by Wahidabi Sulaiman

Created on: December 08, 2011   Last Updated: May 16, 2012

It is a universal dilemma; having too much to do and so little time to do them all. However, it is also a fact  there are a lot of people who manage to do a lot with the 24 hours they have. Whether it is at work or at home, managing time and work is necessary in order to lead a less stressful life. Even though this article may not relieve you of all the stress or reduce your workload, you will find some ideas with which you can make sure you get your things done on time.

Make it a habit to wake up early

Waking up early helps you have more hours during the day which you can use to do things you would otherwise put off. You need not hurry with your breakfast. You need not hurry with getting ready for work. Also, you will get some time before work to prioritize and write down things you need to get done in that day.

Make it a habit to write down important tasks to be accomplished

Writing a task down will enable you to remember them well. The chances of them getting done increases when you write them down. This way you are reducing the chances of forgetting what you need to do or wasting time trying to remember as well.

Practice some form of physical activity every morning

Make it a point to practice some form of physical activity (walking or skipping) for at least 10 minutes. This helps to refresh you and pump oxygen into your blood stream. You will feel tired initially but within a week you will notice a surge in energy which will allow you to be more focused and get things done faster.

Make sure you get help when needed

Do not try to be a super human being. No one is and no one will be. Therefore, understand you limitations and seek help when necessary. If something can be outsourced, please do.  Ask for more time when need or ask for extra set of hands in the form of an intern or splitting the work.

Make sure you do not make other people’s work your own.

If colleagues ask you for help, help only if you do not have any pressing issues at hand you are already juggling hard to finish. Also, do not offer to find solution for them. If you can guide them, do so and let them continue from there.

Do not bring work home

As much as possible, do not bring your work back home as it is counterproductive. Office work should be done at office. Should you stay overtime to do it, you should but it should be a one off thing and not a regular one. If it becomes too regular you need to speak with your supervisor or manager and sort things out. It is either time you get extra help or an increase in pay for the work you are doing.

In summary, we only have 24 hours every day.  As much as possible, we can try to find time and the energy to do the things that need our attention. However, we need to understand as a human being there is only so much we can do and whenever necessary we need the help of others. Repeating to everyone you have no time for this and that is not going to bring more time at your disposal. As much as possible do the best you can.

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