Do the most important and hardest tasks in the morning

This has two effects. First, you are most active and productive in the morning which means you are in the best mindset to take up difficult tasks. Lighter tasks should be scheduled for your afternoon time or evening time when you begin to feel or are already fatigued. Meetings and other less mind-engaging activities should be done in the afternoon. Sometimes meetings also end up taking more time than was initially scheduled, therefore, when they are placed in the morning they eat up the most important part of your day.

Second, when you are already done with the difficult tasks, you feel motivated since you feel that you have accomplished something. This will inspire you to continue working on what you had set out to accomplish on that day.

Take breaks in between

Contrary to popular belief, working constantly without giving your mind a break will make you easily fatigued. When you take short breaks in between, you allow your mind to rest and become rejuvenated to continue working. Remember to be strict with yourself and maintain short breaks as brief periods to rest. Avoid prolonging them.

Breaks should include activities that help you rest, not overwork the brain even more. Checking your phone and reading mind intensive content does not constitute resting. Some options for the short breaks can include taking a short walk, having a brief uplifting conversation or listening to slow music, if possible.

Delegate when you can

Responsibilities that do not contribute to your goals and can be done by someone else should be delegated. Delegating will clear some time on your schedule that will give you some space to work on what is most important and can be done by only you. Suppress the need to do everything by yourself which will only wear you out in the long run.

Be clear on your client’s expectations and do not assume what they want

Ever worked on a project only for the client to state they wanted something completely different? If you are not sure what the client needs, always ask to avoid consuming your limited time on a project that they may eventually reject. When asking the questions, use clear language that will help them clearly understand what you are asking so that they can give you clear answers.

Work hard but also smart

If there is a more efficient way of carrying out an activity, make use of such a method. As you continue working on projects, research tools that will save you time. You could be allocating so much of your effort to a task that can be done through a shorter and easier way. After saving time, allocate other tasks for the periods that now do not have tasks attached to them. Some people make the mistake of working hard but not smart or vice versa; both of these are important in helping you achieve your goals.

Making your time work for you requires planning and being assertive with yourself. Every day as you aim to maximize each moment, you realize that after the end of a week or month or even a year, you have managed to squeeze in time and prioritized what is most important to you.