Every time spent, must be well-spent. Why? Because no one can turn back the hands of time. Since time is considered as one of our limited resources, therefore we should spend it properly and wisely. As what some say, time can be your best friend or your greatest enemy.
Time management is one of the secret keys to success. Here are some tips that can help you manage your time prudently:
1. Allocate an hour or two to return phone calls and reply emails. Phone calls and emails that need our immediate attention must be catered as soon as possible but non-urgent demands can be accommodated within our scheduled time.
2. Focus on the details of conversation, may it be on a phone or in face to face meetings. To avoid miscommunications and misconceptions, we must learn to listen attentively.
3. Organize tasks according to their priority. Working on your high-priority tasks first thing on the morning is a good habit to practice.
4. Identify your quick routine tasks and do them on your idle time or free time.
5. Know when to attend meetings. Attendance is not always a must for all meetings. Choose to attend meetings with agenda that directly concerns you or affects you.
6. Develop a habit of taking down notes. Notes may serve as reminders in case you may forget about something.
7. Don’t hesitate to say no to tasks that aren’t under your scope or negotiate deadlines. Saying no can help you concentrate on your significant tasks.
8. Before the day ends, be sure to make a to-do list for the next day. In this way, you can prioritize the things that you need to do ahead of the day.