Technology has brought some fantastic innovation to the culture of work. Tasks that once took weeks or months now take minutes.
The obligation to work fixed hours at one location is a remnant of the past.
Perhaps most importantly, work of the highest professional quality can now be accomplished from any computer with internet access.
Despite all the measurable advances, the age-old problem of being overworked remains. Ambitious folk tend to put themselves in this position, biting off more than they can chew to get ahead. If you find yourself juggling too many projects at once, you run the risk of:
A) Handing in projects late
B) Compromising on quality to meet deadlines
C) Hitting burn-out
Here are five things you can do to make the most of your work-day and avoid falling behind on submissions:
1. Enter your goals in TimeHero
It’s one thing to say to yourself, “I want to finish this website re-design by the end of the month.” But it’s a whole other level of organizational acumen to write a deadline in TimeHero and hold yourself accountable. Paper is a thing of the past. Embrace the dynamic organization tool that is TimeHero and smash through your goals in record time!
2. Figure out where time is wasted
Realizing when you are most efficient is easy if you look at it from the opposite side of the spectrum.
Ask yourself: “When am I least efficient?”
If you are a morning person, the last couple hours of the day are probably the slowest. On the flipside, an evening person would find the morning incredibly difficult to get in the zone.
Once you have isolated the chunk of time when you are least efficient, start thinking about how to make better use of that time. If you have multiple projects on the go, and each is at a different stage of completion, why not switch projects after working on the same one most of the day. Your mind and body will respond favorably to the diversity of tasks.
3. Take 15-minute breaks
For most people, getting stuck on a task is what frustrates them and leads to time wasting. Banging your head against the desk is not a practical use of time. Focus instead on taking 15 minutes for yourself every few hours to re-focus the mind.
4. Use a time management tool
A SaaS platform is the ideal tool to keep your project goals in mind. For example, TimeHero plans your tasks around your calendar events, so your task agenda is always optimized and everything stays on track.
5. Do you have a routine?
Every person who has succeeded in managing a packed schedule will tell you it’s all about routine, routine, routine. The strictness of your daily routine depends on the person and the context. Usually, habits become more strict when deadlines are looming. In general, routines help to sync the demands of the body (sleep, nutrition, small rewards once and a while) with the requirements of the mind (focusing on the task at hand).
Make A System and Stick With It
Productivity often has less to do with the volume of work and more to do with the quality of time spent working. With enough focus, drive, and the right time management tools, you will have no trouble staying on top of deadlines.
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