The importance of time management has been overstated for quite some time, which is why so many people are with no control over their time. It’s also one of the most common reasons that people feel overwhelmed and stressed out.

Too often we get distracted by the things in our life that don’t really matter much to us and we spend too much time chasing those things instead of investing in what does.

We become addicted to the short-term rewards that keep us busy but don’t make us happy. And we forget about the long term benefits of self-care and personal development that require focused effort.

In this article I will talk more about how important good time management is and some ways you can improve it. But first, let me tell you a story…

A few years back my friend was struggling with his time spent. He had enough money to survive, he worked hard, and he loved what he did, but he wasn’t living the life that he wanted.

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He was constantly thinking about next week or next month’s budget, and he worried about whether or not he would have enough money to pay his bills.

And because he was always thinking about money, he was never able to enjoy any of the other parts of his life.

Make plans

A lot of people think that being productive means staying up late to work until all your tasks are done, or keeping busy by working long hours without breaks. This is not effective time management!

Being productive does not mean doing as much work as you can during the day, it’s about spending most of your time in efficient ways. It’s about having enough time to complete what you need to do – WITHOUT OVERDOING IT!

Time is one of our most valuable resources. We should be careful how we use it. If you keep looking at the clock and thinking about leaving the office, then chances are you will spend less time there!

Think about it- if you want to make sure you have enough time to get everything done, you must first figure out how many things you need to do. You must know what you should be doing next!

Good time managers make lists and stick to them. They also review those lists frequently to see what needs to be tackled next.

This way, they don’t forget anything and they never waste any precious minutes trying to remember something that got left behind back at home or in another room.

Develop good systems

First, you need to recognize that there is no one perfect time management system. There are never any clear-cut answers for how to manage your time efficiently!

That being said, you can always do better with your own time management. You can learn how to be more efficient with your time by developing good time management systems.

You see, most people have bad time management habits which could be breaking down at the very core of why they feel stressed and overwhelmed in their lives.

By using different time management strategies, you can reevaluate what makes you feel relaxed and able to focus on other things. These can include changing tasks assignments, restructuring work hours, or even giving up some paid jobs to focus on your career.

Take breaks

A lot of people struggle with time management because they don’t give themselves enough breaks. You need to take some time off every once in a while so that you can re-focus and relax!

Breaking up work into small chunks is a great way to do this. If you’re sitting at your desk working, get up and walk around or go talk to someone for a few minutes. Or just leave the room completely and come back later.

You should make sure that you don’t overwork yourself, but it's important to remember to stop and take breaks as well.

Time out doesn't mean going home or taking a day off work. It means doing something unrelated from what you were doing before. Perhaps go for a short jog, do some exercises, have a chat with a friend, whatever takes your mind off of work for a little while.

Finish what you start

“Finishing” something means putting away your work and moving onto the next task, or phase of a project. This is an important time management tip because it helps you prevent open ended projects that can continue to grow without closure.

By this principle, once you have finished one part of a project, move onto the next step. For example, if you are working on editing a chapter of your book, then edit another chapter. If you are reviewing and proofreading an article, then write an article based on the same topic.

This way, your project does not get out-lengthened as you add more components to it. It also helps you stay focused since you are creating clear milestones along the way.

When you do this, you may need to reevaluate how much time you allocate for each component of the project. You may need to reduce the amount of time spent on some parts of the project if you cannot give them their own dedicated time.

Stay focused

A lot of people get distracted by all sorts of things, which is why they never seem to find time to do anything. You may be in busy seasons or you may just not have found your one career path yet, but either way, you need to learn how to stay focus on what needs done next.

It can be hard at times. There are so many distractions that it is easy to give up and say “screw this” and go do something else instead. This is definitely a poor time management strategy!

You will spend more time moving if you manage your time well. It takes a little bit of work upfront, but in the long run you will save a ton of time!

There are several ways to stay focused on what must be done next. Here are some tips for that.

Hold off on new things

Even if you have no time to do something, it can still make sense to hold off doing it. This is especially true when it comes to new activities.

If you've got a job that requires you to be online for work, why spend money buying a smartphone that doesn't allow you to use apps? Or going out to eat at expensive restaurants that take too long to cook so you end up eating food from fast-food places instead?

Hold off on these experiences until your budget allows you to have them. And remember, even though you may not have the money now, you will later! Saving now can add up over time.

Learn to prioritize

A lot of people with poor time management skills are too focused on getting everything done that they forget to rank tasks according to importance.

They start working on the most urgent task only to find themselves overwhelmed later when it’s time to work on the next most important one.

This is why many people don’t get much accomplished and become frustrated at the process of trying to put off what they should be able to do easily. By putting off doing something you think is more important, you just make it harder for yourself in the long run!

You need to learn how to balance your workload and organize your time so that you're spending the right amount of time on each project while also ensuring that all projects are completed.

It's not easy but it is possible if you use these time management tips. At its core, this advice comes down to two things: value judgments and using timers.

Value judgments refer to assessing the worth of an activity by thinking about the costs associated with it as well as whether it produces satisfying results. For example, going out for coffee with friends is probably less valuable than taking yoga classes because the first does not result in feeling relaxed and refreshed whereas the second can definitely help you relax.

By applying the same logic to your own activities, you will be better able to identify those that are undervalued and give them lower priority marks. This will free up time to focus on more important ones.