Effective time management is crucial to business success. Everyone starts out with the same amount of time, but how you invest it determines whether or not you achieve your goals. Initiating a productive time management system involves discarding bad habits, avoiding distractions, getting down to hard work, and achieving a sustainable work-life balance. Here are some tips to help you attain your time management goals.

Set Your Goals

As a first step in goal-setting, find out where you fall short. Audit your time in half hour or hour increments for a full week, and when you are finished, analyze your activities. When you get down to setting your goals, be sure that they are specific, relevant, and achievable. Make to-do lists the evening before each workday, and as you do, consider both short and long term ramifications of your activities. Start each day with your most important tasks, and the sense of fulfillment when you complete them will give you the impetus to carry you through everything else.

Eliminate Time-Wasters

If you really want to manage your time effectively, it is imperative that you get rid of your bad habits. These may include constantly checking your social media, spending hours surfing the internet, or playing video games. When you need to get things done, turn off your social media and email alerts. Schedule a block of time when you take care of your email messages, and otherwise ignore them. A disorganized workspace can also waste a lot of time, so clean up and organize your desk and the environment around you.

Pace Yourself

You’re in it for the long haul, so don’t burn yourself out. Take the time for calming, stress-relieving, energizing activities such as exercise and meditation. While you’re working, take frequent breaks to sustain your alertness and focus.

Seek Inspiration

When you feel like you’re running on empty, look for inspiration in motivational books, TED talks, and YouTube videos. If your lack of experience is causing you to struggle, seek out a mentor who can help you find the right path toward achieving your goals.

For more advice on managing your time more effectively, contact Bear River Financial.