7 Tips to Control Your Time - Buying You More Time for Fun!

1. Set goals and priorities - Understanding your goals and priorities helps you identify the most important tasks and manage your time accordingly.
2. Write everything down - Free up your mind by writing down tasks, appointments, and reminders on a master to-do list (on your computer, handheld device, white board, or a piece of paper). This way, tasks wont fall through the cracks, and its easier to prioritize.
3. P l an and schedule your next day - Doing this the night before helps you schedule time to accomplish the most important tasks. The next day, you can hit the ground running, because you have a clear plan.
4. Stop procrastinating - Common reasons for procrastinating include unpleasant, difficult, or overwhelming tasks; youve learned to produce under pressure; fear of failure; and perfectionism. If you procrastinate, think about why, and take steps to remedy the causes. Bonus: Youll reduce stress!
5. Organize your environment - Many office workers lose at least 2 hours every week hunting for lost papers and information. Invest time to organize your work space, and youll be more efficient and less frustrated.
6. Toss old paper and electronic documents - Dont wont waste time shuffling through old piles and files looking for information you need. Toss and delete the old stuff, and set up easy paper and electronic filing systems that youll use.
7. Avoid the tyranny of the urgent - One study found that " knowledge workers " are interrupted every 11 minutes, and it takes 25 minutes or more to return to the task! This means you must distinguish between interruptions that are worthy of your immediate attention (e.g., a coworker delivers the report you need) and those you can tactfully put aside for another time (e.g., a friend wants to discuss last nights game). Also, dont interrupt yourself by constantly checking email.