Prioritize
Successful people know that prioritizing how you spend your time is key to managing it effectively. Time management isn't just about working faster or harder, it's about being intentional with your time and focusing on what's most important. Kevin Kruse, New York Times bestselling author, outlines 15 secrets successful people know about time management. One of them is to prioritize what you do and when you do it. Let's look further into this, and explore the other 14 tips that Kevin Kruse provides.
Prioritize your tasks
For successful time management, it’s essential to know the difference between what is important and what is urgent. By designating priorities, you can be sure that you’re investing your time in activities that will truly add value to your life and sustain success.
Start by making a list of all the tasks you need to get done. Then, organize them according to importance and urgency:
-Important tasks that are urgent (for example, meeting a tight deadline).
-Important tasks that are not urgent (for example, building relationships).
-Unimportant tasks that are urgent (for example, responding to emails).
-Unimportant tasks that are not urgent (for example, mindless social media scrolling).
By understanding the importance and urgency of each task on your list, you'll be able to determine which ones should take precedence over others. Focus less on distractions — such as unimportant phone calls — and more on activities that support your success long-term such as important working sessions or studying relevant material. Ultimately, clearly defining what needs to be done will help you see recognize where your valuable time is being wasted so you can prioritize accordingly and maximize your productivity.
Set realistic goals
When it comes to prioritizing and managing our time efficiently, goal setting is one of the most important steps. Setting realistic goals, both personally and professionally, provides us with a sense of purpose and gives us something tangible to strive for. It is important to set attainable goals so that you don’t become discouraged by your lack of progress or feel overwhelmed by the task at hand.
Creating goal statements that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely) can help to ensure that the goals are both meaningful and descriptive. SMARTgoals should be written down in a way that not only details what should be accomplished but also outlines how they should go about accomplishing it.
Having realistic deadlines will also help you prioritize effectively and keep your tasks manageable on a daily basis. By breaking down long-term goals into smaller tasks and mapping out how quickly each item can be completed within a specified timeframe will help keep you on track instead of feeling overwhelmed by bigger projects or putting off due dates until the last minute. Finally being flexible with scheduling changes is just as important as goal setting in order to complete any objectives in a timely manner.
Focus on the important tasks
As routine as it may seem, successfully completing a task can be difficult in practice. Successful people know how to prioritize the important tasks in their life and make sure that these are being addressed with lightning speed. Prioritizing can be broken down into three stages: firstly, you have to identify which tasks should take priority; secondly, decide the order that these tasks should be tackled; and thirdly, organize your time schedule so that they get done quickly, efficiently and with minimal interruption.
It’s important to remember that tasks cannot be treated as equal - successful people allocate more of their time and energy to those activities which are most important for achieving key goals. To do this effectively requires clarity of knowledge about where one’s priorities lie and how much time should go into each task to accomplish them within a given timeframe. It also requires forward planning - making an estimate of how much time certain tasks will take before actually starting at them.
In addition, separating daily activities into categories such as urgent, important and non-essential can help prioritize the essential tasks which must be completed today against those which could potentially wait until tomorrow or later in the week. This helps ensure that time is being spent on activities which have the biggest impact on overall long-term goals rather than getting caught up by less vital requirements or one-off requests.
Schedule
Scheduling is an absolute must when it comes to successful time management. Scheduling your time allows you to prioritize tasks and set specific goals. It also helps you to stay on track and stay organized. Kevin Kruse’s 15 secrets will give you specific advice on planning and scheduling your time, so that you can be more productive and successful.
Schedule your day in advance
Creating a schedule and planning your day in advance is one of the most important things you can do to optimize your time. To do this, start by spending a few minutes at the end of each workday or evening reviewing tomorrow's schedule and tasks. Set yourself up for success by writing down everything that needs to be done and assigning it a priority level.
By doing this, you will have a clear idea of what needs to be achieved tomorrow — making it much easier to focus your attention on the right activities. Additionally, if something changes during the day, you can adjust your schedule accordingly without getting distracted from other tasks.
While scheduling is an important part of staying focused, don’t forget to also consider how you will manage any unexpected tasks or obstacles that may arise. Time management is not just about planning but also remaining flexible — so be sure to allow yourself some wiggle room as well!
Create a to-do list
Creating a to-do list can be an effective way to stay organized and manage your time wisely. Start by writing down all the tasks you need to accomplish. Then prioritize each task by urgency, importance, and difficulty. This can help you determine which tasks should be completed first and make it easier to plan out your day or week.
Once you have your list of tasks created, create a realistic timeline for when each task needs to be completed. Consider adding deadlines for each item, along with any personal rewards that will motivate you to stay on track with completing projects on time.
Finally, consider creating categories or subcategories based on the type of activity required - such as work-related activities; appointments or other errands; household chores; leisure activities; etc. These categories will provide further structure and help keep focus while tackling tasks in an efficient manner.
Break down large tasks into smaller ones
One of the best ways to manage your time is to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Work in blocks of twenty-five minutes and then take five-minute breaks in between. This method helps you stay focused on a task and prevents your concentration from dropping due to lengthy tasks. When completing a task, write down how long it took you so that you can track how long each task takes and adjust your schedule accordingly. Break down larger projects into stages that are logical and make sense according to the project’s history, timeline, budget and scope. This will not only help you in planning the project but also easily identify any delays or problems that may arise during execution. Doing whatever it takes to make sure that each small part of the project is finished on time will ultimately result in an efficient time management strategy for completion of the entire project.
Eliminate
The first key to successful time management is to eliminate activities that distract you from reaching your goals. Whether it be social media, work emails, or Netflix, it’s important to be aware of what is taking away from your time. Kevin Kruse dictates that successful people are able to recognize and cut out these activities from their lives. He suggests to begin by tracking how you actually spend your time and being honest with yourself about it. Let’s dive deeper and explore the other 14 secrets successful people know about time management.
Eliminate distractions
Creating a distraction-free environment is an essential step towards eliminating sources of procrastination. This means minimizing sound, visual and physical distractions in your home or workspace. To succeed, it’s important to identify common distractions and figure out how to limit their influence.
Noise interference can be one of the most distracting factors in completing tasks, especially when you're working on something that requires deep concentration and extended periods of focus. Limit noise pollution by keeping your workspace away from loud TVs, radios or other noise-producing appliances. Invest in some noise-canceling headphones if necessary. If the situation allows it, try stepping outside to focus on tasks that require more attention.
Visual disruptions are also a common source of distraction — keep your living or working space free of unnecessary clutter that can pull your mind away from accomplishing a goal. Take time to organize all the objects and items you need for productive work and store everything else away from sight as much as possible. Refresh your living or working space every once in a while to clean up any messes quickly and get back into focus mode without further distraction.
Physical activities such as fidgeting can be just as distracting as seeing an unorganized desktop they jump off bed while trying to read through that essay you've been writing all night neither written nor verbal conversation with people will likely either delay your progress or prevent you from finishing important tasks altogether, so learn how to effectively put yourself into "Do Not Disturb" mode both mentally and physically in order to maximize productivity throughout any endeavor!
Delegate tasks where possible
Delegating tasks can be difficult, especially if you’re used to taking the reins on a lot of projects. It’s important to remember that delegating doesn’t mean abdicating all responsibility. Even successful people realize that some tasks shouldn’t be delegated and often still prefer to do them.
When thinking about delegation, it will help you to think about the 80/20 rule. Effective delegation usually involves deciding which 20 percent of tasks take up the most time and effort and then releasing them to someone else who might have more room in their schedule or more expertise in that area. Of course, effective delegation requires having trust in the person you are assigning a task or project to, so identifying people with good communication skills is important.
It takes time and energy upfront to adequately explain an assignment and set realistic expectations (and answer any questions). But this is a necessary step for successful delegation and it ensures the person you delegate work to really understands what needs to be done. Once the goal is established, regular check-ins are also helpful for keeping track of progress without micromanaging but also without missing out on helping when it does become necessary.
Say “no” to commitments that don’t align with your goals
Having the courage to say “no” is an essential time management skill. As you think about what to do with your time, consider whether a commitment is bringing you closer to or further away from something that aligns with your goals and values. If it’s the latter, politely but firmly decline the invitation or request.
You don’t have to feel guilty for not doing something if it isn’t important to you — chances are there are many other activities that can help bring you closer to achieving success in your purpose-driven life. Take back control by learning when and how to say no without feeling guilty.
Be cautious about commitments that will prevent you from achieving other goals in your life. Ask yourself questions such as “What am I giving up by taking on this commitment?”, “How much time will this take away from me?” and “Is this worth sacrificing my time?” Evaluate requests before wasting precious time with activities that won’t give you joy and bring you closer towards achieving your important objectives in life.
Automate
Automation is an excellent way to help you manage your time more effectively. Automation can be used for things like recurring tasks, such as updating your calendar, following up with clients, or setting reminders. Automation can also help you be more organized by automating simple tasks like sorting and categorizing your emails. Let's take a look at how Kevin Kruse suggests using automation to manage your time.
Automate tasks where possible
When it comes to managing your time and achieving success, automation can help. Automation is key to streamlining processes, and thus freeing more of your valuable time. As much as possible, work out a strategy to use automation to handle routine tasks.
For example, if you want to track each project task on Basecamp (an online project management tool), you can automate the process by setting up a series of auto-updates for each new task assigned or completed. You could also automate an email with the latest milestones each week.
For tasks that take up too much of your routine or would be tedious to keep optimized manually, consider making them automated processes instead. This could be anything from updating client contact information in your CRM, automating customer surveys or reviewing past projects for potential future improvements.
If this sounds intimidating at first, fear not: there are several online tools that have been created specifically for these purposes, such as IFTTT and Zapier. By leveraging one of those services you'll find that automation becomes far simpler than anticipated.
Use technology to save time
Technology is a valuable tool for achieving more in less time. It allows you to use pre-set programs, templates and options to automate mundane tasks without having to constantly re-invent the wheel. For example, Keyboard shortcuts make it easier to access your applications quickly. There are hundreds of ways that technology can make your life easier, while also saving you time.
Automation simplifies and streamlines many common processes that generally require multiple steps and individual action. Setting up auto-billing systems, automating e-mails through triggers, using cloud services and automated back-up systems are all effective techniques that can save you time each day and allow you to focus on bigger tasks. Mobile applications such as productivity timers (Trello, Asana etc) help in tracking progress easily with no need for manually filling out data or statistics like Excel sheets. Using software for accounting or scheduling also eliminates manual entry errors and greatly reduces the need for laborious data entry tasks that take up much of one’s productive time in a day. Automation does not mean replacing human beings altogether; but it does allow us leverage the most precious commodity of all – TIME!
Take advantage of automation tools
Automation tools can help streamline many tasks. In particular, automation tools can be used to simplify processes or activities that are time-consuming but necessary for completing projects or goals. Automation tools and software can be used to send email reminders, schedule meetings and keep organized records of meetings and conversations.
In addition, automation can be used to take care of tedious menial tasks. Automation tools, such as IFTTT (IF This Then That), allow users to connect different applications so they work together automatically in the background. As a result, repetitive tasks like organizing emails into folders or orchestrating cross-app communication doesn’t have to take up precious time you could use elsewhere.
Services like Zapier are also helpful for streamlining mundane responsibilities by connecting different applications so they interact with each other without the need for an ensuing manual task. Allowing your automation system to handle these types of low-value tasks is key for freeing up more time for high value activities that require thought or creativity – something machines simply do not possess yet–so embrace the power of automation!
Review
Kevin Kruse is a New York Times bestselling author who has written extensively on the topic of time management. In his book, 15 Secrets Successful People Know About Time Management, Kruse outlines specific tips and tricks that people can apply to their daily lives in order to maximize their productivity and make the most out of their time. In this review, we'll explore the main insights of his book and discuss how they can help you become more productive.
Review your progress regularly
Regular review of progress is essential to becoming a successful time manager. It's easy to forget the goals you set or to lose sight of the progress you've made. Getting into the habit of regularly reviewing your goals and steps toward each of them can help you avoid these problems and ensure that you remain dedicated and on track for success.
When researching time management strategies, it is important to take the time and think about how best to review your own progress. Some people prefer weekly reviews, while others find daily or monthly reviews helpful. Find what works best for you and stick with it.
It's important when reviewing that you keep your goals in mind at all times, as well as any relevant milestones, deadlines or constraints that could be affecting your progress - this ensures that any changes or adjustments are done with success in mind. Also, set aside a certain length of time for each review session so that you don't get too bogged down in details and keep momentum going towards completing tasks on time.
Another great technique when reviewing your progress is to think from different perspectives - try viewing it from above (strategy) as well as down below (tactics). This can provide great insight into both why you may be lagging behind schedule, or succeeding faster than anticipated. Finally, share your successes (even small ones) with friends, colleagues or leader supervisor so that rewards are more frequent reinforcements for staying motivated!
Reflect on what worked and what didn’t
After you have embraced and implemented the 15 secrets of successful people about time management, evaluate what worked and what didn't work for you on a regular basis. You likely won't get it perfect the first time but by making a habit of reflecting on what worked and what didn’t, you’ll be able to well manage your time over time and customize it to fit your own individual style.
Also be sure to constantly review Kevin Kruse's 15 secrets success people know about time management. Re-read any techniques you think can benefit further from optimization or revision. Keep adjusting your techniques as needed until they are working best for you in terms of structure and efficiency. Finding the perfect practice takes patience and ongoing effort, but once you’ve found it great results will follow!
Make changes where necessary
Making changes is an important part of time management and this also involves prioritizing. One tip Kruse suggests is to always ask, “What are the activities I should be doing to elevate my career faster?” To achieve this, set weekly goals outlining the tasks you need to accomplish in the coming week. When it comes time to actually make room on your schedule for these activities, prune unimportant tasks that are taking up too much of your time or don’t help you move ahead, such as spending too much time on social media.
Kruse also recommends being flexible. When things come up that can’t be avoided like a meeting or family dinner that didn’t appear on your calendar at first, quickly look for extra pockets where you can move some other tasks so you can accommodate for them. Be clear about what needs to be trimmed and make sure not to cut anything from a category that’s already too slim — carve out appropriate room instead.
To further improve, tweak your daily routine and use an effective organization system to manage projects and tasks in a structured way. Know when you’re most productive during the week and devote it exclusively to important duties instead of easily distractible ones like emails or texts that can hold you back from completing more difficult work in significantly less time than usual. Finally, stay focused by avoiding multitasking at all costs; research shows it can reduce productivity by up 40%.