How to Achieve Goals Through Time Management for Senior Executives

Time management is a skill that will benefit you throughout your life. And it’s an essential skill if you are working your way up the corporate ladder. All C-level professionals have time management rules in place to work through their day.

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” So to avoid failing, or not achieving your goals, here are some timeless time management suggestions.

6 ways to achieve goals through time management for senior executives

Prioritize

Everything else will fall into place after you prioritize. It’s the most important step of any time management exercise. So to begin, make a list of all the tasks at hand, however small, in fact break down the bigger tasks into smaller tasks and the mark the most important and most urgent tasks, because those are the ones you are going to start with. Prioritizing your work helps tackle the difficult and most challenging tasks first, to get them out of the way. Without prioritizing, it’s easy to get distracted and do the easy inconsequential tasks first, leaving a whole list of highly important, urgent tasks undone and incomplete.

Organize

You will be more efficient and more productive if you work in an organized environment. So create a space without clutter and unnecessary items that are not required for your work. If your work involves paperwork or books or any such item in multiples, create a filing system that is logical and works for you. Use a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly planner to organize the tasks you prioritized and check them off as you go along. Further break down daily plans and time slot your day and make sure you stick to it. Preferably do your daily planning either the night before or the morning of.

Don’t oblige

Just because someone asks you to do something doesn’t mean you have to. Learn to say no, gently, to team members who ask for something you can’t accommodate into your schedule at that time. You can get back to them by saying you can’t accommodate their request at the moment but you will be able at a later time and work out a timeline that works for both parties. While it is wonderful to be a team player, it is essential to be able to achieve your own goals.

Trim the unnecessary

Just For one, reduce the number of group virtual meetings and concalls, you typically have in a day. Many meetings, if poorly managed, can waste a number of hours. Ensure the person conducting the meeting has an agenda that has been shared with the whole team prior to the call. To have a productive virtual meeting read, If You Are Working from Home, Be a Virtual Meeting Pro. Secondly, reduce the amount of time you spend on electronic devices while you work. Allot a certain time frame for you to check messages, social media, etc. and stick to it.

Take a break, don’t multitask

While most people think they can do it, very few actually succeed. And even then, they haven’t given 100% of their attention and effort to either task. Instead of trying to manage multiple projects at the same time, focus all your energies on one task and finish it. Once you have nothing to contribute to it at that time, take a break before you move on to the next project. Now for this break, you can get up and walk around, do a few stretches, meditate, make yourself a cup of tea and listen to a podcast, spend a little time with your family, or on a creative outlet, anything that eases your mind. Whichever you choose, stay away from social media. You’re trying to give your mind a break. Social media does the opposite of that. It volleys a hundred different stimuli at you in a short span of time, making your brain process a hundred different thoughts, perceptions, feelings, opinions, etc. which will only tire you further.

Nourish yourself

This is often the lowest on people’s priority lists while it should be the highest. To be able to stay alert and be productive through your workday, you have to live a healthy life. So, make sure you’re getting adequate sleep, not too much and not too less. Ensure you’re eating healthy. And while this does not mean you have to be on a diet, it means you need to be mindful of what you’re putting in your body. Eat balanced meals and stay away from junk food. Get a little exercise into your day. Whether yoga, stretches, jogging, pilates, or dancing, exercise increases hormones that make you more energetic and happier.

And in the odd case, you are stuck on a particular task and don’t know how to move forward, realize it early and ask for help. And until you get help, drop it and move on. Sometimes even a little distance from the task can help you gain perspective.

With a little practice, these time management tips can change the way you work.

Further Reading: Time Management Is About More Than Life Hacks

Summary

Q. What is the one step without which you can get easily distracted and do unimportant tasks and leave out the important ones?

A. Prioritizing.

 

Q. Why is it better to take a break than to multitask?

A. Taking breaks is better because it allows for a fresh start before beginning the next task.