Better Time Management: 5 Tips To Make The Most Of Your Time

Time is our most valuable, limited resource. Procrastination and other inefficiencies rob us from getting the most out of our day. Whether that’s putting in higher quality work or getting more enjoyment out of your day, time management is a valuable tool for unlocking your potential.

To get some insight into time management, we spoke to Nick Salinas, a Project Manager on our Marketing Operations Team. As a Project Manager, Nick works with multiple teams to keep projects on track. He not only manages his own personal time but applies those skills to large-scale project management.

Here, Nick highlights how good time management improves the quality of your work and can be used to get the most out of your time away from work. And, he gives us five time management tips to put into practice today.

Read on to get some insight into the value of time management.

For Nick, good time management is what allows people to be successful. “We all have 24 hours in a day,” he says. “How we utilize those 24 hours is critical. It’s what determines success or failures in our world.” Being comfortable delegating, prioritizing and honing your focus can make a huge difference.

“Time management starts with maximizing your resources,” Nick says. “Make sure that everyone involved is aware of key milestones to keep projects on track.” Nick emphasizes that, when working with groups of people, communication is key to setting goals, realistic due dates and getting things done.

“One team may want something and what they want takes a certain amount of time. You need to work with them to negotiate expectations,” Nick says. At its core, having control of your time is all about negotiations. Prioritizing what needs to happen and when helps you accomplish more with what you have.

"Effective time management for me starts with defining my 'why.' Why do I do what I do? What is my importance? I have a passion for my work, but the reason I do it is for my family," Nick says. 

For Nick, this means using time management techniques outside the office, too. In order to maintain a work-life balance, he blocks out time for family. While working from home, he uses this technique to take some time in the afternoon to connect with his kids. It also means he disconnects from work. "I have my work, but then I have my cutoff time where I stop focusing on work and start focusing on my family," he says.

By establishing these boundaries, Nick ensures he has enough time for his work, his family and himself. This way he has time to connect with his family, but also step away to do things he enjoys to reduce his stress level.

Now that we've covered the importance of time management, let's provide you with some practical time management techniques. Not only will these tips help you make your workday more efficient, they can help improve your life overall.

1. Plan Out Your Day Beforehand

In the evening, before you sign off from work, plan out your next day. Plan out what important tasks need to happen, make sure you're prepared for meetings and review any due dates that are coming up. That way, when you start the next day, you can spend less time dawdling and get right into your workflow.

"The night before, I like to formulate the main thing I need to focus on tomorrow," Nick says. "I create a list of things I want to get done for the day. What's interesting is, as you go through your day, that list will grow. It will fluctuate and change." From there you can adapt while still being aware of the task list you made the day before.

2. Stop Trying To Multitask

"One of the things I always mention is 'ignore the noise.' I'm a firm believer that it's impossible to multitask," Nick says. "I know many people say, 'I'm good at multitasking,' but when you're multitasking, you're giving parts of your attention to multiple things."

With your attention fragmented by multitasking, it's easy for things to be missed or slip through the cracks. Using better time management, you can set aside specific time to focus on a specific task before moving to the next. 

3. Block Out Your Calendar

To maintain clarity and reduce stress levels, block out your calendar. Set aside time to work on daily tasks (like planning, scheduling meetings and reading emails), make progress on big, important tasks and knock out small tasks.

"I will block times for communications in the morning and the afternoon. So, during those timeframes I go through my emails and messages," Nick says. By keeping communications to these blocks, Nick prevents chats and emails from interrupting his workflow. Acknowledge you've received the message, but don't feel the constant pressure to be jerked around by chats.

Blocking out your calendar also applies to maintaining a work-life balance. Plan time to take a break, go for a walk, eat lunch and reset your brain. Breaks like these are essential for you to maintain a healthy relationship with work and will give you fresh energy and a new perspective when you come back to work.

4. Email Yourself

Want a cool hack to help you remember things? Email yourself. "When I remember something I need to do and I don't have the time to handle it or don't want to interrupt what I'm doing, I send myself an email," Nick says.

Even just by plugging in a simple subject line, you can trigger your memory to do some of the smaller tasks that can easily be forgotten. This can be anything from scheduling meetings to following up with another team member, to even bigger items like solutions to problems or ideas for new projects.

5. Review The Day

At the end of the day, take stock of what happened throughout the day. Nick says, "When things have quieted down and I have some downtime, I review how the day went. I look at what I accomplished and what I didn't. And then I start my new task list or email myself something that tells me what we're going to focus on tomorrow."

By going over what you got done, you can set goals for yourself, reflect on whether due dates need to be adjusted and examine how you could employ better time management. Be honest with yourself. Think about what techniques worked, but also what you'll change tomorrow.

The truth is that better time management doesn't require time management apps or software, though they can help. What it does require is time. It's something you need to put the effort into. Use a calendar, a notepad or whatever you have at your disposal. "It's all about using what works for you," Nick says.

Teaching yourself to focus is incredibly difficult, with constant notifications and social media vying for our attention. Better time management skills help you guard your time – your most valuable resource. Through goal setting, prioritization and deliberate organization, your time management practice will help you be more successful and get the most out of your life.