When we are not able to complete the work on time, we all start complaining about the lack of time. So invest some time, read this article and learn the most crucial skills needed to manage time efficiently and have more time to do the things you love.

1. Goal setting

The S.M.A.R.T. method will help you set goals properly, while creating your goal/task you should make sure that it fulfills these 5 criteria.

1. Specific: Specify your goal as much as possible.

2. Measurable: Fulfillment of your goal needs to lend itself to easy assessment. It gives us a chance to track progress easily.

3. Attainable: Plan realistic goals, think of an goal which is possible to achieve with the skills, resources and time you have.

4. Relevant: Understand the importance and benefits will it bring after task being completed.

5. Time Bound: You need to set a deadline for your task. Most of us have a tendency to procrastinate, and without a time frame you might put off the execution of your plan forever.

2. Time tracking

Tracking your time will gelp you manage your time better, that’s the only way to see when you waste too much time.

Toggl is a very helpful app for time tracking that offers online time tracking based on tasks and projects, either through an interactive task timer or through manual entry.ng.

3. Prioritizing

Do the biggest, most scary task first. This method is designed to help with procrastination (the action of delaying or postponing somethin). If you start by doing million small tasks, you might end up not having time for the most important one.

Quadrant I tasks that are urgent and important. They need to be done now.

Quadrant II tasks that are important but don’t require immediate action. You should plan when you want to do them.

Quadrant III tasks that are urgent but not actually important. You should consider delegating them.

Quadrant IV tasks that are neither important nor urgent. You should eliminate them, because they are time wasters.

4. Planning

When you already have planned goals and you have decided on their priorities it’s time to create a detailed, step-by-step plan on how to execute them. Plan the week ahead. Spend 30 minutes every Monday creating an action plan for the whole week.

Use tools, try different ones and find your favourite.

• Create a to-do list: use a ToDo app or pen and paper – striking out completed tasks will give you a great feeling of achievement.
• Keep a calendar: you can choose between traditional or digital like Google Calender.

Remember to be realistic! First, try to estimate how much time you need for each tasks. Don’t overplan your day, it only helps you to get frustrated, not productive. Plan around 80% of your day, leave 20% for unexpected situations.

5. Focus

Even having the greatest plan won’t help you if you can’t focus on your tasks.

Pomodoro Timer: is a tool to help you keep focused on one task only. You work in 25 min intervals with 5 min breaks. During breaks, you can reply to messages, get a coffee or eat a sandwich.

Avoid distractions: Book yourself some time in your calendar for important meetings or when you just need to work on something. Let everyone know that you are busy and snooze notifications.

Don’t participate in pointless calls and meetings: It is great to be involved in your team’s life, but you don’t need to go to every meeting you get invited to.

Clean your Gmail and calendar once a month: Keep your inbox clean, create filters and filter out the messages that don’t concern you. Read e-mails 2 times per day. Tops.

Remember that not every method will work for everyone: What works for one person might not necessarily work for someone with a different personality. Experiment and try out different methods. See what works best for you, and become a time management ninja.

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