Have you tried to manage your time more efficiently but still seem to fall short of mastering it? Do you find it intimidating or perhaps even boring trying to use your time more wisely and get things done? Do you find yourself getting distracted easily?
Maybe it’s time you look at time management in a new way. Perhaps it’s time to make a game out of it and make it more fun. Fun? Sure, it doesn’t have to be boring or monotonous. If you can make it a game and challenge yourself, you’ll enjoy it a lot more and even get more done. Try it and see.
Use an accountability partner. Having someone to hold you accountable will cause you to get more done because you must check in with them. It can also be a lot of fun having a friend keep you in check. You get to chat for a few minutes each day and share your ups and downs too.
Having someone you check in with can really boost your focus and productivity, especially if that person doesn’t cut you any slack. No playing around or surfing the Internet when you know you must account for your time and work ethic to someone else. In a way, it’s like having a boss. You wouldn’t slack on a job in the outside world, why slack on yourself if you work from home?
Make a guessing game out of it. You can either do this for yourself or ask someone else to guess the number. Asking someone else makes it more of a challenge. Look at your to-do list and guess how many items you can tick off in a certain amount of time.
If you’re doing this with a friend, tell them how many items you have and have them guess how many you can tick off. Then get busy doing them to see if you can get them all done in the time allotted.
Set a timer. A timer is a great device to get your productive brain flowing. There’s something about racing the clock and know it’s ticking down that gets you motivated and in super-productive mode. You can use your kitchen timer, a timer on your smartphone or download one of the free timers online. There are many to choose from.
If you have a long list and expect to check in with your accountability partner you may want to set the timer for an hour and see how much you can get done in that time. If that seems to be intimidating for you, start with 15 minutes to see how much you can accomplish.
For big things, like article writing, you may want to set the timer at 30 minutes to give yourself time to get into a writing flow.
In between productive times of using your timer, you will want to take breaks. Trying to push yourself too hard will only leave you feeling frustrated which will kill your motivation and desire to get things done. Be sure to go for a walk, step outside for some fresh air or just get up and move around.
Getting a grip on time management can seem like a daunting task. If you make it fun and challenge yourself to get things done or have someone else to challenge you, you will eventually master it, get more done and you might even enjoy the process.
Making a game of it isn’t something you want to do every day, but once or twice a week can be fun and really help you hit productive mode so you’re checking things off your list in a timely manner.
Give it a try. You have nothing to lose.
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