You get 24 hours in a day, and it is important to utilize each of those hours optimally. That is why most people seek to learn better time management, especially with the number of distractions we have today. It is very difficult to stay focused, especially with our limited attention spans. However, if you put in the effort, these three ways can teach you how to manage your time better.

1. Create a daily plan

Being organized is the first thing one should aim for. Disorganization leads to poor time management. Research has shown that clutter has a strong negative impact on perceived well-being. So, instead of going along with things as they come, make a proper plan listing everything that needs to be done.

Often, people benefit from creating To-Do lists. And what’s more satisfactory than crossing off tasks you achieve from your To-Do list? To-Do lists can be a super useful format in which you create your plan. It would also help if you set priorities and distinguish early on which tasks are the most important for you. Once that has been established, you will know where to start from and which tasks require the most effort and urgency.

Next, it would be helpful to know how much time each task would take and set deadlines for yourself. This will help you stay focused. If you’re unsure about the time you should allocate to a specific task, chances are you’d probably go overtime and then would have less time for others. Therefore, the only way to utilize your time well is by setting deadlines and ensuring that you follow them.

2. Stop Procrastinating

Time management’s biggest enemy is procrastination. It stops you from staying on task, and you end up getting distracted by every other thing. Due to the ability to multitask, a lot of us fall victim to procrastination. We want to work on our assignment but also scroll through Instagram while eating lunch, simply because we can.

The ease and portability of the gadgets around us make it even easier for us to get distracted, thereby the desire to delay tasks. While it’s a little impossible to find a way to completely avoid this, we can think of ways to delay procrastination itself. And at the very least, ensure that urgent and important tasks don’t suffer as a result of it. One way to do that is to ensure that you complete the more important tasks first.

Make these tasks the first action of your day and get them out of the way as soon as possible. Another method is to “snowball” your tasks. This means that you break down your tasks into smaller segments and then attempt to complete them one by one.

3. Reward System

Unfortunately, no matter how much you plan to set priorities and come up with methods to avoid procrastination, none of it is going to work if you’re not motivated. It can get very difficult to maintain motivation when you’re mentally drained. This can be remedied by a reward system, which can be something as simple as meditating or taking a nap. What is important is for your brain and you to take a break. This will allow you to pace yourself and would give you something to look forward to, which can help with motivation. And that would ensure better productivity, therefore better time management.

Conclusion

It is going to take you time to figure out what works for you. However, it will help to try out different methods until you’ve finally mastered the art of time management. Evaluate the impact each strategy has on you and your life. If it works for you, stick by it and, if it doesn’t, then transition on to ones you think would work better for you. In sum, time management is crucial for your well-being and success. So, it is worth putting in the effort.