How to Manage Your Time Effectively

"Time is money," says the old proverb. Time well spent often leads to profits, while wasted time leads to losses and missed opportunities.
It seems that today we have too little time available not to give it immense value.

So, how can we manage the constant flow of information and keep our heads above water, able to avoid being overwhelmed and still able to see what's essential for our work?


1. Take Breaks.
Allow yourself recovery time, moments where you can regroup, take stock, and stretch your legs. Contrary to what you might think, this will increase your productivity instead of decreasing it. Remember, it's not the quantity that matters, but the quality.


2. Group Your Activities.
Think about grouping, sorting, and organizing by type. For example, why not try scheduling all your meetings on the same day? This would free up the rest of the week to focus on your work. This creates a kind of schedule, and organization is the mother of efficiency.


3. Clean Up and Declutter.
Make it a habit to classify, order your data, and immediately discard what is finished, settled, completed. Also, consider scanning important documents before archiving them; those you can't afford to lose or spend hours searching for.


4. Free Your Mind and Your Computer Space.
Lighten, air out, free, clear, delete! Regularly clean up your computer files. Unnecessary files are no longer needed. You can use a search engine like Google Desktop to find information you can no longer locate.


5. Avoid Duplicates.
To avoid unintentionally doing the same thing twice to process the same information, remember to file what has already been done in an appropriate folder. This allows you to get rid of it once and for all and stop cluttering your mental space for nothing.


6. Process as You Go.
Consider regularly using a GSM or PDA that allows you to access your email. Read and organize your responses promptly, in batches, as they arrive. This will be easier to manage than having to deal with them all at once, later.



The ReKrute.com Team