Time is something which all of us dont have when we are slaving away to glory thinking of raises ..project deadlines, job satisfaction, personal deadline, etc , etc ... what is left at the end .. an exhausted you .. totally smoked out !!!
I shall share a few tips which I thought was helpful to me ... first and foremost ... try
Planning
Buy a planner. Plan out your working schedule .. believe me it helps if you plan out !!! I abhorred planning once upon a time but I realised its benefits in the long run !!! When you plan your working schedule .... make sure you write down your holiday schedule too. That way you can keep your holidays apart from your working days and you can make sure you will finish your work on time. If you are not used to planning, it will take some time.. but you will be very happy with the change, I guarantee you.. :).Cross a day in red when you want to be free to just chill out ... or do anything you like ..
Milestones
Set personal milestones... helps if you meet them .Set out your priority tasks... and complete them one after the other according to priority... Dont take up something which is beyond your schedule.. its better to take up something which you can finish in a proper manner and in time rather than take up a lot of things and submit a shabby job. This will reflect on your career and your profession.
Learn how to say No
If you think that you cannot complete something which is assigned to you, please refuse the task in a diplomatic manner. Admitting that you cannot do the assigned task will not make you a lesser individual.... on the other hand it will be appreciated. Moreover, give detailed reason for saying NO and if your boss still insists, leave the decision upto him on assigning priority to your pending tasks. Thats what I do and it clears up any misunderstanding between your boss and yourself when it comes to expectation level of work.
Delegate
Delegation has become the scared ’’Mantra’’ for people who are hard pressed for time. When you learn how to delegate you learn how to use your time effectively. Delegating to the right person also matters. Make sure the job is done properly.. that is your responsibility... If you are not in a position to delegate, make sure you have just enough work on your plate and you dont take more than you can handle. In the professional world its Quality which is respected first and then Quantity.
Email Management
Manage your email effectively .. try maintaining a calendar .. its very helpful.. Personally I find Microsoft Outlook Calendar very effective .. One can set reminders and set tasks and appointments.. its better than sending email... you can publish your tasks and well your colleagues will know whether you are busy or free if they want to fix up anything or give a new job !!! You can also approach the other person for meetings, etc with the help of the calendar... depending on when the person is available... this cuts down your time talking to the concerned person and waiting for the other to fix a time to meet... this way when a meeting is requested, it is sent via mail and well the other person cannot ignore it...
Create a junk folder for jokes and chain mails which you can read when you want a break.
Estimating
Learning how to estimate your work also helps you to work productively. Find out how you work best, break down your work till the last second and then chart out a schedule. That will help you set your personal deadlines and present that to your boss when asked. Please dont forget to justify your requirement of whatever time you have estimated for yourself... its usually the tendency of the bosses to cut down your estimated time unless estimated properly...:)
Time is something which everyone is running after ....it is upto you to make the best use of your time....remember...
’’All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’’
You have to play as hard as you work... that will increase your efficiency and productivity. So its of utmost importance that you always find some time for yourself and your hobbies.