Always Feel That You Don't Have Enough Time? You Need To Understand Yourself First

Feeling pressed for time is common among many of us. We all get the same amount of time each day to be productive. And it can sometimes feel as if the twenty-four hour day isn’t enough. Mastering the art of time management can be challenging. So we’ll share two proven productivity techniques you can use to do more with the time you have.

Determine Your Peak Hours Of Productivity

The essential principle to productivity is all about how well you blend time with energy. Once you nail down your ideal peak times, you can complete tasks at the energy phase that is right for you.

Managing energy, not time, is the key to high performance and personal renewal, says Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, authors of the bestselling book The Power of Full Engagement. Harness energy and time to reach greatest productivity.

It is important to identify your peak hours. Schedule the most important tasks for those hours. To determine when you feel more productive, perform a self-analysis. Ask yourself: when am I most energized? enthusiastic? creative? Discover when your peak cycle of productivity is at its highest. It could be morning, afternoon, or evening.

Personal activities and work tasks are not created equal. Each requires a different level of energetic output. Some tasks might be mentally draining. Other tasks can energize or excite you. Address demanding tasks during your ideal peak times. Schedule non-critical tasks for times when the peak cycle is low.

Then, create Time Boxes To Manage Tasks

The key to using a time box is to set a deadline to meet a specific goal, stick to it, track progress, and move on to the next task.

So if you plan to complete an activity in an hour, it should stop at the end of the time box. When a project or daily task is too large to complete in the allotted time, break it into smaller tasks. This way you can time box tasks to increase efficiency.

Time boxes encourage us to focus more on time than tasks. Give yourself 15 minutes to return a phone call or clear your email inbox. If you only have 30 minutes to spare, organize something you’ve been meaning to get to. Set a time box and stick to the commitment to complete it within the specified time frame.

Set A Time Box With These Easy Steps:

• Estimate the length of time it will take to complete the tasks on your to-do list and allocate times for each.
• Use your smartphone or computer to schedule alerts to help you move from one task to the next.
• Choose set periods of time that work best for you. Consider the right time of day and limit sources of interruptions or distractions.
• If you run out of time, stop when the time box does. Assess why you didn’t complete the task and plan to schedule the task in a different way next time.

Time is a limited resource, so is energy. Make use of each in strategic ways. When used in the right way, these resources enable us to be more productive for both work and play.

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Source: Lifehack.org