How to stop wasting time and be more productive

Saleha Irfan, Senior Sub-Editor/Reporter

Time is our most valuable commodity. Yes, it would be great if we could have an extra hour or two on days that we feel overwhelmed but we are all limited to a certain number of hours per day. There is no way to have more than 24 hours a day.

The only way to get everything done is to learn how to manage time well. Since there is no way to save up the hours, we must train ourselves to spend each minute of our day wisely.

And since we have to manage time, it’s a given that we have to manage ourselves in relation to it. In order to reduce stress, we must learn to monitor our free time and make the most of it.

Here are some tips that can help:

Make a to-do list

Keep this list in front of you all day but write down only five to six tasks that you need to accomplish. If you write down more, you’re less likely to complete them.

Complete one big task before noon

Whether it’s handing in a project or registering for a class, try and get it done in the morning. If you tackle the small things first, you may not get the time to take care of your main concern.

Make some good decisions every single day

If you have a free moment or two, use that time to make up your mind on an action you need to take. This could be anything from scheduling a doctor’s appointment to making a grocery list.

Learn to delegate and ask for help

More hands mean a smaller amount work, and that in turn means you have less stress. Multiply your efforts by asking someone else to run an errand for you. You can accomplish more if you stop trying to do everything by yourself.

Remember, we all tend to internalise stress. There may be days when you feel low on energy simply because your mind is occupied or worried about the tasks that lie ahead. If this is something you do, keep a journal and write down the actions you can take to reverse that stress. It is never a good idea to let the worries pile up.

It takes twice as much time, hence twice the energy, to accomplish something when we’re worried. If you focus on your goal, you will achieve it with little effort. It's when you fail to focus that you tend to waste a lot of time.