Being busy is not always a bad thing, especially not when you are good at time management and managing your activities.  But when being busy stresses you out and frustrates you, you may want to stop for a moment and ask yourself:

1. Why am I running out of time?
2. What can I do to get back on track?

Some possible answers why you are running out of time may be related to :

• Planning too many activities at the same time
• Working all alone and not delegating tasks
• Procrastinating actions and activities
• Focusing on unimportant things
• Lacking clear guidelines

Getting back on track can only be achieved if you learn how to save time and use it wisely.  But like most things in life, if you want something to change, you need to start thinking about how you can change first.  Thinking about making changes requires focus, will and a proper context.  You may want to try out Mindomo mind mapping software, which provides the right context for you to lay out your thoughts and ideas and build your own plan.  In the meantime, have a look at these 7 time management tips and see what works for you to regain ownership of your time.

7 Time Management Tips

1. Set Clear Objectives

If you don’t know where you’re going, how are you going to get there?

Set clear goals and objectives to know where you are headed.  Also, defining your action plan will teach you to trust your judgment.

2. Prioritize Activities

Each step is important, but sometimes activities have to follow a certain order to have an efficient and logical workflow.  Here you can be creative in how you plan out your activities.

3. Set Up & Stick To Your Deadlines

If you don’t set some deadlines, you can’t really celebrate your accomplishments.  Deadlines will teach you about your working style, work ethic and discipline.  If you’re ready to learn more about yourself, set some deadlines.

4. Learn To Say “NO”

The British politician Tony Blair once said “The art of leadership is saying No not Yes. It is very easy to say yes.”  If your “No” is not strong enough your “Yes” will not have much value.  And every time you say No to some things, you are saying Yes to other things.

5. Sort Out What’s Urgent & Important

Make a list with things that are urgent and one with things that are important.  You may notice that some are both urgent and important, thus gaining priority over the other ones.

6. Learn To Delegate

You can’t do it all by yourself.  Learning to delegate is not a weakness it is a necessity and a great characteristic of people who are skilled at working in a team.  Delegating means trusting your colleagues and team members.

7. Take Time To Relax

Allow yourself to rest and relax.  Your mind and your body have their own limits and you need to respect them, otherwise you may get burned out.  If you want to make it for the long-run allow yourself the luxury of rest, which will set you ahead of the crowd.

When you are overworked and overwhelmed with too much information and activities, you may want to take a step back and find the context that gives back your freedom of thought and action that you once had.

What other time management tips do you use?  Are you someone that struggles with time management or you generally good at managing your schedule?  Please let us know by leaving a comment below.