We’ve all been there – an inbox overflowing with actions and deadlines piling up, with multiple stakeholders waiting for you to complete work. Yet, we find ourselves so overwhelmed because we haven’t set goals to achieve the work required of us nor consistently maintained them.
So here are some tips for creating goals and managing your time efficiently:
Write (all of) it down
Whether it’s on a piece of scrap paper or in your diary, make a list of all necessary tasks and things you want to achieve to alleviate brain overload. Taking down notes as to why you want these tasks done will also increase motivation and declutter your mind.
Prioritise your tasks
Highlight the most time sensitive tasks and break it down into smaller tasks. Make sure to talk to your team about tasks you’re working on and ask clarifying questions!
P.S. The Eisenhower Matrix is a helpful tool to prioritise tasks based upon their urgency and importance.
Eisenhower Matrix
Minimise distractions
Sometimes multitasking can be mistaken for ‘switch-tasking’ – switching between tasks within short periods rather than working on two things at the same time. This actually increases the time it takes to complete tasks by a whopping 40%!
Try to:
Put your phone away
Check your emails within certain time frames throughout the day
Minimise notification pop-ups or turn them off completely
Manage your workspace
By having an organised workspace, you’ll be more aligned with completing your tasks and be on track with your time management. You could minimise “gathering points” – spots where you would generally store documents, notes, computer files and your to-do lists.
Some gathering points include:
Gathering Point Examples
Look back for lessons learned
Make sure you take the time to reflect on your progress because it will increase your drive to make additional goals and further your productivity. This can be especially helpful in the workplace, with the Professional Development Plan (PDP) enabling you to track your progress in your program.
We’ve all been there – an inbox overflowing with actions and deadlines piling up, with multiple stakeholders waiting for you to complete work. Yet, we find ourselves so overwhelmed because we haven’t set goals to achieve the work required of us nor consistently maintained them.
So here are some tips for creating goals and managing your time efficiently:
Write (all of) it down
Whether it’s on a piece of scrap paper or in your diary, make a list of all necessary tasks and things you want to achieve to alleviate brain overload. Taking down notes as to why you want these tasks done will also increase motivation and declutter your mind.
Prioritise your tasks
Highlight the most time sensitive tasks and break it down into smaller tasks. Make sure to talk to your team about tasks you’re working on and ask clarifying questions!
P.S. The Eisenhower Matrix is a helpful tool to prioritise tasks based upon their urgency and importance.
Eisenhower Matrix
Minimise distractions
Sometimes multitasking can be mistaken for ‘switch-tasking’ – switching between tasks within short periods rather than working on two things at the same time. This actually increases the time it takes to complete tasks by a whopping 40%!
Try to:
Put your phone away
Check your emails within certain time frames throughout the day
Minimise notification pop-ups or turn them off completely
Manage your workspace
By having an organised workspace, you’ll be more aligned with completing your tasks and be on track with your time management. You could minimise “gathering points” – spots where you would generally store documents, notes, computer files and your to-do lists.
Some gathering points include:
Gathering Point Examples
Look back for lessons learned
Make sure you take the time to reflect on your progress because it will increase your drive to make additional goals and further your productivity. This can be especially helpful in the workplace, with the Professional Development Plan (PDP) enabling you to track your progress in your program.
