10 Effective Time Management Tips

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10 Effective Time Managment Tips

 

 

 

Towards the end of last year I wrote a post about the importance of time management. That post focussed on what time management is, the benefits of mastering it and some of the problems you might run into without it. It’s an absolutely timeless concept (pardon the pun) and so I wanted to revisit it again now and share with you all my top 10 tips for managing your time effectively.

Now, these are mainly geared towards time management in the workplace, but they can also be applied to our day-to-day lives in most instances. After all, effective time management is something that lends itself well to every aspect of our busy modern lifestyles.

1. Prioritise the most important tasks

If you only remember one tip from this entire list, then make sure it’s this one.

Every day, identify a couple of tasks that have to be completed and label the rest as ‘upcoming’. Then simply focus on these few crucial tasks before anything else.

If you manage to complete your essential tasks, then you will have had a successful day.

2. Focus on one task at a time

To successfully complete every task to a high standard, you have to give it your full attention. If you are thinking about something else on your to-do list then you will find it very difficult to focus on the task in-hand.

If you find your mind wandering to upcoming tasks then ask yourself if they are more important than your current task and focus on them first.

3. Make key tasks habitual

If you have regular tasks that you complete then turn them into habits. Train your mind to approach certain tasks in a habitual way and you will quickly see that they become more natural and more enjoyable to undertake.

Here’s a great post on how to form new habits – give it a try!

4. Set time limits, then review

Sometimes we sit down to complete a task and think, I’m going to stay here until this is finished. Whilst this might seem like a good approach, it actually increases the chances of procrastination.

Instead, give yourself a set time limit such as three hours and then review your progress when it is reached. The time constraint will act as a subconscious motivator to keep you focussed.

5. Say ‘no’ sometimes

If you’ve already got a huge to-do list and someone approaches you with more tasks, then you are quite within your right to politely decline. After all, how well are you going to complete a task if you have to rush it late at night or early in the morning just to meet a deadline? The person who gave you the task won’t appreciate substandard work, so don’t devalue your service & put yourself in that position to start with.

6. Get a good night’s sleep

I’m deadly serious about this. We’re always hearing about the benefits of getting 7-8 hours sleep on a regular basis and this is because it allows our brains and bodies to function at their optimum levels. Our ability to focus is greatly affected when we are feeling tired and tasks will take significantly longer to complete.

7. Eat healthily and exercise

Don’t skip meals because you’re busy. You’ll not only affect your health but also your productivity. Try to get regular exercise too as it will make you feel more energised and focussed. Drinking enough water each day is also very important to prevent dehydration and lethargy.

8. Be conscious of your internet time

Working predominantly on a computer, means that some of us run the risk of being side-tracked by our favourite social media sites, internet games and news outlets. Make a small note of how much time you spend surfing the net and add it up at the end of each week – you’ll probably be very surprised and the exercise will see you naturally curb your browsing habits.

9. Allow yourself a buffer between tasks

The previous point was about being side-tracked during tasks. However, allowing yourself a bit of down-time between tasks is essential. Otherwise, you’ll go directly from one task to the next and quickly find yourself lacking focus and motivation.

Step away from your desk for ten minutes after completing a task and get some fresh air. Your brain needs short breaks throughout the day.

10. Group similar tasks

Wherever possible, try and group similar tasks together. For example, if you’ve got to write three blog posts then do them consecutively. You’ll find this approach much easier than constantly reorienting your mind on different tasks.

 

 

 

Image courtesy of Master isolated images / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

 

 

 

Your smartphone VS a Virtual Assistant

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Your Smartphone vs a Virtual AssistantThere’s no denying that smartphones have had a positive impact on our lives, especially when it comes to managing our businesses. After all, they are absolutely everywhere nowadays and if this recent news article is anything to go by, they’re about to become a whole lot more affordable; opening them up to an entirely new market.

But whether you’re an Apple fan or prefer a piece of Android technology in your hand, does your smartphone really do everything that you need it to?

Those amongst you who see their smartphones as an extension of themselves will probably have nodded in response to my question, but I’m now going to outline five things that your smartphone can’t do, but us Virtual Assistants can:

Conduct Research

Whether it’s keeping abreast of industry trends; identifying consumer needs; or staying up-to-date with hot issues, your smartphone can’t do it. Of course, you can surf the web and conduct research yourself; making your smartphone a useful tool or enabler.

Furthermore, your smartphone can be configured to display latest industry news and trending articles based on your personal preferences, but it can’t go any deeper than that. For example, it can’t take it upon itself to contact your customers and see if there’s anything they need right now, or scour social media looking for fresh ideas. A Virtual Assistant can!

Totally Manage Your Calendar

You receive a meeting invite and you can accept or decline it right from your smartphone. In fact, you can even have your smartphone display your current schedule to see if you’re free at the nominated time.

However, your smartphone still needs one important element to do this effectively – you! If you’re in an important meeting and a meeting reschedule comes in from a client, you might not see it for an hour or more. Can you afford to keep your customers waiting? What sort of impression does that give?

Virtual Assistants make it their job to keep you on-track and effective calendar management is often one of our highest priorities.

Afford Total Reliability

Okay, so I appreciate that people get sick and sometimes have emergencies that are unavoidable but should this happen, there are usually back-up plans in place.

Short of carrying around two identical phones, what back-up plan can you implement should your smartphone give up the ghost? Another consideration is the constant need to charge modern smartphones. They get used so much throughout the day that they inevitably need a power boost by late afternoon, annoying I know!

Virtual Assistants, despite popular belief, require no batteries – except the odd cup of coffee or two to perk us up.

Generate Content

Voice recognition software is undoubtedly a useful addition to many of us but most of the time it just serves a dictation-esque purpose. After all, you still have to spend time dictating and, more strenuously, actually think up something creative to say.

Virtual Assistants are adept at putting words together for you. Whether it’s emails, blog posts, social media content or a simple thank you note, we can do it all.

Pretty Much Anything Else That’s Not Automated!

Smartphones are absolutely fantastic tools. There’s no denying that. And the level of automation that they boast is growing more and more. But automation still inevitably needs someone to set it up – someone like a Virtual Assistant perhaps?

Moreover, automation is great while it works but still needs regular checks to ensure that everything is functioning as it should. That being the case, why not just get a Virtual Assistant to carry out the tasks that the automation handles? It cuts out a potentially fallible aspect and ultimately improves efficiency after all.

 

 

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Top 5 Virtual Assistant myths debunked

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Top 5 VA myths debunked image for blog

Okay, so it seems that when people think of  a Virtual Assistant or VA (for short), they have very set opinions and ideas of what it is that we actually do.  Furthermore, the people who aren’t really sure what we do,  or haven’t even heard of a  Virtual Assistant, often take  guesses – which ultimately turn out to be way off the mark.

That’s why I’ve decided to debunk a few of the more popular myths and misconceptions that I hear.

Here are my top 5 (in no particular order):

5. Virtual Assistants only work from home

This is a myth that is best debunked by explaining the various types of Virtual Assistants in the first instance.

While many VAs do indeed work right out of their living rooms, there are others that adopt other places to set up shop for the day. It really does depend on the individual.

For example, freelance VAs and solo-preneurs quite often work from coffee shops or shared work spaces. After all, who wouldn’t work somewhere where you’ve got an endless supply of coffee, snacks and warmth right?

There are also the Virtual Assistants who work for virtual outsourcing companies and these individuals are inevitably supplied with an office environment from which to carry out their duties.

4. Virtual assistants only work for internet-based businesses

I’m not sure what ‘internet-based’ businesses is supposed to actually mean. Every business, internet-based or not, has some kind of physical location be it a bricks and mortar office building or small warehouse.

I think the myth is that we Virtual Assistants tend only to be hired by companies who have a strong online presence and do most of their business over the internet. This is simply not true though. At the end of the day, any business that finds itself in need of an extra member of staff and doesn’t have the space and/or just needs someone on an ad-hoc basis can take advantage of a Virtual Assistant’s services.

3. Virtual Assistants are only a temporary or part-time solution

For some reason, many people cast virtual assistants in the same light as temps, but we’re both very different in terms of our natures and skills.

People often think of VAs as being temporary solutions because contracts are inevitably short and we’re not usually employed as full-time members of staff. Having said that, there are virtual assistants out there who have been working with the same clients for years – myself included, and something that suits both parties just fine.

2. It can be hard to communicate with a Virtual Assistant

The modern world we live in affords many benefits in terms of technological advances and we’re more connected than ever before.

At first, it may seem a little alien communicating with someone exclusively via telephone and email, but it’s something that people get used to very quickly. Furthermore, innovations like instant messaging make communication even easier.

Virtual Assistants appreciate that good communication is absolutely essential and we do everything in our power to ensure we’re contactable during the working day (or evenings, if an out of hour’s service is provided.)

1. Virtual Assistants are only for administrative tasks

A lot of what we do could be classed as ‘administrative duties’ but our remit definitely doesn’t end there. In fact, we can carry out pretty much any task you throw at us (within reason).

For example, Virtual Assistants are often responsible for a company’s social media presence. That’s because we’re inevitably online for most of the day and can keep track of social media in an effective and efficient manner.

Other Virtual Assistants carry out research activities for companies and provide detailed reports on their findings or manage their diaries & emails or even draft up marketing strategies – the list is endless!

So the next time someone mentions the words ‘Virtual Assistant’ to you and then repeats any of the myths above, I do hope you’ll set them straight and debunk them there and then 🙂

 

 

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