General Business Tips: Managing Your Time Efficiently

This could possibly be the question most asked of business consultants – how to increase productivity without increasing workload. The answer, time management, often leads to the question of how to implement it into an already busy schedule. This is where pacing, boundaries and self-compassion come into play.

Learning to pace yourself may be the hardest lesson to put to action. Our modern culture seems to favor working nonstop to stay competitive, but reaching the point of overwork is counter-productive. Rather than gunning for an all-day power session, break down your work into smaller tasks/goals to meet throughout the day. This provides an opportunity to enjoy a sense of accomplishment for each goal you reach, boosting your mood along with your efficiency.

If you’re faced with too-frequent interruptions, consider setting stronger boundaries. Ask your co-workers to save non-work emails or conversations for lunch/break times. Establish ‘work-only’ times if working from home to keep kids, neighbors, personal phone calls, etc. from distracting you. Sticking to the boundaries you set can help maintain focus and have you finishing with more time to spare.

Finally, be kind to yourself. Everybody is entitled to the occasional bad day, or even week. Put it in perspective by laughing it off, use it as a lesson learned, etc. Remember to pat yourself on the back every once in a while…for all your hard work, you’ve earned it!