In any line of work there will come a time when you will find yourself in a deadline slump. And as anyone else in the world, there are only 24 hours in a day, and a typical 8 hour work shift to get your work done. Instead of surrendering to unnecessary overtime, reassess your working habits and see if it’s your lack of time management skills. Take a look at these eight time management tips and give yourself a productivity boost.

Get organized

Declutter your workspace, get organized. Set up a system that works for you so that things are easier for you. If you’re working on a desktop, acquire healthy work habits.

List all your tasks

Jot down everything you need to do within the month, week and day, as well as how much time you’ll need for each task. The first rule to managing your time is knowing how much time you have and need. This way, you can make realistic schedules and plans on maneuvering tasks.

Prioritize

Once you’ve laid out all your tasks, form a list that separates the tasks at hand in order of priority. Make sure to prioritize tasks that need urgent attention. Getting what you need to be done first will not only make you feel relieved, but it’ll also make things efficient.

Schedule your days

Utilize your calendars and make sure you have a schedule for everything. Make a daily to-do list that schedules each task, including your breaks. The key here is to give yourself more than enough time to finish everything.

Routine makes perfect

Make routines out of tasks you do every day or group tasks that can be done together. Condition yourself to do tasks in the most efficient way by teaching yourself how to do everything in one go.

Learn to say “no”

A big part of time management is learning how to say “no”. “No” to tasks you cannot do, “no” to leisure time you cannot afford; just say “no”. No matter how great your system is, you can only handle so much. So know your limit and know when to say “no”.

Eliminate distractions

Whether it’d be checking your emails, your social media or your texts, eliminate things that distract you. Instead, make proper time for these distractions and call it leisure time, because taking a break is necessary and healthy.

Stick to your plan

Like anything, the only way to get things done is to get things done. Make sure to keep a schedule and stick to your plan. Forming a schedule is useless if you do not have the will to follow through.

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