Time management Strategies In 2021

Beat procrastination and learn to be more effective with your time

Let’s face it, with TikTok, Netflix and other social platforms calling out to us-it’s sometimes really hard to get work done. It doesn’t help that we’ve convinced ourselves that social media is now part of the job because we need to adapt to the ever-changing algorithm. 

Ask yourselves this, how many hours a day do you spend watching relaxing? In a world that prioritises hyper-productivity, we sometimes fall into the traps of procrastination, finding ways to justify our desire for mindless activity. 

So how do we combat this? You see, the root of procrastination is not actually poor time management, according to Dr Tim Pychyl, Author & Psychologist, “We have a brain that is selected for preferring immediate reward. Procrastination is the present self saying I would rather feel good now. So we delay engagement even though it’s going to bite us on the butt.”

Instead of trying to prevent procrastination, let’s think of ways to procrastinate better. 

How? Simply predicting your behaviour before you approach a task can help regulate how you manage your time.

For example, if you have to deliver a speech and you know you’re very much afraid of public speaking, you might make an educated guess that you’ll procrastinate at some point when you’re preparing your speech. Now you can factor your procrastination into your prep time.

Most of the time, all it takes is a simple rewiring of the brain, here are some tips and tricks to help you overcome this mental barrier and get what you need to get done, done. 

1.Do the worst thing first. 

This is known as “eating the frog” where it promotes a deep work habit. The modern workplace is not built to support a distraction-free zone, so it takes a lot to get productive work done, Eat The Frog requires us to push back against all of those distractions and prioritize the actions that will actually bring us closer to our goals. 

2. Create smaller chunks. 

Make the job smaller by defining tasks that feel more manageable. The key is to focus and prioritize. Dividing projects into smaller parts to not take longer than one to three hours will make things seem more manageable. This way you will not feel as overwhelmed and would be able to react quickly to changes.  

3. Try the 10-minute trick

 Set a timer and commit to working on the task for just ten minutes. Work as hard as you can during that time.The truth is, anybody can find ten minutes. It might take you longer to get the project done, this trick makes it more actionable than thinking about it and dreading it and never getting around to it.

4. Work in public

Leverage the power of positive pressure by publicly committing to your goals. It can be as simple as telling a friend or posting this up on social media, that way you will feel some pressure to get things done.

5. Give yourself a reward

Pick something self-indulging that would make you very happy as a carrot for your limbic system. That’s your gift to yourself should you work—even a little—one sub-item of the task you’ve been avoiding.

6. Make time for distractions 

This is probably one of the most important, if not the most effective method for me personally. If you’re anything like me, and you enjoy doing nothing, this tip has helped a lot. Combining this with number 5, I’ve managed to become more productive because I look forward to small breaks where I am able to revel in mindless tasks, guilt free- because I’m still on schedule.

For those managing a team, it is also important to prioritize time management among all team members. In this case, the whoever is leading the team must lead by example and help team members prioritize tasks.  Everyone should prioritze time management, but for self-employed individuals that answer to themselves, this is something they have to ensure they’ve got down. By properly understanding which tasks should come first, how much time to allocate to each task, and how and what to delegate to others in the business is crucial to efficiently move things forward.

At BCD, our focus is on you. Whether you’re a struggling parent learning how to balance your time or a workaholic that is so driven that you forgot how to relax, we know how to advise and help you grow. Let us know if you want to have a chat over coffee sometime, we would be more than happy to have a conversation!