Have you ever started your day charged and ready to be the most effective and productive person ever in life? Me, too! Ever ended your day feeling like you’ve run a marathon only to realize you’ve been running circles of thoughts and errands, but haven’t actually accomplished much? (Sigh) Me, too. It can be quite frustrating feeling like you’re all over the place when it comes to getting things done. 

Truth is, there is often a hope that we can make the best use of our time, but then, life just happens. If you’re anything like me, you probably have a physical planner, digital calendar or agenda filled with all types of appointments, events, reminders, alarms, and to-dos. However, all of those plans are just wishful thinking if you are unable to take the actions necessary to implement your ideas, attend your appointments and events, act on your reminders, and check some tasks off of your to-do list. 

Here are 8 things you can do to make the best use of your time:

Plan ahead

If you already use a calendar to jot down your plans you’re off to a great start. Now, make it a habit to organize your plans into actual steps. Get as specific as possible to make sure that you are not overlooking important details. For example, you may have a project you would like to complete this month. 

Make a note of that project on a monthly overview, then identify aspects of the project that you can work on each week. You could even break down your weekly goals into what you can do daily and if you’re a tad bit OCD’ish (like I am) you may want to insert those daily tasks into time slots (but no pressure). 

Prioritize

Now that you’ve got your plans in place its time to prioritize. Some people have a separate planner, calendar, notebook, scrap paper, sticky notes (I hope you get the point) with any and everything they can think of that they need to do. Some things are excellent interests. Others are absolutely imperative. Decide what is absolutely necessary and get those things done first. Those things that are more flexible may get pushed to a later time or date, or even eliminated. Don’t feel bad for downgrading something from a “to-do” to a “might-do” or a plain old “Nah”. Once you cycle back to your planning stage you can give those things a new hope.

Set Boundaries

It is so easy to get thrown off track by distractions like phone calls, notifications, significant others, children, pets, bosses, and the list goes on. Please don’t get to a point where you’re side-eyeing anyone that looks like they might approach you. Like, for real though, especially if you’re in a professional environment. 

Kindly making your availability clear can help others to know when it’s okay to contact you. It’s hard for someone to respect your limits if they are unaware of them. Side note: The “Do Not Disturb” feature on electronic devices are a godsend, use it.

Automate

If there are things you find yourself doing repeatedly, don’t be afraid to automate it. Something as simple as setting recurring meetings and appointments to “repeat” on your calendar can save you time. Set email filters to organize your inbox. Draft and Schedule you blogs or newsletters in advance. Set up templates for frequent communication. Take advantage of applications like Planoly and Hootsuite to get ahead on your social media posts. Don’t waste time being redundant if it’s not necessary.

Stop Procrastinating

This is where slightly obsessive planning comes in handy. Set a day and time to get things done and STICK TO IT. Get up, get focused, and get to work. Turn those wonderful thoughts into plans, convert those plans into actionable steps, and be on your way to feeling the overwhelmingly-satisfying-sensation of accomplishment!

Reflect, Revise, & Rest 

Yes, I made this section 3 -in- 1. After all, the topic here is a “Time Management” (wink-wink). Being busy can be quite deceiving and also detrimental to your goals if you’re not productive. Take some time to analyze what you are doing with your time and determine if it is effective. If so, keep up the great work or find ways to make even better. If not, reprioritize, revamp, or just remove it altogether. Don’t forget to take time out for yourself. Running yourself ragged will not get you a badge of honor. Invest some time in yourself and be restored, refreshed, renewed, revived… then you can get back to starting your days charged and ready to be the most effective and productive person ever in life by making the most of your time!