Time is money, or so the saying goes. People who manage their time effectively get more done and go further in their careers.
Make the most of every minute with these useful ideas:
• Act on email promptly. Don’t leave emails in your inbox whether you’ve read them or not. Spend a few minutes on regular scheduling, responding, saving, or deleting messages so important emails don’t get lost in the electronic clutter.
• Do your most important tasks first. Identify your priorities as well as those of your boss, so you know what’s critical and what’s trivial. Then take care of your top priorities first thing in the morning instead of putting them off or waiting until you’re “ready.” The rest of your day will flow more easily once you’ve got the important stuff under control.
• Identify quick tasks. Make a list of everyday jobs you can do in five minutes or less. Tackle these when you’ve got a little spare time between meetings, or waiting for a long document to print. Then you won’t waste your time when you should be working on more important things or be distracted by these quick tasks looming over your head.
• Take good notes. Don’t try to remember everything. Write it down when you’ve got an idea, or realize you need to do something later. Review your notes regularly so nothing slips away.
• Just say no. Avoid tasks and projects that don’t directly contribute to your primary objectives. Use your list of priorities to identify work that you need to do. Politely turn down requests to take on irrelevant work, or negotiate for a deadline that allows you to focus on your key tasks.