In today’s day and age, it’s safe to say that we’re pretty much all busy. How is it that even with heavy workloads and full personal lives, some people manage to fly through their days, get things done on-schedule and not appear too drained? The secret lies in time management skills.
First, we must realize that being busy isn’t the same as being effective. Inevitably, we could all use a few tips to function at a higher level when time is tight and pressures start increasing.
If you’re considering an office administrator career, one challenge of the job will be managing a high number of tasks. Here are a few time management tips to help you work smarter, so that you can easily get more done without eating up all of your time and energy.
Wake Up Early
If you’ve got a big day ahead of you, one of the most effective strategies is to show up at the office as prepared as possible. Studies show that one of the biggest reasons we either lose focus or procrastinate while working is that our minds are trying to solve multiple problems other than the ones right in front of us.
Waking up early is an effective alternative to rushing into work half-awake and already carrying a sense of pressure. Getting up earlier allows you to:
- Eat breakfast in order to fuel your mind and body for the day ahead
- Perform a couple of light cleaning tasks such as taking out the garbage or loading the dishwasher, so that these things won’t nag at you during work hours
- Answer a couple of emails to lighten the load when you actually sit down at your desk later that morning
Time management skills are take-home skills as well. Having an effective morning routine prepares you for the day ahead and can save you a lot of unnecessary stress later in your day.
Schedule Interruptions
Office administrator courses will teach you how to effectively multitask in a field where a lot can come your way at once. Scheduling interruptions means knowing how long you can work effectively before your mind starts to wander or your energy gets low.
Taking a couple of minutes to refocus in-between completed tasks is a great way to start a new task with restored energy, and actually saves time in the long run.
Scheduling interruptions every so often can reduce stress and allow you to resume your workday with a fresh perspective after you try such things as:
- Take a brisk walk to the water cooler and get a nice cold glass of water
- Looking away from your monitor for a minute or two can reduce eye strain and actually help you refocus; try this while taking a few long, deep breaths
- If you sometimes have an afternoon lull in energy, eat a piece of fruit for a natural energy boost
Set Two Reminders Per Task
Earning an office administrator diploma will give you proficiency in some really helpful time management tools, such as Outlook.
Using Outlook to schedule your tasks for the day will definitely put you on the path to solid time management. Here’s a trick: set a reminder two hours before a task is due, as well as five minutes before it’s due. Giving yourself plenty of notice to get things done is the trick to not panicking at the last minute.
Sometimes pressure can actually produce lower quality work, so the small trick of setting up some reminders well in advance will help you get things done at a comfortable and efficient rate.
Do you know any other solid time management tips?