Accomplishing more in less time. Getting to your most important work, rather than frittering the day away. Feeling in control and not overwhelmed by too much to do. These are just some of the benefits of improving your time management skills.
Luckily, you can learn to manage your time better if you’re committed to doing it and willing to embrace and maintain good time management habits each and every day. Take these three steps to improve your time management skills:
- Identify the skills that fall under time management so you have clear targets to aim for
- Stay committed to better time management by having a strong Why behind what you’re doing
- Work each and every day to build your time management skills, emphasizing the ones you already have and developing the ones that need help
What Skills Fall Under Time Management
Effective time management can be summarized in two skills: 1) knowledge of what’s important; and 2) focus on doing what’s important. This is easier said than done, so it’s helpful to break these two skills down even further.
Know What’s Important
In the knowledge arena, you need self-awareness about what’s important to you. What are your priorities and preferences? These changes occur in different life stages, from early to late career. At the same time, you also need strategic understanding about what’s important to your employer. What initiatives, clients, and/or offerings weigh the most in your performance evaluation, raises and bonus calculations and promotion decisions? You want to spend time on things that matter (use this 10-point checklist to avoid wasting time on the job).
Do What’s Important
Once you know what’s important, you need to focus on doing these things. This requires discipline to do meaningful work over busy work. You need strong communication and relationship skills to set boundaries with intrusive colleagues or disorganized managers. Strong planning skills and systems will keep you on track.
Why Time Management Is Even More Important In Today’s Job Market
Knowing what’s valuable to you and your employer -- and focusing on the valuable actions -- is even more important in today’s job market. Employers are navigating an uncertain economy and are eager to do more with less. If you get a reputation as someone who gets stuff done (and more importantly gets the most worthwhile stuff done) then you improve job security for yourself.
Good Time Management Is Job Security
However, since there is no 100% job security, good time management also enables you to free up time outside your day-to-day job to work on your overall career (and protect yourself preemptively from layoffs). Doing a good job where you are is not enough. You need a strong personal brand outside your current company. If you’re looking to meaningfully advance your career, you have to do more than your day-to-day job and may even need to advance your career outside your current job.
How To Build Time Management Skills
Now that you know the time management skills you need and the very good reasons why you want these time management skills, start today adopting more and more good time management habits over time.
Build Awareness Of Self And Company
Earmark even 15 minutes to journal about your life and career goals. This will give you a clearer picture of where you want your time to go. Finally read those internal memos about strategic priorities and investments at your company. This will clarify where your employer wants time spent. Tap your manager, mentor(s), and other senior leaders to understand immediate and long-term priorities.
Build Follow-Through Skills
If focus is a weak point, try setting a timer for 25 minutes at a time, and do one uninterrupted activity till the timer rings and then take a five-minute break. This builds your concentration a little at a time, and you can increase that 25-minute block, or string blocks together as your focus improves. If boundaries are the weak point, anticipate ways to stave off interruptions – for example, hanging a Do Not Disturb sign on your cubicle. If planning is a weak point, read productivity books, consider time management apps that help you organize your time (or go analog with a time diary), or tap that super-productive friend for their best tips.
Time Management Is A Learned Skill, Not An Inborn Talent
It’s a myth that you’re born with just a certain amount of focus, organization or discipline. You can build up your discipline, lean on planning tools and processes, and train yourself to prioritize important tasks over easy but less valuable ones. Spending time on what matters is crucial in today’s competitive job market. Investing time to understand what matters to you and your employer is something you can start even today!
