Time is an invaluable resource that is always in short supply. However, we should not always blame the short 24 hours, because most often the lack of time is a person's own fault. Overcome your own laziness will help time management - a collection of rules for how to distribute time to get everything done. It is enough to allocate yourself just 5 simple rules to organize your life and free up time for useful hobbies and new passions.
Make a clear plan
Make it a habit to make a plan for the next day every night. The first few days this procedure will be quite time consuming, but after a couple of weeks will become a habit. The plan should be as clear and well-thought-out as possible. Time management experts recommend not only specifying the actions, but also limiting the period of their implementation.
Time allocation rules
For example:
8:00-8:15 - exercise.
8:15-8:45 - preparation of breakfast
Minute by minute scheduling is a quicker way to get used to a schedule, but not all activities can be timed by eye. For example, it may take more time to get there than you've allocated in your schedule. For beginners, such shifts are a challenge. If small shifts throw you off a lot, for the first few days just list the to-do list and time it approximately how long it took you to do it. Later it will be easier to make a minute-by-minute schedule, because you will have observations to analyze. You can "save money" on some things, and give others an extra 10-20 minutes to spare.
Wisely think through a plan for the next day. Do not specify vague tasks, be specific and break things down.
For example, instead of "business meetings" indicate which meetings you plan to hold and at what time. Thinking through the details ahead of time will save you from having to spend time on it during the day. Even if you save a few minutes from each item, by the end of the day they will add up to an extra half hour or hour.
Make a plan either in a day planner that you plan to carry with you at all times and mark tasks completed, or on your cell phone. There are many organizer apps that will remind you that it's time to go to the gym or business training.
Don't pile up small tasks
Reconcile the plan.
When making a plan, describe small tasks, even if they only take a couple of minutes to complete. By including them in your schedule, you'll at least remember them, so you'll try to complete them by the end of the day. Small errands are quickly forgotten or put off "for tomorrow," which will never come. The result is a snowball of unfulfilled promises that can pile up in one day.
Try to run small errands in between major plans. For example, before you start drafting an important report, sign the accumulated documents, thereby freeing up space on your desk. Such tasks will be a respite between major activities.
Don't let them steal your time.
This is primarily a question of laziness. The problem with modern man and the lack of time is that many hours are wasted on social networks. After all, it's much easier and more convenient to get caught up on a news feed than to spend those same hours working with your own finances.
When to get distracted
Before you make a schedule, test your own schedule. Where does most of your time go, and is it really worth the minutes or hours spent? There is nothing wrong with corresponding with friends on social networks, but there is no urgent need to check your profile every 5 minutes, and you can reply to a message after a couple of hours.
If it's difficult to give up social networks or computer hobbies completely, give them a place in the schedule and do not go beyond a specified period. Go to social networks while riding public transportation home or to work, play your favorite games for a couple of hours on the weekends. Don't forgive yourself for deviating from your schedule!
Perhaps the enemy is not social media or games. Determine what is stealing your time and fight the habit. It's amazing how much time is freed up by revising your own schedule!
Try to combine things as much as possible, but without sacrificing the quality of their performance. For example, combine sports with listening to the news on the radio, or a trip home, or running errands with learning new words of a foreign language. The main thing is to combine things that do not require concentration.
Try to keep order
Put things in order:
At the workplace.
At home.
Your own thoughts.
You can change the order of the items as you see fit. Order in the workplace allows you to concentrate better. Although figurines and photos of relatives are very cozy on the desktop, strive for minimalism. The less things on the table that distract attention, the easier it will be to get to work and execute the plan. Asceticism should be observed not only in relation to extraneous things, but also to the working tools. Make a folder for important documents or a box for working materials. If your work involves production, clean up trash after each project or during your next break. A clean workspace is much more pleasant to work in, and you won't have to waste time fixing documents that have fallen into the glue.
Perfect Order
Get your house in order. Remember, 2 general cleanings are enough, and the rest of the time it's just enough to maintain general order. Put things back where they belong after use. This way you'll always know where they are, and you won't spend half an hour looking for them. Use the services of cleaning companies if you think you are spending too much time on cleaning. Many agencies offer their services at relatively low prices. If you think your time is worth more, seek professional help.
Get your own thoughts in order. Determine why you decided to free up a few hours a day. Maybe you were planning to start learning a language or get a second college degree. Set a goal and move towards it.
Make new habits
A habit is formed by 21 days of constant repetition.
This tenet is believed by many people who want to start a new life. There is no confirmation of it, but if you repeat a certain algorithm day after day, at some point you will not have to remind yourself of its necessity. However, you need to remember that new habits quickly go away if you let them go on their own.
Determining what habits you need is easy, just get your head in order, and set yourself goals. Want to lose weight? - Exercise. Want to go on a trip? - Start learning a foreign language. The more powerful incentive you create, the easier it will be to establish a new habit.
And don't forget to praise yourself for every successfully completed item. It's much easier to find a few free minutes in a good mood!
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