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Improve your time management with these 3 simple steps
If you are never ‘on top of things’ or fall behind on your work schedule far too often then it’s time to improve your time management.
According to Skillsportal, poor time management not only leads to decreased productivity, it can be damaging to your mental health as it causes stress in your work and home life.
Finding out how you spend your time is crucial to achieve effective time management. Follow these three steps:
1. Keep a performance log
You should record everything you do from the time you arrive at the office in the morning until you finish up for the work day. This will help you find out where you’re wasting most of your time.
2. Interpret the results
Read through your log and identify the top three time-wasting activities. Be honest with yourself. This is the only way you will improve your time management.
3. Change your work behaviour
- The first thing you need to do when you walk into work each morning is to create a task list. Prioritise the most important and urgent tasks at the top of the list.
- Secondly, keep your desk clean – this will help keep your mind clear and allow for better decision-making.
- Thirdly, according to Skillsportal, you need to schedule everything you have to do. Multitasking is not a good idea, rather focus on a single list of tasks for each day. Do not overwhelm yourself - keep your task list realistic.
Frew Murdoch is the assistant editor of HR Pulse. She is currently completing the last semester of her BA degree in Communications and English. "I stumbled across your review of our Ethics Guide published 28 June 2012 and wish to thank you for the positive and complimentary comments made – this was a lovely surprise and most rewarding. I will certainly pass this on to all co-authors of the Guide."
Christine Botha, co-author of 'Ethics in HR Management: A guide for HR professionals and line managers', had this to say:
