10 Tips to Manage Your Time at Work

Time for Work

“A plan is what, a schedule is when. It takes both a plan and a schedule to get things done.”

Peter Turla
Here are ten ways to be productive at work:

1. Do a job once and for all: Do it right the first time. Make sure of what is expected and complete the job fully and without errors. Valuable time is wasted if you have to revise and redo something.

2. Priority your work: Do the most important and urgent tasks first. It is then followed by important tasks but not urgent. Only when you have the time you can proceed to urgent but not important tasks. The last thing is to tackle those that are not important and not urgent.

3. Ahead of time: When a job is to be completed in a day, make it a point to complete most of it by noon. In a way, you are relieved that the job is almost done. The other advantage is that when it is necessary to do amendment or adjustment you still have plenty of time. You are also appreciated by your boss for completing an assignment in advance.

4. To-do list: It is necessary to keep repeating that a to-do list is essential to manage your precious time and to follow the list and execute accordingly. Do not rely on your memory.

5. Start the day early: Get to the office earlier. You are not only avoiding the morning rush hour and you can start work right away without being disturbed by others.

6. Be mindful at work: When you have organized your day well you can concentrate fully on the task at hand. The do-do list plays such a vital role here. When your mind is not distracted you work efficiently and effectively.

7. Alternate your work: You may glue to your PC in the morning and then you switch to doing paperwork. In the afternoon you may meet your staff or clients and then go around walking about.

8. Be prepared: Examples like rehearsing before you do a presentation and discussing with other departmental beads before a meeting are such crucial steps to allow things to carry out smoothly.

9. Schedule: When an assignment is given verbally by your boss, write down the details, and get your boss’s confirmation and approval. The next thing is to break down the assignment into bit size and allocate a time frame for each task. Check the progress against the deadline and make allowance whenever necessary.

10. Avoid clutter: Do not let your mind be disturbed by piles of paper on your desk. Keep your workstation clean and tidy. Only items relating to your task at hand should be on your desk. On the other hand, proper filing allows the retrieving of documents easily and quickly.


A day’s job done well will leave you with a light heart and a happy note. You look forward to each new day with self-confidence. You are sure that it is going to be another great day at work.