How to Use Time Wisely on the Job

Do you have a plan you follow at work every day? Or is your work life a series of interruptions and predicaments? Are you having a hard time completing all the work required of you? If you want to make sure you use your work time wisely, you need to analyze your habits. Conduct some experiments to find out where you can make improvements and measure your efficiency. Figure out what is getting in the way of getting work done then make some changes. Try making one change toward efficiency every week. Even if you are able to get all your work done every day, operating more efficiently will give you extra time to breathe a little easier.

Instructions

Observe, Organize and Get Productive

1. Analyze your work habits. Assess your time management skills by keeping a log of your activities for a week. Time management is a huge component of workplace efficiency. By tracking your average work day, you'll become more aware of how you spend your time and where you might improve upon your routine. Productivity follows a pattern for most people so figure out how you work best. Maybe you work well in 90 minute increments. Perhaps you lose the ability to write after lunch or can't get anything done because of co-worker interruptions. Targeting your pitfalls is the best place to start.

2. Create an organizational plan for your work week in a checklist format. Maybe you tend to let larger projects wait till a looming deadline forces you to work overtime, or maybe you have difficulty getting to all the little things. Either way, take a careful look at your patterns. Track them. Make a list of areas that need improving. Then create a master checklist for your work week that includes all the items you must accomplish daily while leaving room for big projects. By scheduling everything you need to get done, you force yourself to stay on track and stop avoiding certain tasks. Check your daily schedule first thing in the morning, and update the next day's schedule as items come up and at the end of each day. It will take some practice; but if you challenge yourself to stick to a schedule for 30 days, you'll develop this efficient habit.

3. Reduce clutter by getting organized. If your desk resembles the aftermath of a natural disaster, you probably waste valuable time looking for information when you need it. Develop a file system and spend the last 10 minutes of every day putting things where they belong. As new items find their way to your desk, designate a place for them (a file, a place in a drawer or on a bulletin board).

4. Use the tools on your computer to streamline your work day. Microsoft Office has a calendaring feature to keep your workflow, appointments and important reminders organized. Email notifications can be a constant source of interruptions, so turn off the instant notification feature and set aside a few times a day for responding to emails. Keep your inbox under control by answering all emails that can be answered in a few minutes during these sessions and flagging items that need follow-up. Create bookmarks and bookmark folders for websites you access daily.

5. Minimize interruptions. If you constantly field questions, answer phone calls or fly from meeting to meeting, there's probably not enough time in the day for actual work. Although meetings, calls and assisting others are part of your job, sometimes you have to set limits if you want to get anything of substance done. If possible, try coming in an hour early. If you get to the office before all the workplace hubbub begins, you can get the focused time you need to tackle larger tasks or answer all those emails. If most of your office takes lunch at noon, try staggering your lunch hour. By going to lunch an hour earlier or later than the rest of the crew, you can buy yourself another hour of uninterrupted work time.

Tips & Warnings

• Get outside for a walk (or even a jog) at lunchtime or during breaks. Getting fresh air and exercise relaxes the mind, makes you feel less stressed and reenergizes you.

• Be honest with yourself. You know what your weaknesses are, whether you're avoiding something, procrastinating or if you are wasting time. You'll feel better if you level with yourself and get the job done.

References

• Four Hour Work Week: Limit Meetings
• Life Organizers: How to Minimize Interruptions