And, what is your answer? Are you in charge of your agenda and planning, or are you sometimes unable to see the forest for the trees and are you sometimes 'lived' by your agenda and tasks? Stress is one of the biggest problems on the Dutch labor market. The level of stress is even increasing considerably in the Netherlands, it turned out research from Loyalis. This experience is largely due to the perception of loss of control. The loss of control over your agenda, over your tasks, which increases feelings of stress. And yet, to a large extent, this phenomenon is relatively easy to solve. Time management is one of the most crucial ways to lower your perception of stress and regain control of your schedule. And the best part...anyone can learn it!
Boss and learning from athletes
Many people said it was a shame. Sven Kramer, who, as a seeded skater, decided not to participate in the 1.500 meters at the Olympic Games. He was portrayed as a wimp and called arrogant. However, we can learn a lot from top athletes in the field of time management. Like no other, they are able to determine their priorities and fully focus on the most important task(s). Even if hard decisions have to be made.
Time management tips from practice
At Kenneth Smit, we have been providing time management training for years . During this time, we have gained extensive experience with numerous practical methods to get better control of your schedule and reduce stress. We are happy to share a few with you; perhaps you can use them immediately at work.
1. Dare to say “no”.
In the workplace, you are often dependent on your colleagues. As harsh as it may sound, your colleagues are by far the biggest cause of stress and therefore the main 'disruptor' to good time management. This is especially true for people who naturally dislike saying no and are very helpful. They carry out countless small tasks at the request of colleagues throughout the day, thereby losing complete control over their own work. So, dare to say no, no matter how unpleasant it may be! You will find that this is generally accepted. Therefore, do not let yourself be walked all over too easily and take back control of your workday.
2. Don't check your email all the time
The internet has brought us a lot. On the other hand, it is also one of the main distractors. How often do you check your email in a day? You probably check almost every notification of a new email. Recognizable….? I personally am in favor of the '2 hour rule', where you only check your email once every 2 hours on busy days, so that you can pay attention to your priorities.
3. Set priorities
Daring to say no and not checking your email too often are two important components of time management. The third basic component is setting priorities! Before you know it, your to-do list contains 50 or more tasks. However, some are more important than others. At the beginning of your workday (or even better, the day before), determine the top 5 priorities that really need to be completed. There are numerous ways to organize your to-do list clearly. Some people use Excel, others Notepad or TextEdit, and still others special tools like Basecamp or Google Task. Everyone has their own preference; having an overview can be achieved in many ways.
Are you ready to take back control of your agenda? We are very curious about your time management experiences! Let us know in a comment.
