At one point or another, everyone finds themself with too much to do and not enough time to do it. If you find yourself lagging, there are some changes you can make to get yourself back into the lead.
Best Ways to Improve Time Management
Follow the 50/10 Rule
Some people find it helpful to focus on a task until completion. Others get overwhelmed and find such a focus impossible. Your follow-through on important tasks may improve if you spend 50 minutes working and then spend 10 minutes doing non-essential or distracting activities, such as browsing social media.
Group Tasks
If you have several tasks that involve the same room or resources, schedule them right after the other instead of spaced out through the day. This way “switching gears” between tasks becomes easier, as they lead straight into a similar or related task.
Combine Tasks
If you must pick between two things, see if you can merge them. If you want to read more, listen to audiobooks as you cook or exercise. Don’t pick between an afternoon with your friends and attending a concert but ask who wants to come with you to it.
Outsource
There are apps like TaskRabbit and Instacart where you can hire other people to do your shopping and errands for you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with housework, ask yourself “are there any apartment cleaning services near me and how often do I need them?” Having someone else handle the messier chores once a week may be all you need to keep your space organized and free up your schedule.
Prepare
Don’t leave everything to the last minute. If you’re too tired after work to cook, spend some time on your day off pre-making sides and entrees that you can heat up as soon as you get home. If you struggle with deciding what to wear in the morning, plan your wardrobe before the workweek.
Analyze everything on your plate and ask yourself what is essential. Cutting out the tasks that no longer serve you will create room for what does.
