Whether you’re a self-employed nail tech or beautician, an employee or own your own business, being able to manage your time is fundamental to your success. And while we all operate within the same 24 hours a day, there are some time management practises that can help you get the most out of your week. Read on to discover our Tribe approved tips…
Establish a routine
Working in a customer facing role can mean that no day is the same, but you can still create routines in other ways and it’s incredibly beneficial to do so. As according to a study by researchers at Tel Aviv University, predictable, repetitive routines are calming and help reduce anxiety. Plus, establishing a daily routine will help you feel more in control of your work and your life. Try to sleep and wake at the same time during your work week, set working hours for yourself if you’re self-employed, and factor in activities that bring you joy like exercise, time with family and friends etc. By deciding ahead of time what your days look like you take out the daily decision making, and the time wasted organising each day.
Take a break
Managing your time doesn’t mean filling every moment with things to do – resting is important too and actually helps you work more productively. Take a daily lunch break, and a couple short breaks throughout the day to recharge before clients or before starting a new task.
Create a to-do-list
By starting your week with a to-do list, you get clear on what needs to be done. List your tasks in order of importance and work your way through your tasks from the most important tasks first. The most important tasks might also be the most mamouth, so break these down into smaller parts – this helps get the larger goal achieved sooner as this method helps avoid stress and procrastination.
Start time-blocking
If you work with clients, then you’re already au fait with time blocking – since essentially each appointment is a block of time you’re dedicating to your client. However, this isn’t the only way you can use time blocking to manage your time at work. Take a look at your to-do list and block out a realistic time to get tasks done ie when you should do the task and how long you want to take on each task. It’s a great way to manage your tasks and insure you get them done.
Ditch distractions
You can time block as much as you like, but if you get distracted when you’re meant to be doing something else, you’ll get nothing done! So, identify what distracts you when you’re meant to be working – is it social media, texts from friends, your email? Then ditch the distraction and you should be far more productive. Realistically this looks like putting your phone away so you don’t get tempted by social media, or text messages (you can leave the sound on for emergency calls), and logging out of your emails if you find that you get distracted by pings in your inbox when you’re trying to get work done. Basically, anything that distracts you should be turned off or avoided so you can focus on the task at hand.