Tag: time management

5 Time Management Tips You Need to Know

Olivia NolesFree Advice, Professional Development, ,

When you have an ambitious to-do list, it can be a challenge to accomplish everything. If you’re feeling like there just isn’t enough time in the day, it may be a sign you need to improve your time management skills. As someone who struggles with time management, these tips help me stay on track and increase my productivity. Here are our top tested and proven time management tips.

1. Create a to-do list

Writing down everything you need to accomplish at the beginning of the day clears your mind before diving into work and ensures that you won’t forget any of your tasks. Making to-do lists is one of the best ways to stay organized, and it’s also incredibly satisfying to see items get crossed off throughout the day.

2. Set a timer

If you often find yourself losing focus or getting hung up on a task, you may benefit from setting a timer. Setting a timer for each task tricks your brain into being more productive because you feel like you only need to stay focused for short periods of time rather than hours on end. Giving yourself a deadline keeps you motivated, allowing you to power through the task.

Setting a timer not only helps you complete tasks more efficiently, but it also gives you a realistic look at how long it actually takes you to complete something – a fantastic reality check for people who struggle with time management skills. Realizing how long items actually take will help you with our next suggestion: time blocking.

3. Practice time-blocking

Now that you know exactly how long each task should take, try time-blocking your day. Time-blocking is a game-changer because it reinforces the benefits of using a timer and allows you to effectively organize your day, which prevents you from wasting any time and helps you complete all your tasks on schedule.

4. Don’t fight yourself

If you cannot stop thinking about a certain task on your list, accomplish that task first rather than trying to force yourself to work on something you’re not connecting with at the moment.

For example, if you are working on one project, but cannot stop thinking about the ideas you have for another project, switch to the one you cannot stop thinking about and get all your ideas out so that when you come back to the previous task, you are able to focus.

5. Stop multitasking

You may think you’re getting a lot done when multitasking, but in reality, each task is probably taking longer and is probably not resulting in your best work. Focusing on one task at a time allows you to complete each task more effectively, and most likely, more efficiently.

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Time Management in the Time of COVID-19

Tracy LathanBlog, Public Relations, The Clairemont Team, , , ,

For someone who used to frequent no fewer than four grocery stores per week, I have really been missing running errands and wandering around Whole Foods reading labels and drinking a latte.

But one of the many things the COVID-19 shutdown has taught me is that maybe I had it all wrong.

Before the coronavirus outbreak, I considered myself to be quite skilled in time management. After all, I manage my PR career, the running of our household and schedules for two very busy kids, as well as various volunteer positions at school, church, etc. Several friends raved about ordering groceries online, but I quickly dismissed the idea because, quite frankly, I am very particular about my produce.

Fast forward six months, and let me tell you, this self-proclaimed germaphobe has mastered the art of managing almost all my interactions via online orders.

Queen of Curbside

It hit me last week when I was running a few “errands” with the kids in tow. Our first stop was Benjamin Moore to pick up the paint samples I ordered and paid for over the phone earlier that morning. The nice gentleman walked them right out to the car.

Next up was Seaboard Wine for our biweekly call-ahead order. Then we headed to curbside pickup at The Container Store. We are moving this week, and not even a global pandemic was going to get between me and the mecca of organization. Then we swung through Harris Teeter and Target to grab our online orders. We pulled in and popped the hatch, and just like that, we are stocked for the week. (Who am I kidding? At the rate these people are eating, it will be gone in three days tops.)

Our last stop, or so I thought, was NoFo to grab dinner from the prepared foods section. I called in the order while we were in the car, and a staff member walked it right out to us. Even though we had never left the air-conditioned Suburban during our outing, the kids proclaimed they were hot and needed some ice cream. Kilwins to the rescue! I called in the order, and within minutes we pulled up to the door and were greeted with two ice cream cones at the curb.

The New Normal?

Wondering where I am headed with all this? In less than one hour, I accomplished what would have taken closer to four or five hours if I would have had to park, shop, wait in line to check out and drag two kids through seven stores.

It got me thinking about time management and how we can be more efficient. Has the way we shop been forever changed, even after COVID-19 is behind us?

Don’t get me wrong, when all this is over, you will definitely find me back at Whole Foods or wandering aimlessly around HomeGoods from time to time, but I will certainly be more intentional about how I schedule my errands. And I anticipate retailers will see that this level of customer service will need to be integrated into their ongoing business models. There is not a great deal we can control these days, but how we spend our time is certainly one of them.

I am curious to know if I am alone in this new world of online ordering. Has anyone else been embracing the convenience of call-ahead ordering during the pandemic? Head over to our Facebook Page and tell us what you think!

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On the Record: Goals and Productivity

Sarah HattmanBlog, On the Record, Professional Development, , , , , ,

How often do you find yourself wishing you had more hours in the day? I’m guessing quite often, and you’re not alone. This phrase is often muttered when someone is experiencing a sense of motivation, but quickly becomes frustrated because they are over committed and do not have time to do all that they want to do.

I recently had the opportunity to hear Tracey Gritz, productivity expert and owner of the Efficient Office, speak at an NCPRSA professional development luncheon. She discussed steps you can take to regain control and spend your valuable time on the work that really matters so that you end your day feeling energized instead of drained. Let’s go On the Record to learn some helpful tips to improve your quality of life through productivity.

 

Interested in more productivity tips? Check out our advice on how to battle distractions.

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The Beauty of Raleigh PR: Day 20 – Time Tips

Jasmin SessomsBlog, Entry-Level PR Job, The Clairemont Team, ,

Time: is it really on our side?

In the Clairemont office there are always a plethora of tasks going on at once. As PR professionals, we have to learn how to switch gears efficiently to maximize our time. I think my colleagues do a wonderful job of managing their time. Ready to learn, I curated a few time management tips from the team.

Top Nine Time Management Tips from the Clairemont Team:

1) Early to bed. Early to rise.

2) Prioritize your to-do list. And use it.

2) Take intentional breaks throughout your day. Recharge and refocus.

3) Look at your to-do list at the beginning of the day and tackle the task you want to do the least.

4) Set deadlines for yourself and pursue them with urgency.

5) If you are struggling with an assignment, revisit it later.

6) Allocate a certain amount of time to invest in a task.

7) Take time to proof.

8) Stop procrastinating (or at least put it off until a later date). Take the initiative to jump start tasks.

9) Produce quality, not quantity.

Before you begin work for the day, take some time to think slowly and create a list. Make sure to get enough “shut-eye” tonight, and here’s to a great day tomorrow!

Editor’s Note: Clairemont enthusiastically welcomes Jasmin Sessoms to our team! Follow this former beauty queen’s journey as she documents her first 30 days in a Raleigh PR agency.

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Super Boost Your Time Management

Cherith AndesBlog, Professional Development, Public Relations, , , ,

It’s a busy world, and I envy the Super Mario Brothers.

Remember Nintendo’s Mario and Luigi, circa 1991? These early generation video game characters discovered the secret boost that empowered them to leap skyscrapers, demolish walls and crush mushroom-shaped minions.

What I wouldn’t give for similar superpowers to tackle the workday. If you’re a PR exec, a business professional, a mom, a dad or simply a breathing human, you’ve no doubt longed for the same antidote: a magic bullet that empowers you to attend every event, answer every call and “autocomplete” your looming to-do list.

The magic bullet to time management is that there isn’t a magic bullet. Leading experts instead encourage us to return the basics of time management and implement these best practices well. Application is the key.

Here are three stalwart time management suggestions you’ve no doubt already encountered, but we’ve added our own “Super Boost Tip” to help you get the most bang for your buck. Use this quick and easy refresher as motivation to revisit and re-institute the basics of smart time management.

Superhero cape not included (yet).

1. Standard Advice: Prioritize to-do lists by deadline and importance.
Super Boost Tip: At the end of the day.

You know mornings. You come barreling in with your phone ringing, coffee sloshing and 183 emails pinging on your laptop—not the ideal time to quiet your mind and focus. Instead, take five minutes before you leave the office to review your projects and prioritize activities for the following day.

Categorize action items by time of day (for example, notate if you need to make a call first thing in the morning) and update your running list of daily and weekly assignments to reflect your progress. Organizing your plan of action the day before not only saves you 45 minutes the next morning but also allows you to leave the office with a little peace of mind each evening. (We like peace of mind).

2. Standard Advice: Maintain a tracker and note-taking system for your team.
Super Boost Tip: Offline.

No, I’m not suggesting that we ditch our elegant—and highly effective—electronic trackers. These beautifully groomed tools enable synergy, efficiency and momentum that few other systems afford.

However, there’s a time and place for hard copy. Don’t be afraid to whip out “Post-It Note Technology” during a brainstorm, encouraging team members to write down ideas (one per note) during a predetermined time frame as a “free think” exercise. (YMCAs around the country employ this tactic). Tangible, interactive note taking stimulates creativity and fosters fertile ground for team cohesion. In essence, you get your team’s best ideas…faster.

3. Best Practice: Take time to proof.
Super Boost Tip: Someone else’s work.

By now you know well the industry’s standards for copy editing and proofing. Review for flow, check for structure, comb for style and scrutinize for grammar.

And then hand it to someone else.

As busy professionals, we’re often tempted to skip this vital step. But the brain that creates the copy often overlooks its own errors. At Clairemont, we follow a rigorous system of proofing as an agency team to ensure that content—from emails to proposals—adheres to strict standards and communicates consistent messages. While taking a team approach to proofing might appear to be more time consuming on the front end, it will save valuable “clean up” efforts after the fact.

Bonus Tip: When all else fails, brew a cup of coffee.

What time management tip would you add?

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