Provocative Wave for Men

Twenty Three Time Saving Tips on the Job

1. You DO have enough time for everything. This is the first thing you need to realize. You feel pressed for time because you misuse it. Do you surf the web or watch TV just because you are bored? When you’re stretched for time, these activities will only worsen the situation. Turn off the TV, shut down the computer, and complete whatever task you are delaying.

2. Prioritize your tasks. Most people spend 80% of their time trying to complete 20% of their tasks. You could set aside ten minutes every day to plan your day’s activities.

3. Create and keep your "To Do List" handy. Don’t skip over the difficult items when checking to see what needs completing next.

4. When you plan your schedule for the day, ensure that you leave 20% of your day free. This allows for emergencies and interruptions.

5. Do large, time-consuming tasks scare intimidate you? Break them into smaller tasks and work on them one at a time.

6. Get it right the first time. Take your time to do a quality job. It may take more time to complete the task, but there is a lesser chance of errors. This way, you can avoid making time-consuming corrections.

7. Reward yourself. Whenever you complete important tasks within a stipulated period, give yourself a little treat. This will give you an incentive to complete work on time.

8. Avoid guilt. If you didn’t do something at the time you assigned yourself, try to reschedule it instead of feeling guilty. Guilt pangs are a waste of time.

9. Avoid thinking of work on weekends.

10. Eat light, especially lunch. This will ensure that you don't get sleepy in the afternoon.

11. Multitask. Jobs that are not too critical and don’t require 100% concentration can be clubbed together –exercise while you catch up on your favorite program, or cut coupons while talking on the telephone. At the office, you can send routine emails while talking on the phone. Multitasking frees 30-60 minutes of time to be used later in the day.

12. Avoid perfection. You are only setting yourself up for defeat. When you try to bring perfection to difficult tasks, you will only end up avoiding them.

13. Work now, play later. It’s human nature to want to do the fun things first. Train yourself to complete the work at hand before you let your hair down.

14. Try and complete similar tasks in the same block of time. Does your job have you making a high volume of sales calls everyday? Try to make all your phone calls in the same time period. Avoid having to retrace your steps to perform a redundant task you could have done more productively at an earlier time.

15. Prepare. Have to reach office at 8 am? Doesn’t help if you get out of bed at 7:30 am. You must give yourself some buffer time to cover unexpected events – like a sudden traffic jam.

16. Get a good night’s sleep and plenty of exercise. This regimen will improve your focus and concentration, which in turn, helps you be more efficient and productive.

17. Don't take work home and vice versa.

18. Track time. Keep a diary detailing all the tasks you perform in a week. At the end of the week, check the diary to see how much time was spent doing what. See if you can employ your time in a better manner.

19. Once a month, schedule a few hours to pay bills make necessary phone calls.

20. Take a time management course. Most of us could do with some professional guidance on how to optimize our time.

21. Take a break. Stress is a fact of modern work life. If you feel your stress levels have risen too high, take time off to let off the steam. Too much stress can derail your attempts at getting organized. You could exercise a bit, or even take a day off.

22. Write notes to yourself. This helps you stay on track and ensure that important work gets done.

23. Avoid nonessential tasks. You must consider your goals and schedule before you accept additional work.