There are several reasons for all of the above:
Problem 1: Procrastination
We all have those tasks that we don’t like completing, so it’s always easy to find ‘other’ things to do, even if those ‘other’ things are irrelevant or unrequired. Putting off the jobs we don’t enjoy will only end up with a pile of those tasks stacking up until it becomes a huge mountain to climb.
Solution
The easiest way to keep procrastination in check is to tackle your unwanted tasks head-on. Instead of putting them off indefinitely, always start your day doing your least favourite things. It may not seem like much fun at the time but as your day progresses, you can feel really pleased with yourself that you have more of the nice stuff to look forward to.
Problem 2: Poor Planning
As the saying goes: “Failure to plan means planning to fail”. If you don’t have a clear idea of what tasks you plan to complete and by when, your day could be wasted doing those things that seem to take up so much time; checking emails, social media, web surfing, checking statistics.
Solution
Taking a few minutes at the beginning or end of each day to list down the jobs that you plan to complete, will give you something to get your teeth into as soon as the working day commences. Depending on the size of your workload, this will dictate how much detail your plan requires; you may have to be strict on the amount of time you allocate to each task or you may have the flexibility to move things around. Whichever works best for you…
Problem 3: Taking on Too Much
Are you one of those people who just can’t say no to taking on more work? Are people taking advantage of your good nature and loading extra work on you because they can get away with it?
Solution
If your days seem to be getting longer whilst others are leaving early for the afternoon, it’s time to re-evaluate the extra work you’re taking on. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with helping out colleagues from time to time but you can’t do this to the detriment of your own workload and eventual sanity.
Problem 4: Perfectionism
Spending too much time on certain tasks under the guise of perfectionism will eventually be to the detriment of all the other items that have yet to be started. The obvious issue here, is that you will simply fall behind and end up playing catch up unnecessarily.
Solution
If this is something you are guilty of, setting yourself strict deadlines to complete tasks means that you simply move on to other items when the deadline is up. Of course, you can always allow yourself more time at the end of the day to perfect whatever you like, if all your other tasks are complete.
Final word
If you’re still struggling to keep up with your workload and using the solutions above don’t provide any improvements, then it may just be that you need to delegate! Hiring a Virtual Assistant is a great way to lighten the load whilst still getting everything done. Whether you need assistance on a regular basis or just need someone to clear the decks for you, what have you got to lose? Give Girl Friday Harrow a call and she'll sort out all your time management woes.