Ever found yourself ending a day without getting anything serious done besides posting one amazing photo on Instagram? We all have those days that make us wonder if it’s not the same number of hours we get as Beyoncé or Dangote. Ok, not really. Lol. They probably have half a dozen assistants taking tasks off their hands and, thus, saving them time. Seriously though, time management is still a thorny issue for most people. And with the rise of the internet and the smart phone, let’s just say 24 hours got even shorter. Technology management is now a foremost need as well, to ensure these things ACTUALLY serve you. Since you’re not likely to get the rest of someone else’s 24 hours, here are some tips for making the most of yours.
1. Start Your Day Acting Not Reacting
Try not to start the day by checking your phone, social media, mails etc. If you do, you’ll more likely start the day reacting to whatever you find there. Instead, make your to-do list, then prioritise tasks. Get a proper alarm clock or wall clock to remove the excuse of checking for the time on your phone. Whatever you do, don’t touch your phone first thing in the morning.
2. Limit General Phone Use
Yes, you can still check your messages, but do so as minimally as possible. At intervals, turn off the internet or limit use to activities related to your set tasks. Check emails, social media at set intervals and for set times. E.g. at noon for 15 minutes, at 4pm for 15 minutes etc. Mindless scrolling takes so much time we don’t even realize. The average person spends about 2 hours 15 minutes online daily. Millennials spend almost 4 hours! (Statista, 2017). Make all that time work for you instead.
3. Focus
Do whatever you’re doing, and nothing else. This shouldn’t be rocket science but think about it. Often, we start one task then get distracted. So, for example, you’re reading or working on a project and you Google something. Next thing, you’re on Twitter arguing for 30 minutes. Multitasking sounds good in theory but in practice, you’re more likely to end up with the Twitter argument scenario. Apps like Freedom help you to focus without the distraction of the internet.
4. A Pinch of Salt
Don’t believe everything you see, for good or bad. Most people carefully curate their social media posts, as they should, so don’t start focusing on the lives of others. And there’s a lot of mischief on the internet too, especially in the form of gossip or “news”. Try not to get sucked into all of that drama. Don’t get into arguments or avoid such sites completely, subscribing to only credible and relevant sources.
5. Switch off
If you find that you’re still struggling to make these changes, switch off completely. Set times to turn off all your gadgets so that you can work or sleep. You can also turn off the notifications on your Twitter and Instagram. For the times you’ll be using your gadgets, download apps that actually help you somehow, instead of playing Candy Crush for 2 hours.
We hope these tips help you to better manage your technology use and, ultimately, your precious 24 hours. Got any tips? Please share with us.