4 Time Management Mistakes To Avoid

Adopting a time management strategy when handling a project is a great way to stay organized and focused. It is also a great way of handling daily activities without being overwhelmed. However, there are things you must put into consideration if you want to make a success of it. There are some other things you have to avoid when drawing up a time management strategy.

Not Leaving Room For Flexibility

You cannot split up 8 hours of a day into carefully separated portions where you will address specific issues, without leaving room for flexibility. Your time management plan has to be realistic enough to recognize that there are things that might happen to derail your plan.

It happens with your daily activities, as you might have to see someone you never included in your schedule. You do not have to set your schedule in stone, because there is a huge chance that something will happen that you did not plan or include in that schedule.

This is more of the case if it is a project that has a deadline. Once you have broken down all the inputs and set out times to address each issue, always leave room for flexibility, else it could cost you dearly. An unforeseen event that may not be directly related to your project might come up and that event might just disrupt the project. Leaving room for flexibility gives you a chance to adjust to new developments without having to rock the boat as it were.

Being Selfish With Your Time

Setting up a time management strategy with just you in mind might end up being counterproductive. It does not matter if you are in a highly competitive workplace environment. Because your time management plan has to include others, since you would need them to excel in such an environment. Have the big picture in mind; assisting colleagues and even doing favors to those who are junior colleagues will serve your purpose in the long term. You should have a priority list that puts them ahead of you in the scale of preference, when it comes to things you should address in the workplace environment.

You might have a lot to do, but it is important you do not concentrate on completing tasks alone or filling your day with activities that revolve around your goals. Interestingly, colleagues do not often knock on the office doors of others unless they really need their assistance or they have a joint project. This means you should use such opportunities well because that is just what they are; opportunities.

They are opportunities to build bridges that you may have to cross in a later date. They also set things up nicely for you as you continue with your career in that firm.

Not Dealing With The Misconception Of Being Highhanded

Following a time management plan can make you come off as being unreachable, overtly busy and highhanded. This may come back to haunt you if you do not address it especially in a workplace environment. When you start following time management principles, you become a goal getter. Someone that is focused on achieving set goals. This may be great for your career, but it may have a negative impact on your workplace relationships.

You will have to do a rethink if you think this does not matter. Your colleagues and junior colleague matter when it comes to how successful your career can be. You can build friendship and loyalty by including them in your time management plan. Their importance is the reason why you should not be selfish with your time.

Not Doing Extensive Research

Time management is linked to the effective use of your time, by looking at ways you can meet set goals in the most productive manner. It is not just about saying you will do X by 8 in the morning and Y by 10 in the morning. It is about analyzing and picking the quickest way you can get X and Y fulfilled. This will make you look at the obstacles that might stop you from successfully concluding with X and Y. Once you recognize the obstacles, you will have to devise means of overcoming them. All of this takes a degree of work and research on your part for it to be successful.

You may meet with failure when you do not invest enough time to dig into how you can resolve and conclude with task X and Y in the most productive way.

Time management is all about using time in the most productive manner. Focusing on you alone may not be the most productive thing to do in a workplace environment based on some of the things we just shared. Focusing on them because they are actually important for you in the workplace environment eliminates the misconception of being highhanded and aloof.

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