Time Management Habits of Successful People

What do the most successful people in the world have in common? Good time management habits.

Success is a culmination of habits, practised every day to form a successful mindset. To achieve your goals and create your dream life, you need to learn to manage your time and you’re not going to master your life if you believe there’s not enough time in the day.

Life is full of distractions which can make it seem impossible to focus and be productive. Yet the thing is, our time is elastic and it will stretch to accommodate what we choose to put into it. Often, when we say we don’t have time to do something, what we really mean is that this activity is not our priority, therefore we’re not willing to make time for it. You see, every minute you spend is completely up to you, you have the power to create your life, all you need to do is master your time management habits.

Today I’m going to share with you 11 time management habits of successful people.

1. Know Your Priorities

Some of the most successful people know their priorities and do the most important tasks first. They know that what they create matters and it’s better to be effective on the right tasks than productive with smaller less meaningful tasks.

2. Create a Morning Routine

The key to super productive days is to start them right. Successful people create a morning routine and choose activities which energise and inspire them. There is so much to be accomplished before the working day begins and the rest of the world wakes up. Think about what tasks you can get done early on and build your morning around them.

3. Make Healthy Living a Priority

Another key habit of successful time management is to make health and exercise a priority. Research suggests that regular exercise and a healthy diet can lead to higher levels of productivity, motivation and happiness. The most important thing to remember is to start of small. Introduce one or two habits a week or month.  This will help them become second nature and you will be doing them as part of your everyday routine.

4. Have Discipline and Self Control

A key habit of successful time management is discipline and self-control. Practising these skills will allow you to stay focused, and keep your priorities solid and your eyes on the goal.

5. Be Consistent

The most successful people are extremely consistent. There is so much power in consistency as the repetition of small actions every day will help you to build talent and allow you to focus on the journey instead of the end goal.  To practice your consistency, practice something for 21 days straight. If you drop off and start the 21 days again, the longer you can stay consistent the more likely you are to stick with it.

6. Be Self-Aware

Good time management also means knowing your strengths and weaknesses and using this to your advantage. Successful people know which environments spark creativity and which hours of the day they are most productive. Think about when you are most energised and focused, is it first thing in the morning while everyone is still sleeping? Or is it after you’ve exercised and your feel energised? Successful people use this knowledge to structure their day and manage their time effectively.

7. Be Goal Orientated

Not only do successful people set goals but they also create detailed plans on how to achieve their goals and most importantly they follow through with their plans. When you set yourself a goal you provide direction in your life as you are aware of where you should be focusing your time instead of wondering what to do next.

A successful goal should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely.

8. Value Alone Time

Successful people value their time alone and they use this time to recharge. Life can overload you with too much information, but spending time alone will help to organise your thoughts. By developing the habit of valuing your time alone, you can take the time to write your ideas, plans, goals and thoughts down. Leaving you recharged and more focused on what’s important to you.

9. Plan Your Day

One of the biggest time management mistakes is not planning your day. Successful people know to review and schedule their calendars, instead of doing whatever comes their way or doing what they feel like doing. If you want to achieve your goals you must plan your day and schedule time for important tasks.

10. Set Boundaries

Successful people know not to burn themselves out. When you’re working on a big goal remember to still make time for self-care, give yourself a cut-off time and make sure you’re getting enough sleep. This is what will keep you going and stop you from burning out.

11. Remove Distractions

When you’ve scheduled time to work on an important goal you must first remove any distractions, such as social media. If you don’t need your phone for the task in hand, then put it on silent and leave it in another room. This way you can get to work and not be tempted to check your Facebook.

Laura x