Optimize your time: tips to be more productive

September 28, 2023

Time is a finite resource that must be managed wisely, spending it on activities that truly add value to our work and personal lives.

It is common to receive reminders about the importance of managing our time effectively when we return from holidays. Paradoxically, this urgency to improve our time management often becomes a vicious circle, as we do not seem to have enough time to learn how to do it effectively. This presents us with an interesting dilemma.

Even if we have attended time management courses, we often forget to apply the recommendations once we dive back into the daily routine.

Time management is a valuable investment that helps us organise our work and daily lives more effectively. It allows us to prioritise tasks and to-dos. Here are some simple tactics to help you stay focused on what's really important:

Email management

One of the most widely used tools in the workplace is email and managing it efficiently can save a lot of time. In Microsoft Outlook, for example, there is a tagging function that allows you to prioritise tasks or emails with a simple click: Start > Tags > Categorise.

You can create a category called "to-do" to mark tasks or emails that require action. As you read or receive emails, you categorise them according to their importance. You can then search based on this category. Assigning names or colours to categories makes them easy to identify.

It is also useful to create a folder called "pending" where you can file all the emails that you need to manage or on which you need to decide on actions. This allows you to review them on a daily basis. Once you have completed the actions related to a thread, you can file it in a final folder.

This will help you keep a clear overview of your to-dos and reduce the likelihood of forgetting something important.

Are meetings always necessary?

Meetings are known as "time-stealers" in the workplace. During the pandemic we learned to communicate in new ways, but some beneficial practices of face-to-face meetings have been lost.

To make the most of your time in meetings, consider the following tips:

Schedule meetings with an agenda: Each meeting should have clear objectives and specific topics to be discussed. Participants should receive the agenda in advance to prepare.
Invite only those who are strictly necessary: avoid overwhelming people with unnecessary meetings. Invite only those who can contribute meaningfully to the issue at hand.
Plan short, effective meetings: A well-planned and focused meeting should last no more than 30 minutes or, at most, one hour.
Use meetings as checkpoints: Meetings should be opportunities to review progress and share results. They should not be long working sessions.
Respect the timetable: avoid scheduling meetings during the lunch hour (between 13:30 and 15:00) or after 17:30 or 18:00, unless absolutely necessary.

Instead of scheduling a meeting to discuss an issue, consider picking up the phone and calling the right person.

During the pandemic, we have adopted the habit of scheduling meetings even for simple conversations. Communicating through different channels, such as instant messaging or emails, before convening a meeting can be more efficient.

Productivity peak time

Our productivity is not constant throughout the day. Generally, we are most productive in the morning, from the time we wake up until around 13:00. After lunch, we tend to experience a period of lower energy, so it is advisable to dedicate this time to more mechanical or routine tasks.

Organise your day so that the most important, complex, or concentration-intensive tasks are done during your peak performance hours to optimise your productivity.

These practical tips will help you redirect your attention to the urgent and the important, allowing you to be more productive in your work and personal life.

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