Do you ever find yourself struggling with time management? You have a million things to do and no matter how many hours you work for, the job list just keeps getting longer? Take a look at our top time management tips to help you begin to manage your time effectively.

• Do the most important and hardest jobs first. Prioritise your job list and decide which tasks are the most crucial. This may be two or three things. Once you have completed these you will have already won your day! Anything else on top is a bonus and it will greatly improve your motivation.
• Do not allow minor details to hinder a project. We can spend ages faffing over small details in a bid to get it perfect first time. Of course some things need to be perfect, however when you need to thrash a task out, it’s sometimes better to throw yourself in, get all the basic dirty work done and then go back later to refine, polish and tweak. This tip especially helps if you are of the procrastinating sort!
• Get up early. This sounds too basic, but it is vital. Rising early means you not only have more time but also more motivation to get things done. Of course, this only works if you have gone to bed at a decent time the night before and had a good 7 to 8 hours sleep, so bare that in mind!
• Develop great habits. Some key tasks that need to be done regularly should be transformed into habits. Folk say it takes a month of daily action to establish a new habit. Once you have done this it is much easier to keep on top of those important jobs.
• Don’t get overwhelmed with your to do list. There’s no point in looking at the list, becoming stressed and wasting time crying about it. Focus on one job at a time, give it your full attention then cross it off and move onto the next. It isn’t beneficial to anyone running around like a headless chicken. The things will get done and you are going to be ok!
• Learn to say no. You are not super human and therefore cannot do everything on Earth. Sometimes something may be delegated to you that you just can’t do. Learn to say no to people when you need to. You can do this in a polite but firm manner, just explain that you have a lot of other larger priorities and that you’d be happy to help in future but today is a bad day.
• Once you’ve committed, follow through. We all know those people who SAY they are going to do something but don’t. They always find a way last minute to not do what they said they were going to. Don’t be one of those people. Once you say to yourself or another that you are going to do it, always try to follow through. This is key to being a professional person and boosting your own self-esteem and worth.
• Find passion and enjoyment in what you do. Are you one of those people who, when it gets to the 31st December thinks,” Where has the year gone? How time has flown?!” Time feels to pass quicker and quicker as you get older. Do not be one of those people who, day by day, is bitter about how much work they have got to do. Find a joy and happiness in what you do, and tasks will then become easier to complete. Work will seem less like a rusty cog trying to turn and more like a well-oiled machine, gaining momentum each day!