Productivity and efficiency at work are achieved with proper time management. This skill can easily be enhanced and developed if the person just religiously practices it daily until it is mastered. Especially in a busy work setting, time seems to be getting shorter and shorter each time.An eight-hour work day does not seem to be enough to accomplish the work needed to be done within the day. This results in extension of deadline and can cause work stress. But knowing how to budget and manage your time at work will make work smoother and can even relieve you from unnecessary stress. Here are some essential and helpful tips in practicing proper time management at work.

Good Organizational Skills

A very effective and important skill in learning how to manage time in the workplace is good organization. Organization starts with listing down the things and tasks that need to be accomplished for the day so you would know what to prioritize and what can be done later.You can jot down your “things to do” on a notepad or post-it note and place it somewhere conspicuous, maybe on the computer monitor or on the cubicle wall. In doing this, you will be on track of your work itinerary for the day.

Part of good organizational skill other than outlining the tasks is getting your office organized, or your desk at that. Sort your papers through. Keep only the important documents and place them in paper organizers or envelope with corresponding labels. Work files on your computer should also be grouped and arranged in folders. With this, you will not have to waste your precious time searching for a paper work or a file on your computer just because they were all over the place.Being able to organize your tasks and your office is a very efficient time-saver and teaches you how to learn to prioritize. Having good organizational skills at work also enhances proper concentration of the different tasks that should be achieved in a day.

Time Management Requires Discipline

Poor time management at work can be caused by lack of self-discipline. Procrastination and laziness are two undesirable attitudes that destroy discipline in doing office work. When you procrastinate, you set aside work for later when they can be worked on now and use the time to do things that you find more comfortable and more enjoyable.This is particularly true when an employee receives an overwhelming task for the day and does not know where and how to begin. Some workers wait for the “right” mood and the “right” time so they can start working. Others get carried away with distractions such as engaging in office chats, personal phone calls, and unrelated work.

Obviously, procrastination kills time and affects work productivity. Laziness is worse than procrastination because it is an attitude that has something to do with lack of interest and motivation to work. When you are feeling sluggish and slothful in the office, find something that will spark up your interest to do the job.The above two unattractive traits require a lot of self-discipline and it should take effort on your part because your officemates cannot change it for you. You do not want to end up a couch potato, do you?

Making Time Management a Habit

If you have gradually practiced proper organizational skill and minimized procrastination, time management should be an easy thing to do. You now know how to plan your day at work and prioritize your tasks. Making it a habit or a routine should be the next goal.After days of constant practice in an effort to manage the time at work, you should be able to get yourself accustomed to the ritualistic activities you do everyday.Daily routine at work creates a certain pattern which you will eventually find hard to mess up or break. It is no different from the daily routine we religiously follow in a typical day from waking up to going to bed.Develop your own work routine on your regular day at work. You can start out by arranging your desk first once you get to the office or prepare first your itinerary to get you started.