In order to become more efficient at managing time and planning your time it is crucial to get better at estimating the amount of time things will take. Like any form of exercise the more you practise this, the easier it will become so try and make a time management exercise part of your regular route.
Exercise to become a better estimator
- Pick a few tasks that you are going to be working on over next few days.
- Write down an estimate to how long you think each task will take .
- When you are then actually working on the task keep an note of how long you actually spend on each one.
- Once you have completed all of your tasks compare your estimates with actual time spent.
Within 20% of your estimate?
Well done. You seem to be clear about how long things take and you will find it easier to schedule your time and activities without becoming overwhelmed and missing deadlines.
Above or below 20% of your estimate?
If you fall in to this category, look for reasons why you might have mis-estimated the time required. Use your insights to adjust your estimates on future tasks.
Repeat this exercise regularly for one moth to improve your ability to estimate task times and this will help improve your ability to plan and schedule your time effectively.
For more tips on mastering your time click here
