When you’re tracking your time, you want to be as precise as possible. Track things down to the minute to find out how long it really takes you to accomplish specific tasks. In addition to work tasks, you should track anything else that takes up your time during working hours like childcare or helping kids with their schoolwork. You can use an app to track your time, or simply use the stopwatch function on your phone and create a spreadsheet.
Once you know how long you spend on different tasks, you can use that to create the outline for your schedule. Start by adding the tasks that need to be done at specific times or specific days. That becomes the base from which you can work the rest of your day around.
Don’t forget to schedule a lunch break. Taking time away from work is important for your mental health, yet it’s so easy just to skip and work through lunch instead. Putting a lunch break on your schedule is a reminder of its importance and will hopefully prevent you from eating and working at the same time.
It’s as important to schedule a few short breaks during the day as it is to schedule time off for lunch. Taking periodic breaks helps you maintain your energy throughout the day by giving you time to recharge.
Managing your Time
Are you finding it hard to keep up with the jobs you need doing? Are you a bit like us saying “Yes” to more work, but really not being sure if there’s time for the job to be done?
According to Forbes magazine, studies have shown that we’re actually working more hours now that we’re working from home versus working in an office. In addition to that, our homes now pull double duty as offices, schools, playgrounds, and cafés. It’s easy to see how time can slip away when you’re juggling multiple responsibilities throughout the day.
Therefore, how can you find balance and reclaim some of your lost time in the workplace?
Digital Transformation can Create a More Timelier Workflow
If you find that even with a schedule to follow, you’re still not gaining any additional time back in your day, look for any possible distractors. It’s equally helpful to know how much time is spent on non-work tasks during your work day as it is to know how much time you actually spend working. You don’t often realize how long you spend on a task, whether that’s working or going down an internet rabbit hole.
You might find that certain tasks are taking longer than you anticipated or that you reach for your phone more times in a day than you realized. For the former, adjust your schedule to ensure that you’re allowing ample time. For the latter, consider leaving your phone in another room or adding a plugin that blocks specific websites so you can’t be tempted.
Creating your optimised work schedule often requires a bit of trial and error. Keep working with it and adjusting as needed, and you’ll soon find yourself with a better handle on time as well as an improved balance in your daily life.