectively scheduling tasks.

Top tips for time management

Write a to-do list for the day, week, month or year, either first thing in the morning or last thing at night for the next day. Then schedule things into your diary.

• Set goals with dates.
• Prioritise your list.
• Take breaks and give yourself rewards.
• Accept that sometimes things have to change because the day didn’t go as planned, then move on with a positive mindset.
• Be assertive and say “no” when you need to.
• Recognise when you procrastinate and ask yourself, “What am I doing right now? Is it taking me towards what I want to achieve or away from it?”

We have 24 hours in our day. On average, we might be lucky enough to sleep for eight hours, then work or volunteer for eight hours. That means we may still have another eight hours left in our day to do what we need to do.

“It is not the hours you put in; it’s what you put into the hours.”