To be in time for everything: simple rules of time management

It turns out that summer is the longest time of the year. But you must admit that it is difficult to believe in it - these three long-awaited months always fly by in the blink of an eye. However, there is a tried and tested method to help you keep up with everything you've planned for this season: time management. We will tell you about the simplest and most effective techniques that will help you organize your schedule and learn how to properly manage your time.

Observe the correct daily routine

It is unlikely that many of us can call our everyday life measured. Let's be honest: as a rule, they take place in slight chaos. We go to bed deep after midnight, ignore the alarm clock, and then rush headlong to the office, not having time to do half of the planned tasks in a day. Sounds familiar? Then you should definitely organize your schedule.

Practical task:

Make it a rule to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Make no exceptions on weekends and holidays. Decide on a comfortable time for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And of course, do not forget about your own daily rituals - for example, your morning run. Do everything consciously. For example, when taking a coffee break, do not try to do some other work at the same time. Focus on the drink itself. And to make it easier, choose the new Jacobs Gold with a special rich, balanced taste and sophisticated aroma.

Plan

The best way to get more done is to make a to-do list regularly. This will allow you to immediately see the picture of the day and will make it clear why you have not been able to keep up with everything planned so far. Perhaps it is because you are planning too much. Or you are mis-prioritizing. Think, for example, how many times watching a new episode of your favorite TV show was more important than cleaning or going to the dentist.

Practical task:

Get a planner or app and make a to-do list every day. Try to do this in the most comfortable environment possible. And by the way, it's best to do your planning in the evenings. This was confirmed by a large-scale experiment with the participation of students at the University of Washington. The first group made a plan of things before going to bed, the second - in the morning, immediately after waking up. The result was curious. The first group showed high efficiency in the execution of the planned cases, while the participants in the second changed plans at the last moment and, in general, did not take the schedule very responsibly.

Eat frogs regularly

No, we are not trying to push you towards gastronomic experimentation. The least enjoyable and interesting tasks are called "frogs" in time management. As a rule, we put them on the back burner and remember about them only on the eve of the deadline. Try to get rid of at least one such "frog" every day.

Practical task:

Take a look at your task plan and highlight the frogs in it. Allocate tasks soberly assessing the time. Time management experts advise you to do the most unpleasant things in the morning, having previously set yourself up for success. Imagine marking a task that you have never dared to approach as completed. Imagine with what pleasure you will do it. Well, now - into battle.

Do not forget to pamper yourself

One of the fundamental theses of time management sounds like this: never neglect TPR. Or, more simply, a technique of intermediate joy. This means that after each successfully completed task, you should certainly indulge yourself with something. This will serve as additional motivation for new achievements, and it will simply improve your mood.

Practical task:

Take a look at the list of scheduled tasks and come up with a reward for completing each of them. An important caveat: the encouragement must be adequate. That is, if you have finally dismantled the table, it is unlikely that it would be right to leave for a couple of weeks to the sea. But to celebrate this event with something delicious will be just right. For example, a cup of Jacobs Gold coffee. It is made from selected beans of a special soft roast - that is why it has such a rich and balanced taste. So it's hard to come up with a better reward for another small victory.

Use life hacks

By using simple rules of time management, you will soon be surprised to find yourself doing much more. And free time will noticeably increase, so you no longer have to choose between going to the dry cleaning and meeting with friends over a cup of your favorite coffee. Well, so that this moment comes as soon as possible, we advise you to use a couple more small life hacks.

Practical task:

• Surveillance yourself. For a couple of days, document every action you take - for example, a random phone call, a sudden shopping trip, or a prolonged coffee break. This will help you analyze how much time you are wasting and, most importantly, what.
• Talk about your plans. Having set a goal for yourself, albeit not the most significant one, tell your friends about it. Psychologists say that this additionally stimulates new achievements, because none of us wants to fail in public.
• Use the nine-to-do rule. Perhaps there are superheroes among us who are capable of performing dozens of tasks in parallel. But the vast majority are advised to limit themselves to nine things on their daily list. One of them should be large, three - a little less significant, and the remaining five - small, which take no more than half an hour to complete.
• Use the correct markup. When noting completed tasks in the plan, never cross them out - psychologists believe that in this way we reduce their importance. It would be much better to put a plus, a tick in front of the next item in the list, or select a line with a marker of your favorite shade.