Few pieces of advice for a better time management

There is no magical recipe because our stories are not the same: by that, I think routines, surroundings, other obligations you have throughout the day, workweek, or the year… but, it is important to set the priorities, give yourself the timelines (in your head, on the paper or any visible spot at the workplace) and work based on them, so you don’t get confused in the workload and everyday obligations. 

I would like to point on to the few things, so that goal achieving would be easier: 

Go slow and strong 

Time management is the most important thing in the story of stepping up to ambition goals with which you will be satisfied… But, since you can’t lose over the night, nor you can gain wealth in the two weeks, your road to goals, if you choose writing - has to be one goal at a time and consistent. This is because you want to avoid burnout, which can start as a consequence of too much caring or wish to please your employer, clients, associates… 

Building up your work is not a sprint, but a marathon for which you need to train and “build up condition” before the event starting your race, so you can manage the length of it. 

One percent difference 

Imagine that you invest 1% of your energy every day in building up your business, how much that can improve in the period of one year? For the whole year, if you do something which can help in building your résumé or business for just 1%, at the end of that period, you will be better for 365% or around 37 times. That includes reading a few pages of the book, do a few push-ups, or watch any reasonable video… Never mind what, it is important to invest in improving your skills, qualities, service or quality of the goods you make, you can become the person to whom clients come by themself. 

It is also about our everyday, little habits. If you, such as, send one or two messages to your connections daily on Linkedin, at the end of the road you will have around 730 sent messages and connections offered with your skills and services. Based on your actions, it depends on how the further path will go with your creativity. Only one percent a day, without delay, you need to start today! 

Source: Pixabay

Make a portfolio that represents you truthfully

Everything you do, write down somewhere. It is a good thing to have a reminder that you wrote a few years ago, so you can compare how did your style change, and on the other hand - those with who you were working can see how much experience do you have. It can look like the saying: “Which is older - egg or the hen?” because to have a portfolio, you need to have some experience, and to gain experience, you need to have a portfolio, like a showroom where you represent your earlier work.   

To be honest, I used Linkedin profile the most, because there was all my experience and previous workplaces, training, and certificates, so I could share content that I write and read, so it became the place with the most completed information about my earlier work experience. 

Work in the most productive part of the day

Although there is a misconception that entrepreneurship is that you work when you want, it is wrong. On the contrary, the average time that entrepreneurs are spending in the work effectively is longer than the average work time balance of others who are only employees. Those are long working hours in the week, work by the weekend, holidays which are a “luxury”...

On the other hand, the thing that is important when we talk about productivity is to work when “people are willing to spend money”: so you can answer their questions, send the response to in reasonable time and/or deliver your product in the time they chose, because - they are the client. 

There are many debates on the topics like different productivity between men and women, even theories about four - day work week, since it showed better results in the efficiency of work (as it recently researchers tested in Island), and higher amount of happiness among people since they have more time to spend on themselves or their families, but - that is not the point here. You have the freedom to plan your time, adapt it so you can fulfill your needs and achieve your goals - so you can be accomplished in the work you are doing, risk-free from burnout or physical consequences which can endanger your health. Be the ruler of your own time! 

Don't hide from social networks! 

No matter that it sounds a bit naïve, social networks are channels of communication where you can present your knowledge, skills, ability, or offer “know-how”. You can start live “Q & A” sessions on Instagram and present yourself and your work there. If you are a designer, you can present your illustrations via social networks as a process in phases. That way, you are building yourself, your brand, using the optimization in search engines through keywords or promote your posts, so you can gain more visibility. 

Make contacts outside the internet 

With all restrictions and prohibitions, which were present in the past year and a half, we succeeded to stay in touch with those who are important to us. Conferences were still held online, we had more webinars for the mentioned time than the previous few years. And that was alright, in some way, because we managed more than we could do the same in real-time (traveling, hotels, conference, lunch, and coffee break…)

But, like many other things, this also has a downside. We are missing direct contact, face-to-face conversation, and sharing ideas along with coffee or lunch, meeting where you can make overviews or iterations, or arrange further phases in developing the projects. 

Or, just hanging out which comes as a benefit of every conference, exchange of visit cards or dictating your nickname on the social networks (see number 4) and building a friendship based on mutual goals, interests, ambitions… It is important to have “eye to eye” contact, brag about participation in some conference, seminar and after that, follow-up with persons who you like, and love to cooperate with them!