Time Management Tips to Help You Enjoy the Summer
Good time management practices during the busy summer months is a necessity in the workplace! Between vacations and time off, celebrations and long weekend trips, it can be hard to stay focused and productive at work. Instead of running around and feeling like you don’t have enough time to work and enjoy your life, check out these time management tips from this Professional Organizer in NYC.
Utilize a to-do list. It’s hard enough to remember every task for every project that you need to complete, but it’s even tougher during the busy summer months when you have other things on your plate. Utilize a to-do list or a project management system to keep all of your tasks and projects organized. Not only will this simple step ensure you won’t miss any important tasks, it also allows you to stay on track with deadlines so you aren’t left working late nights before a vacation to get everything finished.
Plan ahead. This time management tip is a must! In most cases, you typically know when vacations or special events are coming up. Plan accordingly – proactively schedule tasks so they are completed well in advance of deadlines so that you can free time up so you can enjoy your time off.
Don’t over commit. Taking on too much is a sure fire way to introduce overwhelm into your workday. You don’t have to say yes to everything! It’s okay to say no to extra commitments. For example, if you know you have a two week vacation coming up next month but were asked to be a part of a volunteer committee, it’s okay to say no this time. When projects or new client meetings come up that you must address, you need to realize that it’s okay to ask for help. Work with your colleagues and coworkers to support each other.
Stop multi-tasking. I know how easy this one can be, but it’s important to limit your multitasking. You may want to search flights or find discounts for hotels while you are in the middle of a project or perhaps on a long conference call. It can be tempting, but try not to do it. In order to do your best work and stay productive, you need to be focused on the task at hand. It happens all the time – if you end up multitasking and not focusing on one project at a time, you may end up needing to repeat steps and correct the information that you have compiled. Save yourself the time and focus on one thing at a time from the beginning.
Set boundaries. It can be tempting to work all hours of the day and night, bringing home work that wasn’t completed during the day. If you can avoid it, stop that habit right away. Give yourself deadlines in the office and commit to finishing your work by a hard stop time. When you keep work separate, you will find that you are more productive during the work day because you know you only have that dedicated time to work. Then you can head home and devote your complete attention to your family, friends and after work activities.
The last thing you want is to feel rushed all summer long. Following these time management tips will help you stay productive in your workspace, and allow you to enjoy your time off as much as possible. Need more hands on strategies? Reach out to your Professional Organizer in NYC today!