No matter how intent we are at trying to manage our productive time, there will always be a cause for a delay that is due to forces beyond our control. The possibility of delay can stem from various reasons, some of them are due to lack of foresight, some are due to bad time management, and some…just terrible luck.

Time management is one of the major challenges of freelancers, contractors, and entrepreneurs. Without a regimented clock in – clock out system to keep them accountable for their productive work hours, it’s very easy to get derailed off of important work tasks. Even office workers who have regular 9 to 5 schedules lose productive time on distractions and ad hoc tasks that seemingly need urgent attention.

The trick is to understand your most effective work schedule. If you are a freelancer or entrepreneur, you have more flexibility over your schedule. This means you can tailor your time to optimize your calendar into your most productive days. That could mean shifting your work schedule from a “standard” Monday to Friday, to a more practical Tuesday to Saturday. Let’s face it, it can be more practical for freelancers or entrepreneurs to shift workday schedules as there can be more business during the weekend – especially those who work events. For office workers who work set hours, carve out a time when you can hunker down and do your most productive work.

Here are other tips to create your most effective work schedule:
1. Carve Out Specific “Focus Time” – Avoid distractions and get into the mindset of focusing on your work. Have a target of when you’ll finish the task. You can use the Pomodoro technique to maximize your productivity.
2. Figure out When Your Brain Is at Its Best – When do you do your best work? Is it in the morning, afternoon, or late at night? I’ve written about Chronotypes here. It explains why some people are morning Larks and some people are Night Owls. So if you work early hours and your chronotype is not exactly that of a morning person, you might want to shift your best productive work to later in the day.
3. Experiment with Prioritization – Try listing just a few priority tasks on your to-do list. I find 3 to be the magic number. More and you risk getting distracted and not being able to complete the task.
4. Stop Going to Meetings – I’ve written about the biggest time waster at the office here. Unproductive meetings cost US big businesses $37 Billion. It’s not only big businesses that are affected. In the UK, SMEs lose an average of £63,700 per annum on meetings. Chew on those stats for a while.
5. Create a Routine – Figure out a system that works for you. Start by clearing your workspace and clearing your mind. Reduce clutter to a minimum

You can read more about these excellent tips here: How to Build the Most Effective Work Schedule

Got any time management hacks for us? Share them with us in the comments. Stay humble, hustle hard.

 

Written by Jaie O. The Help

Reference:
https://www.clicktime.com/blog/how-to-build-the-most-effective-work-schedule/