Personal Time Management

To make the most out of your day, you need to practice a few healthy habits. That way, you become more disciplined with the way you manage your schedule.

Time yourself doing anything from taking a shower or doing some household chores. Then, try to beat your record time. You'll be amazed at how much faster you can go when you're racing the clock.

It helps to set achievable goals for yourself. Every time you complete a task, your brain releases beta-endorphins, chemicals that increase creativity, focus, and motivation.

On the other hand, starting a project but not finishing it depletes your energy. So, break big jobs into smaller chunks, then check each chunk off your list to get the ultimate hit.

But when someone interrupts you while you're in the middle of something, learn a few magic words to cut the conversation short. To end something that seems to drag on and on, say "one last thing." To get someone off your back while you're in the middle of a project, try telling them that you'd love to give them your undivided attention as soon as you finish your work. This signals them to give you the space that you need without being rude about it.

Minimize interruptions because research shows that it takes you between 10 to 20 times the duration of a disruption to regain the prior level of concentration. In fact, people lose more than 2 hours a day, on average, due to unnecessary interruptions.

When you're trying to get something done, put on earphones or headset. This can be done even if you're not listening to music because you'll appear unavailable to people who want to chitchat with you. Send calls to voice mail and alert colleagues that you'll be busy within the next hour.

At all times, remember the 3 Ds: drop, decrease, and delegate. You'll save hours each day when you learn to do this. And, spend at least 30 minutes each day organizing whatever you have on your plate.

Sometimes, you spend much of your time trying to find lost documents. Disorganization causes you to be late for things. Then, try to complete similar tasks in batches. Different activities engage different parts of the brain, and switching back and forth between the mental channels zaps all your energy.

Your brain could actually take 50 percent or more additional time to perform each task. And if there are some things you loathe doing, try completing them first.

Personal Time Management

Most important of all: never try to multitask. It's often impossible for your brain to focus on more than one task at a time, so even when you think you're doing several things at once, you're more likely switching rapidly back and forth between them. And, the tasks will take much longer to complete than if you'd given each your undivided attention before moving on to the next one.

Multitasking also puts stress on your brain's memory retention center, so you won't absorb as much information and will be more prone to committing errors.
Personal time management
21 Time Management Tips