How To Improve Your Time Management Skills

I have been working to change my mindset over the past 6 months or so and now if I slack off on what I want to get done or find myself doing anything other than my to-do list, I feel unsatisfied and unproductive. So now, even if I do reach for the AppleTV remote to watch whatever is on Netflix, I NEED to be doing something during so I feel like I’m getting something accomplished, even if it’s something small. For the most part I try and get all of my things done in a timely manner so there is still time to relax at the end of the day. Getting good at time management has become a key part of my daily routine. It took me some time to get out of the habit of procrastinating; trust me, I still do it from time to time. But overall, I have become MUCH better at managing my time and I wanted to share my tips with you in hopes that you too can become better at time management!

THIS IS KEY. I know I’ve talked a bit about this before, but I make a list at the beginning of each week for every day. Each day I review it and add to it if needed. Having everything written down makes everything feel more set in stone. It gives me more motivation to complete everything on my list rather than trying to keep mental note and probably forgetting things. I currently make lists on the app Wunderlist, but I also just ordered an cute little calendar that I’m going to have my lists on as well. For me, I am more productive when I have my to-do lists both on my phone and on paper. You don’t need to get that crazy and write things down twice, but making detailed to-do lists will help you so much with staying focused on your tasks and getting things accomplished.

So once you have your to-do list, it’s time to decide what’s most important. Prioritize your to-do list and make sure you always get the most important things done first. Keep mindless tasks for when you need a break from the big stuff. For example, writing my blogs are always a big priority for me. I take the time to sit and focus on a post and get all my thoughts out. By the time I’m finished, I usually need a break before editing so I take a bit of time to do Instagram outreach or build up my Pinterest. Once I’ve accomplished whatever my social media goals are for the day (yes, I make those too), I get back to editing and getting my post ready to publish. Knowing what’s most important to you will help you focus on getting tasks finished and get you moving at a more steady pace.

This is one thing that has helped me tremendously to help with my time management. I like to squeeze in as much as I can in a day, but I can often find myself getting distracted and only getting half of my list done. That’s when I started setting timers for myself to keep me focused. Say I need to put laundry away. I’m sure EVERYONE can relate that it’s not the most enjoyable task and I typically like to avoid doing it. Once I set a timer on my phone and give myself a certain time limit to complete it, I immediately become more efficient. It’s like a little game with myself that I have to finish my task before the time is up. Before I know it, the laundry is folded and put away and I usually have time to spare.

I meeeeean, I shouldn’t even have to say this because we all know it, but sometimes just don’t want to admit it. Put. Your. Phone. Down. This kind of goes hand-in-hand with my previous tip, where I will literally not let myself check my phone during a certain duration of time while I’m trying to complete a task. It’s so easy to be like “oh, I’ll get this done as soon as I’m finished checking Instagram.” Then before you know it an hour has passed and you have gone down a deep hole of stalking your friend’s sister’s cousin’s friend’s dog’s Instagram. It happens to the best of us. It is important to make mental note of how much you pick up your phone and be conscious of knowing you need to get shit done before you go check the ‘gram. There are times when I’m on the computer and I will turn off the wifi so I will get my writing or photo editing done. Whatever you have to do to keep yourself focused, do it. You’re only hurting yourself if you get off track.

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