4 Ways to Improve Your Time Management Skills at Work

If you’re having trouble meeting deadlines at work, it’s possible that it’s not your job that’s overwhelming but your time management skills that are lacking. So to help you quickly improve these skills, here are several useful tips.

1. Get Rid of Distractions

This might sound difficult, but all it really takes is a bit of effort. First, you need to discover exactly which kinds of distractions are a problem for you. You might think your biggest problem is logging onto Facebook too often or scrolling your Instagram feed a bit too much, but you’d be surprised by how much time it can also take you to choose your background music (if that’s your thing) or answer that one text you got.

The easiest way to discover what exactly you’re wasting time on is to use an employee monitoring software. User activity monitoring gives you direct and objective insights into which programs and websites you spend most time on, so that then you can take actions based on that data. Initially it could be difficult to break your habits, but getting your day’s work done will be a much more satisfying feeling that you’ll soon get addicted to.

2. Use Time Tracking Software

If you’re one of those people who easily lose track of time even with all the conscious effort you put into it, then you should give serious thought to using some kind of time tracking software. Paid solutions will give you more features, but for a start you can get a free time tracking app to see whether it suits you and your needs.

Many computer monitoring platforms such as Workpuls, for example, also have a built-in time tracker. And there are many ways in which you can use these apps for improving time management, such as tracking how much time you spend on each type of task so that you can plan future work accordingly.

3. Compile a To-Do List with Milestones and Easy Goals

Knowing what you have to do the next day can greatly alleviate the stress of coming to work in the morning and seeing a pile of papers from yesterday on your desk (or, more likely nowadays, a bunch of unread emails and new tasks).

So, take 10 minutes at the end of each workday to come up with a list of at least two priority tasks and a number of smaller things you’ll do tomorrow. That way you’ll know exactly what’s waiting for you and how much time you’ll spend on finishing these tasks. If you want to go digital, you can use a work tracker, but you can also do it the old-fashioned way: on a piece of paper. Having these milestones is going to give your work purpose and your efficiency will improve as a result.

4. Reward Yourself for Work Well Done

Don’t be afraid to give yourself small treats, such as watching a short funny video, for finishing minor tasks. And don’t be afraid to treat yourself to larger rewards, like going shopping after work, for accomplishing important projects. These incentives can help you stay focused and motivate you to finish your work faster.

However, be careful not to end up working for the sake of eating chocolate at the end of each task. Keep your eyes on the real prize: doing a good job on time so that you can make progress and help your company achieve success.

Kristina Valjarevic is a Content Writer at Workpuls. With an MA degree in English, she loves all things written but she especially enjoys writing about workplace productivity and time management.