7 Skills for Success | Time Management Strategies

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Is time management a soft skill? 

Absolutely! Time management is widely recognized as a soft skill, and it holds immense importance in various professional domains. Whether you are a sales professional, project manager, first-time manager, or aspiring leader, having effective time management skills is essential for success. Let’s explore the significance of time management in different roles and why it is considered a vital soft skill.

Developing management & leadership skills for first-time supervisors & managers is crucial for first-time supervisors and managers as they transition into their new roles.

In the realm of project management, time management, and organizational skills are of paramount importance. Project managers are responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing complex projects within specified timelines.

Interviewing skills for 1st-time managers are vital as they take on the responsibility of hiring and building their teams. 

Effective time management skills for sales professionals are essential to excel in their roles and maximize productivity.

Strong leadership skills and time management go hand in hand, as they are both essential for achieving success in any leadership role.

In today’s fast-paced world, mastering the art of effective time management is crucial for achieving success. By developing essential skills and implementing proven strategies, individuals can optimize their productivity, reduce stress, and accomplish their goals efficiently. In this article, we will explore seven important time management skills for success and provide practical time management strategies to help you make the most of your time and maximize your achievements.

Table of Contents

What is Time Management?

Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities. It involves setting goals, prioritizing tasks, scheduling activities, delegating tasks, taking breaks, and using time management tools to improve efficiency and productivity. 

 What are Time Management Skills?

Time management skills are a set of abilities that enable you to use your time effectively and efficiently. These skills are crucial in both personal and professional settings. Good time management skills include prioritization, goal setting, planning, and scheduling to name a few. Having good time management skills also means knowing you need to minimize distractions and focus on only one task instead of managing more tasks at the same time.

Why Is Time Management Important for Leaders?

Time management is important for leaders because it allows them to become more productive. Effective time management allows leaders to prioritize tasks, maximize their working hours, and focus on the most critical activities. This leads to increased productivity, efficient goal attainment, and overall organizational success.

Leaders with strong time management skills have more time to gather information, analyze situations, and make well-informed decisions. This contributes to better decision-making, improved problem-solving, and a more strategic approach to leadership.

Lastly, strong time management skills enable leaders to effectively delegate tasks to team members, effectively manage their workloads, and provide timely feedback. It helps you determine which urgent and important tasks to delegate first. This leads to a more engaged and productive team, fostering a positive work environment.

Also, improving time management skills should be a constant priority. The better you know how to manage your time, the better you will lead.

Why Time Management Is Your Most Valuable Resource

Jim Rohn, the father of all motivational speaking, has said one of my favorite sentences ever: “Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money- but you can’t get more time”. What we are left with then, is managing time so we can better ourselves and better our time, rather than having time slip in between our fingers. Leaving us frustrated and behind in our goals and in terms of where we aim to get. 

Managing time effectively is managing your life efficiently. Getting our work done, getting our chores done, finding time to work out, finding time for our kids, finding time for our spouses and for ourselves, finding time to read, educate ourselves, and grow. You can always say “I can’t.” But, can you find a way, or is it just not important enough and just ends up slipping away from your schedule?

Are you sure you can’t find just a few hours a week to work out, to do something for yourself, to promote your goals? I know that you can find the time. If you manage time rather than letting time manage and dictate your life. So here is how to manage time like a BOSS.

Mastering the seven skills for success outlined in this article can significantly improve your time management abilities and propel you toward achieving your goals. By implementing these strategies and techniques, you can master time management, optimize your productivity, reduce stress, and create a balanced and fulfilling life. Embrace these skills, make them a part of your daily routine, and witness the transformative impact they have on your personal and professional success.

How to Improve Your Time Management Skills?

Effective time management is about being the master of your time rather than being captive to time-wasting. Knowing how to manage time is critical to success on any level- personal, professional, and organizational. Get this:

  • Up to 80% of the average working day is spent on activities that do not promote you
  • Only 17% of Americans track their time
  • 46% of stress reported among employees in the US is caused by poor time management and getting overwhelmed as a result
  • 87% of students could achieve better grades if they had better time management skills.

Prioritization

The first skill for success in time management is prioritization. Learning how to identify and focus on high-priority tasks that align with your goals and values is crucial. When you set clear priorities, you can allocate your time and energy wisely, ensuring that you work on what matters most.

Goal Setting

Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals is essential for effective time management.

Effective goal setting helps you stay focused, motivated, and organized.

Breaking down long-term goals into smaller, actionable steps to make progress consistently is helpful to keep you on track. When you break things down into smaller steps, everything will become more approachable and you’ll be less likely to become overwhelmed.

Planning and Scheduling

Effective planning and scheduling are fundamental to successful time management. Explore various planning techniques, such as creating to-do lists, using calendars or digital tools, and blocking out dedicated time for specific challenging tasks. Discover how to structure your day and week to optimize productivity and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Experiment with different techniques to find out which one works best for you.

Delegation

Delegating tasks is a valuable skill that enables you to leverage your time and resources effectively. Understanding the art of delegation and learning how to identify urgent or important tasks that can be assigned to others is a game changer. Don’t be afraid to communicate your workload capacity and come up with ways to re-distribute tasks in order to meet your goals and deadlines.

Time Blocking

Time blocking is a powerful technique for managing your time and increasing productivity. By dividing your day into focused blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks or activities you cut through the noise and have a better chance to stay focused. This approach can help you eliminate distractions, improve concentration, and maintain a proactive approach to your work.

Procrastination Management

Procrastination can significantly hinder your time management efforts. There are many strategies that can help you overcome procrastination, such as setting deadlines, breaking tasks into smaller parts, and utilizing tools like the Pomodoro Technique.

When you harness procrastination management in an effective way, you cultivate discipline and maintain momentum. This way you avoid falling into the trap of procrastination.

Self-Care and Time for Renewal

To sustain long-term success, it is vital to prioritize self-care and incorporate time for renewal into your schedule. Rest, relaxation, and activities that rejuvenate your mind and body are as important as any other work tasks. Self-care enhances your overall well-being, boosts productivity, and enables you to perform at your best, so don’t neglect it.

The Time Model: 4 Key Rules of Time Management

You can use the TIME model to make it easier for you to remember. It is easy, and serves as a great reminder and resource:

T – Time to Start Saying NO

Time management is all about prioritizing. This essentially means two main things- letting go of the idea of perfection (nobody has poorer time management skills than perfectionists), and letting go of what is not an absolute must. Time to put guilt, external ideals, and unnecessary time-consuming things away. You don’t have to bake the cake. You don’t have to volunteer when you are not able to. 

Your house doesn’t have to be perfect, and neither do you. You do have to do what’s best for you and your family. This is where you choose to put your time. You may have to say no to events, no to certain friends, and no to anything that does not promote you or make you happy. But, you know what? That’s actually quite liberating. So farewell time wasters – get them out of the way – and don’t feel guilty for a second. 

I – Improve your ability to plan ahead

Never start your day without a to-do list. You will end up being managed by your day instead of being in control of your day. Write down your to-do list. List your goals. Make notes about your deadlines. Write down your budget and your shopping list. We all know that life throws tons of unpredictable situations your way. Some are desirable, and some are not as much. 

Accept it, embrace it, and keep planning ahead. It will keep you focused and you will get more out of your day. And you know what? You will end up having more time for fun and downtime anyway. So this is not about maximizing your energy- it’s about preserving it. Believe me. 

M – Make sure to delegate

Forget the ideal superhero that you want to be. Honestly, it is getting old. Anyone who ever thought they could be a superhero and do it all ended up frustrated, worn out, and feeling underaccomplished. So if we talk about managing your time and we talk about managing your life. 

Keep this in mind. a superhero is not a manager. Managers delegate. That’s what they do, and that’s what you need to learn to do as well. Be a manager, or life will manage you. Your choice.

E – Eliminate distractions

Oh, the distractions! There is no worse time for anyone who is even mildly ADD than nowadays. And even those of us that are not, find ourselves wondering if we are! Social media especially became a huge, time-consuming distraction for both adults and teenagers. In today’s digital age, we are bombarded by distractions. 

Everyone wants your immediate attention. Focus is the second most important resource we have, after time. When you are focused, you make good decisions, not only in your career but in all areas of life. Focus needs to be guarded, shielded, and managed, just like everything else.

Time Management Skills + Focus

What do you choose to put at the center of your focus? Your weight? Health? Nutrition? Finances? Career? Kids? Something else? We both know that when you focus on something, fully and wholeheartedly, you get results. 

So guard that focus. Guard it like a watchdog, and do not let any distractions like social media, negativity, or anxious thoughts, get you off track. Your focus is a resource. Your time is a resource. Don’t waste your resources. Watch them and magnify them and you’ll get far. I promise you.

Here are 7 time-management tips for you, so that you can be the master of your time rather than a slave to it:

 Tip #1: Set Goals. No Goals = No Direction

Think of goal setting as if you are the captain of a ship. You have just looked into the GPS of the ship and said: “What am I putting into the GPS of the ship of my life?” If you fail to program the GPS, you don’t set your goals. You just drift in the sea. You’ll end up somewhere, doing something, living somehow. However, you need to be able to determine for yourself what to program into that GPS. Where are you going?

To manage your time, you need to ask yourself: “What am I managing it for? What are my goals?” Write down your goals and keep your goal list short, including no more than three. What are you looking to accomplish today? What are you going to accomplish this year? What are you putting in the GPS of the ship of your life?

Tip #2: Learn to Be Quick and Harsh With Prioritizing

You are bombarded with many tasks and so many other things that you want to do. You tend to multitask throughout your day and end up overextending yourself. When the day ends, you ask yourself: “What did I accomplish today? I ran around all day, but what did I actually accomplish?” That’s because people tend to spend major time on minor things. The things that matter less tend to take most of your day. Prioritize by making 2-second decisions on what matters the most to you.

How much does this matter right now? How important is it, between 0 and 10?

If you have certain things today that you assess as a “10” for you, you decide that no matter what, those are the things that you are going to focus on. The 2s, the 1s, the 3s they can wait.

Tip #3: Get Organized. Now

The mess has to stop because the mess is eating up your energy and wasting your day.  If your household or your desk is chaotic, you’re going to find yourself spending a lot of time looking for things and information, trying to reorganize as you are going through the day. Start each day with your inbox your desk is organized and your household is in a decent state.  You will find that you’re having an easier time managing your day. You wouldn’t be running around looking for things and trying to figure out where everything is and what to do. When you can find something that you really need, it gives you a clearer mindset.

Remember, it doesn’t have to be perfect but organized enough that you don’t waste time searching relentlessly for things.

Tip # 4: Plan Your Day

Stop starting your day without planning it because before you know it the day will run you- you will not run the day. Planning the day is about answering this one question: what must happen today? And then you write it down. You never, ever start your day without answering that question. How important is this? How important is that? Get out of your own head and give it a number, 0-10. Stop spending your day on your 2s and 3s. Plan ahead and focus on your 9s and 10s. That’s how you run the day.

Tip #5: Delegate. Everyone Around You Can Do Something.

Stop being superwoman or superman. There is no trophy for you at the end of the road. Everyone around you is capable of doing something.

If you delegate- your life will improve instantly and you will stop getting overwhelmed.

Tip #6: Choose to Manage Your Stress (Or Your Stress Will Manage You)

Stress is a behavior pattern that you can change- if you choose to.

It doesn’t matter how you choose to manage your stress- walks, baths, yoga, talking to a friend- you know what works for you, so make the conscious choice to do it.

You can also choose not to manage your stress or to manage it very poorly. That’s a choice that you can make. The result comes with a high price tag, though- poor thinking, poor health, and complete misery.

Doesn’t a bubble bath or a walk sound much better?

TIP #7:  Set Boundaries. Say No

Why are you doing such a poor job at setting boundaries? Are you scared not to be liked? Are you pleasing others at the expense of yourself? Are you too tired and worn out because you didn’t set boundaries and now you just continue not to set them, just to become more tired and more worn out?
Can you just prioritize yourself for once? For heaven’s sake, and for the love of you- just say NO.

Run the Day – or the Day will Run You!

 Managing time is managing yourself. We are talking about managing your life and everything that matters to you. Are you a leader or a follower? Are you going to run the day or let the day run you? Only you decide. And you, only, will pay the price or earn the reward.

FAQ

Yes, time management is a vital skill that involves organizing, prioritizing urgent tasks, and efficiently allocating your time to enhance productivity and achieve goals.

Develop time management skills by setting clear goals, prioritizing tasks, creating a structured schedule, avoiding procrastination, and regularly reviewing and adjusting your time management strategies.

A recommended strategy is the Eisenhower Box, which helps prioritize tasks by urgency and importance, focusing on what’s essential and avoiding unnecessary activities.

Time management is considered a soft skill because it involves personal qualities and interpersonal skills, such as organization, planning, and the ability to adapt to changing priorities.

On your resume, showcase time management skills by using action verbs in your work experience section, such as “organized” and “prioritized.” Quantify achievements, mention specific tools and techniques used, highlight experiences with deadlines, and tailor your skills to the job description. Use your cover letter for detailed examples.

Improve time management at work by setting daily goals, using a planner or digital tools for organization, delegating tasks, minimizing distractions, and taking regular breaks to maintain focus and efficiency.

Examples of time management skills include prioritizing tasks, setting goals, creating and adhering to schedules, delegating tasks, using time management tools like calendars and apps, maintaining focus amid distractions, and regularly reviewing and adjusting schedules to improve efficiency.

Dr. Michelle Rozen
Dr. Michelle Rozen

Dr. Michelle Rozen, Ph.D., is a highly respected authority on the psychology of change. She is one of the most booked motivational speakers nationwide as well as internationally, and a frequent guest on media outlets such as NBC, ABC, FOX News, and CNN on topics related to dealing with change in our world and in every aspect of our lives, so that we can do better and feel better.

Her most recent book, 2 Second Decisions helps people power through with their most challenging decisions through turbulent times.

Dr. Michelle Rozen consistently speaks for Fortune 500 companies and her clients include some of the most recognizable companies in the world including Johnson & Johnson, Merrill Lynch, Pfizer, and The U.S. Navy. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in Psychology and resides in the greater NYC area.

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