Time isn’t the main thing. It’s the only thing– Miles Davis
To-do-lists, slipping deadlines, and project wrath are some of the experiences that are too common in our life and work culture. With new year resolution season dawning upon us, many people are diligently trying to fulfill their long made promises to “become better administrators”, “become more productive at work”, “avoid procrastination” and “focus their attention on what really matters”. All these developmental goals are mandatory to career success, but at the same time, are amongst the rarest of the skills; possessed by a few (geniuses), longed by many!
So, how do we hone our time management skills? There is certainly no shortage of advice- blogs, hackathons, apps, and much more just created to answer this question with a bevy of ready-to-implement solutions! Yet the most disappointing fact is that only a few function to the optimum level. For instance, while buying high-end kitchen equipment, would you instantly become a five-star chef? Certainly not. Similarly, to hone your skills, you must be aware of a few knicks and knacks that bring favorable time management outcomes, rather than employing glitzy apps that are nothing less than an accessory!
Fortunately, we have a few tricks up our sleeves (with bonus templates), that will surely help you become better time managers and become more productive at work!
But first…...let us discuss time management.
What Is Time Management?
Time management helps in strategizing planning and controlling the available amount of time so that it can be put to optimum use. It refers to how one should prioritize the time and accord it to different activities to yield profitable results. Without an effective time management structure, a company can suffer various setbacks like:
- Missed deadlines
- Poor quality work
- Low productivity
- Harming one’s professional stature
- Ruining the work-life equilibrium
- Increasing stress and anxiety
- Derailed projects
Why Time Management?
Learning the art of managing time can help yield positive results especially in work culture to streamline and prioritize activities. Let us go through a few of the many benefits of appointing an effective time-management structure and following its principles to a T:
- Less friction
- Fewer mistakes
- Improved performance
- A more productive workforce
- Proper allocation of resources
- Boost in the overall confidence
- Better work-life balance
Effective Tips and Templates to accompany your time-management endeavors
1. Early to Bed Early to Rise
Though this point might seem too obvious, many of us forget what a great difference this small change can bring in our lives. With only 24 hrs in a day (like every other being on this planet), put a number to your hours, the longer the better. Wake up early ideally around 6-7 am to make your days appear longer and more productive!
Reminder Templates
Template 1
Download Day Countdown Hourglass Calendar Showing Alarm Clock
Template 2
Download Reminder Alarm Clock Image
Template 3
Download Countdown Day With Alarm Clock Image
Template 4
Download Ticking Alarm Clock Kept On Table
Template 5
Download Business Agility Icon With Alarm Clock
2. Set SMART goals
Having a realistic idea of where you want to reach is extremely important. Set SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, and timely) goals and commit yourself to them. This defines the steps that are to be taken in order to attain your goals successfully. When your goals aren’t reaping the expected positive results, something is missing or lacking and this void is successfully filled by setting SMART goals. These will help you prioritize and devote the bulk of your time to tasks that need your attention rather than those that can be completed thereafter. Also, managing workload becomes quite easy when you follow the “SMART” goals principle and adapt it fully to your business setting.
S.M.A.R.T Goals Templates
Template 1
Download Leadership Quarterly Roadmap With Multiple Smart Goals
Template 2
Download Smart Goals For Marketing Strategy Review
Template 3
Download Smart Goals Specific Measurable Attainable Time Bound And Dart Board
Template 4
Download Smart Goals Showing Specific Measurable Attainable And Relevant
Template 5
Download Smart Objectives Slide
3. Track your Time
Time has always been a limited resource. One of the easiest and efficient ways to track your time is to invest in time tracking templates, which our modern technology offers to promote productivity in a work setting. These tools help in maintaining a record of every minute spent on tasks, subtasks, and others, thereby allowing the proper allocation and administration of 24 hrs available.
Time Tracking templates
Template 1
Download Weekly Hourly Agenda Timesheet PowerPoint Slides
Template 2
Download Hourly Agenda Timesheet PowerPoint Layout
Template 3
Download Weekly Timesheet Review With Target Status
Template 4
Download Timesheet Tracker With Period Start And End Date
Template 5
Download Employee Time Sheet PPT Styles Graphics Download
4. “Eat That Frog”
Mark Twain quotes “Eat a live frog every morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first”
By the bigger frog, Mark Twain meant the most important task that is likely to be procrastinated over a million times. Therefore, tackle the task that requires the biggest chunk of your time first thing in the morning and then continue with other tasks. Summon the energy and motivation to take up bigger tasks first. This will give you a sense of achievement and motivation to carry on.
So, go ahead and eat that frog!
Timeline Templates
Template 1
Download Daily Tasks Timeline Gantt Chart PPT
Template 2
Download Yearly Tasks Timeline Gantt Chart PPT
Template 3
Download Yearly Based Gantt Chart With Tasks Flowchart PPT
Template 4
Download Daily Schedule Gantt Chart With Task Details PPT
Template 5
Download Project Gantt Chart With Daily Timeline PPT
5. Use Calendars
One of the greatest time management tips that can act as a total game-changer is to employ well-crafted calendars. They help simplify the administration of critical tasks and activities so that the user can always stay ahead of time and meet his deadlines without any difficulty.
With the advent of online calendars and tools to design them, the task of managing one’s schedule, setting up important reminders, creating time blocks, and many more are very easy and convenient.
Here are a few Calendar Templates to quench your thirst for great designs:
Note- The dates and data of these calendar templates can be altered to fit your needs
Template 1
Template 2
Download Calendar Of Events Overview
Template 3
Download Daily Employee Engagement Calendar
Template 4
Download Weekly Employee Engagement Calendar
Template 5
Download Six Months Content Calendar Roadmap
6. Embrace the Pomodoro technique
Time management is accompanied by a lot of challenges, especially when multiple tasks are to be administered simultaneously. However, the Pomodoro technique can help overcome this issue. It is simple: break your tasks into time blocks that train your brain to spend less time on them without shifting the focus. This technique is particularly useful in improving concentration and getting things done in a shorter amount of time.
Pomodoro Technique- According to the findings of research conducted by the Human-Computer Interaction Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, the human mind can take up to 25 minutes to regain the focus on the activity from which it has been distracted. And, when the focus is lost, it takes an equal amount of time to pull oneself together and begin concentrating. So, keep all the tasks aside that make you lose your focus. When the focus is maintained on a particular activity, the brain processes information in a single direction that helps in improving concentration and time management rapidly.
Task Management Templates
Template 1
Download Task Management PowerPoint Slides
Template 2
Download Task Management Across Departments PPT Slides
Template 3
Download Task Management Gantt Chart PPT Slide Template
Template 4
Download Team Task Management Worksheet PPT Slide Show
Template 5
Download Sales Activity And Task Management Presentation PowerPoint
7. Plan ahead with a To-Do List
Although planning is simple, it is relentlessly the most powerful mantra to manage your time like a pro that starts by creating to-do lists. Create a checklist of your daily tasks and then distribute them throughout the week to plan ahead and reap the rewards. With a daily planning journal, you will be able to preview the activities that are complete, stuck in the pipeline, need prior attention as well as break the tasks into smaller chunks.
Therefore, juxtapose your daily tasks against your overarching goals to hone your time management skills!
Let us look at a few To-Do List Templates now:
Template 1
Download To-Do Checklist Slides With Various Tasks
Template 2
Download To Do List For Group Task Assignment
Template 3
Download To Do List For Completion Of Project
Template 4
Download List Of Activities Contains Basic Teamwork To Do Tasks
Template 5
Download To Do List With Action Items And Status Update
8. Work Smarter, not harder
Although it is the most overlooked point and it may sound counterintuitive, taking frequent breaks to rejuvenate yourself is the biggest productivity booster. How? Because it does not exhaust and drain your entire energy in one go. If you work for 5-7 hrs at a single stretch, you might get exhausted and lose interest in the activity, however, if you take frequent breaks, your task is likely to be completed at a much faster pace and more efficiently.
Smart time management does not mean working continuously and getting drained. It means putting your time and energy to optimum use by taking frequent intervals to refresh your mind!
Template 1
Download Break Time Recess Interval Icon Meal Organisation Work
Template 2
Download Office Break Time Showing Snacks
Template 3
Download Lunch Break Timing On Hot Coffee Mug Icon
Template 4
Download Break Time Showing Tea Interval Or Recess
Template 5
Download Break Time Icon Of Tea Time
10 Decks to meet all your expectations
Template 1
Time management is a skill that requires due diligence and extra effort. To help you with this endeavor of yours we have come up with this complete deck that can be used to present timelines, to-to-lists, checklists, and many more, as it offers a complete package of assortments. All you have to do is download it and use it either as single slides or as a complete presentation. The choice is yours!
Download Time Management PowerPoint Presentation Slides
Template 2
Another template to help you in proper time allocation! Use it as per your liking as along with other templates, it is also a fully editable PowerPoint presentation. Therefore download it to make use of it for your individual tasks!
Download Time Management Matrix Organizational Process Improvement Employees Strategy Business
Template 3
Build a solid and concrete plan that screams success when it comes to managing time. Conduct proper time allocation with this fully-editable set. All you have to do is click on the download button and begin personalizing.
Download Time Quadrants Management Planning Stopwatch Individual Efficiency
Template 4
Implicate and inform your audience about the methods to measure time with this complete deck. With different slides that respond to all your needs, it is a complete package to hone your time management skills. Therefore, grab this well-crafted set now!
Download Measure Time Management Service Productivity Work Objectives
Template 5
Brief employees about the possible project time management implications with this complete deck that comes with editable features and content. Therefore, download and tweak its content as per your liking.
Download Project Resourcing Time Management Implications PowerPoint Presentation Slides
Template 6
Track your activities and time spent on them easily with automatic status and priorities offered by this template. It features well-researched content, that can be tweaked as per your preference. So, give it a go!
Download Action Tracker Activities Planning And Time Management Business Tasks
Template 7
Unlock your highest potential by allocating your time and resources efficiently. This time management template design features content-ready slides in the form of tables, charts and graphs, and many others that can be easily adapted to the needs of the user.
Download Effective Time Planning PowerPoint Presentation Slides
Template 8
Time management is an important factor to consider while planning any project. Therefore we have designed this complete deck to help you administer time as well as your project leading your organization towards success.
Download Project Management Time Impact Analysis PowerPoint Presentation Slide
Template 9
This is another project time management template that can be used to your advantage. Mention the steps or the factors that help in managing time with utmost efficiency here and use it in any of your presentations. This is a versatile tool that is responsive to every need of yours. Therefore claim it now, by clicking the download button next to it.
Download 3 Steps To Reduce Project Lead Time
Template 10
Administer the time spent on every project activity and jot down the elements here in this template. It will act as a visual tool all thanks to its appealing color scheme and graphics. Therefore give it a go!
Download Project Budgeting And Time Management PPT Infographics
Remember “either you run the day or the day runs you”. Therefore master your time management skills so that you utilize every second of your day wisely. Doing so will help your days run smoothly without any speed breakers to stop you from achieving your goals!
Explore our fully customizable and editable time management ppt now.
Good Luck!