Successful Time Management summary

If you work in a modern office, you’ll agree that time is precious – and that there never seems to be enough of it. 

But ask yourself this: How much time do you actually spend working, and how much time do you spend figuring out what to work on, searching for documents, writing repetitive emails, and so on? 

Actually, don’t just ask yourself this. Keep a time log for a week. Record every task you do throughout the day and sort them into plannable time, reactive time, and wasted time. Plannable time is the time you take for your actual work. Reactive time is the time you spend responding to people, fixing tech problems, and putting out other fires. Wasted time is, well, wasted time. 

You’ll be shocked how much of your week the latter two take up.

But with the right strategies, this can change. 

Time management is an indispensable skill for anyone looking to get ahead in the workplace. Since time management is essentially self-management, what works best for you will depend on your unique situation. But there are a few foundational elements of good time management that apply across the board.

The first element is planning. Before you do anything, figure out how to do it best. The golden rule here is that the time you invest in understanding and organizing a task is time you’ll save doubly when executing it.  

You may have heard the acronym “SMART objectives”. Setting SMART objectives means setting objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timed. Such clear-cut goals provide clarity and direction. 

The second element of good time-management is proper implementation. The most important strategy here is to break your big tasks into smaller, more manageable subtasks. If you’ve set SMART objectives, this should be relatively easy. Breaking up tasks also allows for easier progress tracking.

Which brings us to the third element: monitoring. Regularly evaluating your results and methods will help you stay on track in the long-term.

The fourth and final element revolves around communication. Clear briefing and efficient reporting can minimize costly misunderstandings and unnecessary back-and-forth with your colleagues.  

So, now that you have an overview of the elements of good time management, let’s get into the nitty-gritty.