Time-management is a skill many have to refine, so add these tips to your time-management toolbox.
Prioritize right. Tiny interruptions are actually huge disruptions to your day. What seems like just a few minutes to check out that Facebook notification or respond to an email actually adds up to significant time lost. That’s because research shows taking even a few moments away from your current task can throw you off track for more than 20 minutes. Instead of letting red alert bubbles and dings distract you, put your phone on airplane mode and focus on the most important tasks at hand.
Make a plan. Planning your day or week can actually make more time for you in the long run because you’ve got a roadmap for what you need to accomplish. When you make a to-do list, put the highest-priority and hardest tasks first, and commit to completing them before anything else. Even though doing a lot of easy tasks may make you feel like you’ve accomplished so much, you’re actually just procrastinating. Finishing what’s hardest will make you feel the best and provide the biggest payoff.