Meeting marketing goals and deadlines can be a daunting task without effective project and time management. Do you have trouble fitting all of your tasks into an 8-hour day? If so, you probably aren’t managing your time in the best way possible. Regardless of how busy your workday is, there are simple ways that can help you manage time more efficiently and ensure that you don’t lose sight of the tasks you need to complete. Keep reading for some ideas to help you be more productive when your time is limited.
1. Prioritize Your Tasks
Make a list of your tasks and place the most important ones highest on your list. This will allow you to focus on and complete one task at a time, and then move on to less important ones. Whether you make a list in the morning or the night before, it’s essential to your success. Keeping track of your daily activities gives you an idea of what you accomplished throughout the day. Creating a simple to-do list is a proactive approach to help you review tasks that need to be done and the items you’ve already completed. Plus, who doesn’t love the satisfaction of checking off completed tasks?
2. Monitor Your Schedule
Keep a schedule on your phone, computer or even an old-fashioned planner to keep track of time. Thoughts, conversations, interruptions and impromptu meetings can often take up more time than you realize. Be sure to schedule time blocks for high-priority items in order to accomplish your goals. Allow your schedule to be flexible and change throughout the day, when necessary. By managing your time this way, you’ll be able to look at what you were able to accomplish within specific time frames, which will help you plan more effectively in the future.
3. Keep Sight of Your Goals
Prior to all meetings or phone calls, make sure you define your goals. Being aware of how you define success will help you determine whether or not a meeting was successful. If your goals were not met, ask yourself why, and make a plan to improve the next meeting.
4. Take a Quick Break
Give your mind time to rest between tasks. In fact, you might be more productive by taking a quick break after an hour of work. Grab a cup of coffee, go for a walk, or get some fresh air. Clearing your head will help you refocus. In fact, standing up every 20 minutes or so has endless benefits for your mental and physical health.
5. Make Sleep a Top Priority
You may be sacrificing sleep in an effort to accomplish more, but this might be doing more harm than good. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night allows your body and mind to function optimally. An appropriate amount of rest can also result in improved memory, lowered stress levels, a healthier body weight and a longer life.
6. Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
Sometimes you simply don’t have enough time for everything—you are one person after all. There are only 24 hours in a day (and hopefully you’re dedicating 7-8 of those hours to sleep), and you don’t always have time to deal with every detail. Just be sure that your high-priority items are completed, and after that, remind yourself that the little things can wait.
7. Be Realistic with Yourself and Others
Honest time keeping will help you see the bigger picture of how you spend your time each day. Only accept commitments that you know you have time for, and decline any unnecessary ones. It may be difficult at first, but you’ll realize that being able to say “no” to some tasks will allow you the time needed to focus on more important ones. We can’t always say “no” due to deadlines or other commitments, but removing just one item from your list for the day can greatly increase your productivity.
You don’t need to use all of these ideas, but putting a few into practice here and there will help you become more productive and ultimately, reduce some of your stress. If you need help prioritizing your life after work hours, these tips can also help you at any time of day, or even during the weekend. Take the time to unplug when you’re at home. Phone calls, texting and social media can take up quite a bit of time. Take note of how much time you spend on your phone for a day or two, and see if you can decrease it. If you spend one hour working on your to-do list rather than spending several hours distracted, you’ll find that you are much more productive.
We understand that changing your routine is often easier said than done. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed with marketing tasks after implementing these best practices into your workflow, remember that Evolve is here to help. Our online marketing team utilizes a group of channels that work together to reach the right people in the right place at the right time, all while establishing your online presence and authority.
Need help with checking items off your list or meeting deadlines? Contact us to learn how our professional service offerings can help you.
Resources:
- https://novoresume.com/career-blog/improve-time-management-skills
- http://www.creativitypost.com/create/work_smarter_not_harder_21_time_management_tips_to_hack_productivity
- http://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2013/01/30/how-does-one-manage-time-more-effectively/
- http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/49947.aspx
