10 Tips for Smart Time Management When Working From Home

10 Tips for Smart Time Management When Working From Home
Page content

Tips for Time Management

Smart time management is more than just organizing your desk and making it look clean everyday. It’s knowing where you are, it’s planning your week, it’s task managing the important stuff first, and learning how to prioritize. While it took me some time to figure all this out, that old professor’s words still ring in my head from time to time and I try and live by these tips:

  1. I’m always firm on what I intend to do each day and don’t change the tasks I promised to get done.
  2. I have learned that honesty is still the best policy so if I can’t deliver, I let people know upfront.
  3. Finding the best time of day to devote entirely to my writing means I say no when I have to, and put my work time schedule on the refrigerator if someone needs me; they can see right away when I’ll be free.
  4. If I find myself too dug in, I organize first before I begin.
  5. If the time I spent in the morning writing was really effective, I do give myself a reward by heading up to my Tipi for lunch.
  6. I always use written schedules and outline my entire week in advance.
  7. I never try and write things, unless I’m highly paid, that require more research than I can afford in my work day.
  8. When I’m finished for the day, I don’t leave clutter, I arrange and organize everything for the next day.
  9. If I find a job too big, I divide it into different tasks and pull it altogether later.
  10. Finally, and I know this sounds like a top ten list, but when my husband comes home at night, he’s done for the day and I respect that so I don’t keep writing, I make him dinner and spend time with him.

There are other ways I stay on track managing my time too. I never do laundry and work at the same time, even though we know we all could because we work and task at home. I don’t volunteer for things If I know I can’t keep the commitment; all of us seem to sometimes get in this situation so I recommend not doing it in the first place.

I also keep my friends and family very involved with what my work schedule is and I never answer the phone–unless it’s the editor for my local newspaper–he really might need me!

To use time management skills effectively, remember, you can’t manage the clock, but you can manage you! Be selective, be organized, set goals, complete those goals before diving into something else, and take the time to cook your spouse or partner dinner when they come home!

Use these smart time management tips to help you manage each day effectively!