Ways to Maximize Your Time

Time flies when you’re having fun. It also flies when you’re trying to get some work done and need just a few more minutes to complete it.

Sometimes there’s just not enough time, though. And, in some cases, time never passes. So how do we find a balance and maximize our time?

First, we understand its value. Remember: for each person, time and its importance stand in a different capacity.

Maximizing Your Time the Right Way

You’ll find a lot of inspirational blogs telling you to grab onto life with your claws, focus on your work, pay attention to your diet, perhaps get a daily planner.

But when push comes to shove, will you really ever do it all? You know you’ll only pay attention to those details as you would to your New Year’s resolutions. (Do you even remember what those were by now?)

So instead, here are some practical bits of advice.

Ø Limit Your Social Media Use

How much time do you spend “distracting” yourself on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?

Social media can be one of your biggest time wasters. You’re absorbing large amounts of information and distracting yourself from tasks that only take a little while to complete. You can maximize your time by gathering all your apps in a little box and place them on a page that doesn’t immediately grab your attention.

Ø Keep a List

Even if you’re not the organized type, keep a list anyway. Write down every detail of the tasks that you have ahead of you and keep it handy.

Humans are, by nature, forgetful. Having a list of tasks to do will spur you into action. Also, ticking off those jobs from your list will give you a sense of satisfaction and productivity, especially since you’ll see your task list shrinking.

Ø Prioritize

Don’t push yourself into having a breakdown because you need to complete everything in one day.

We never need to complete every job that we set out to do. In truth, every task you undertake holds its own priority.

Consider everything you need to do. Any task that brings the phrase, “I guess I could delay this one just for a bit” to mind, push it to the back burner—but be objective and honest. Give yourself the rest you need. You are your first priority.

Ø Do it

Instead of pushing yourself to the deadline, grit your teeth and do it. Don’t talk yourself out of completing your work. The faster you complete major tasks, the easier will it be to move on to other things and maximize the rest of your day. 

Ø Give Yourself a Break

Nothing can help you grab onto the passing minutes if fatigue is slowing you down. Burnout is quite common, even if we don’t realize it. Take some time out if you’re leading an unsatisfactory life and give yourself some physical and mental relaxation. Improve your health and sleeping pattern. You’ll see the difference in yourself.

Always Forward – Your Motto

In my book Always Forward!, I encourage people to focus. I push them to realize their own self-worth so that in the long run they don’t forget themselves.

As a business keynote speaker, I come across countless people who complain about not having enough time to actually live their lives. Time can’t rule your life once you master it.