10 Ways to Make the Most of Your Time

They say that time is the most valuable thing in the world, yet we often undervalue it and ourselves by not making the best use of it. If you’re like many of us who desperately need more hours in each day, here’s 10 key ways to maximize your output without burning out:

1. Avoid Multitasking Too Much
   If you do more than one task at a time then it can decrease productivity. Our brain slows down when we switch from one task to the next such that you can’t focus properly on either. So, to get more effective results, work on one task at a time with fewer errors.  Studies from Scientists at the Institute National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale (INSERM) in Paris showed that the brain can forget details and make more mistakes by splitting up when the participants work on two tasks at once, from an fMRI. You can use a formulation called The Eisenhower Method for making a list of tasks that you need to focus from most important to the least.
2. Don’t Pay Attention to Every Email Alert
   It’s easy to waste a lot of time checking every single email and responding to it, or separating important ones from the unwanted ones. Schedule hours everyday for checking emails after completing all the important tasks. This will also prevent distractions. According to some studies, professionals use around 28% of their time on emails. A study was conducted on 13 employees by Gloria Mark and Stephen Voida from the University of California, who were stopped from responding to emails for five days. They were found to have less stress and focused longer on a task with less screen time. The result was derived from their heart monitor reports. They also reduced multitasking with better work performance.
3. Social Media without a Purpose
   Social media for personal use or work purposes is another distraction that wastes your time. So, you need to use it effectively to promote the business for more sales and avoid random researching. Find out which social media platform can work best for your business and keep your focus. But even then, stop checking social media activity constantly for any changes.
4. Pointless Meetings
   Meetings are important for making any decision but don’t work well when used ineffectively. It would be a waste of time to prepare for pointless meetings, sending emails, and also sit through it for hours. A study reported that unproductive meetings can cost up to $37 billion dollars every year for businesses. So, make a proper agenda and a moderator to handle meetings properly.
5. Disorganized Work Environment
   If your work desk, computer desktop, and cabinets are a mess with files and papers all over, then it can be distracting and would waste your time. So, organize the work area by decluttering to maintain professionalism and find anything instantly whenever needed.
6. Too Much Socializing
   You need to keep a balance between socializing with colleagues and effective work hours. Maintain a friendly environment with co-workers but also beware of losing precious time. Be determined about your work by telling them politely if you are busy, or wear headphones while you work. Later you can ask them for a hangout after work.
7. Refusing to Seek Clarification
   Whenever you get an assignment, it might happen that you aren’t sure about how to do it. But if you don’t talk about it for clarification and instead pressure yourself to get it done, then it will be a waste of time. You need to set aside your pride and interact if you have any questions or need any information to become more productive.
8. Ignoring Your Mental Exhaustion
   Since we are working hard for longer hours it makes us more fatigued to work properly and concentrate. If you aren’t prepared mentally, you can’t be successful. So, put emphasis on sleeping enough. It will help you to work efficiently even if some time was lost in resting.
9. No Clear Goal to Motivate You
   No solid plans or goals for your business can easily ruin you and waste your time. You should plan properly and set a big goal to remain motivated. Otherwise, you can never stay focused and will easily drift from one thing to another. It also gets easier to fall into the other issues listed here to waste time. So, you need willpower and determination to become successful.
10. Shift from Scarcity to Abundance
    You need to shift from a mindset with scarcity to an abundance one to grow your business. This will allow to prepare for any financial option and situation. Then you will consider every favorable outcome. At the start of the business be mindful that you can have enough customers to help with your financial support. Don’t let fear cause you to spend less money or not have enough. If you have an abundance mindset, then you can always have more for your financial goals to let it flow. So, you should focus on having more and more money.

At the end, making the most of your time isn’t about doing what’s suitable for you or what’s worked a million times before. It’s about doing what’s right for you, your team, and your vision for the future.

Written by Hemi Hossain.
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