Master Your Time Management Skills
Effective time management is the key to being successful in your role, and it can be the framework that sets you up to take on bigger opportunities and advance your career. We sat down with Frame’s Director & CEO Rachel Smart, who juggles running a company alongside being a busy Mum to a toddler. We asked Rachel what her secrets to mastering time management and getting the most from your day are, and here’s what she had to say:
Turn off email notifications
Removing distractions like email notifications from both your computer and phone will improve your ability to stay focused and tackle tasks on your to-do list. This is especially helpful when I have a deadline for a project that I need to deliver on, or I have back to back interviews. It keeps my head clear and my attention on one thing at a time.
Map out your day
Using your calendar or diary, map out dedicated blocks of actual work time around scheduled meetings. Be sure to be specific about what tasks you’ll do during those blocks. For example, schedule time to attend to your emails, so that you can focus on other tasks during the day.
Highlight your priorities on your to-do list
Keeping a to-do list is great but physically highlighting your priorities for the day means you’re clear on what is non negotiable and allows you to prioritise.
Book a lunch break in your diary
We all know how easy it is to work through lunch but taking a break is proven to improve productivity in the afternoon and has a positive impact on your overall mental wellbeing. Scheduling your lunch break in your diary provides you with a daily reminder and meetings are much less likely to be booked during that time. To remain productive, it’s important to look after your wellbeing.
Break down your to-do list
Spending some time breaking down your to-do list and creating task specific sections helps to improve productivity - this way you avoid jumping from admin to marketing for example, keeping your mind focused.
Set alarms for meetings
If you spend a lot of time in meetings or on calls, set yourself an alarm which will ensure you keep to the time you have allocated and avoid eating into your task specific work blocks.
Set yourself up for tomorrow
At the end of each day, write your to-do list for tomorrow. This way you’re able to fully switch off after hours and hit the ground running the next morning and know exactly what you want to achieve for the day!