15 Time Management Tips

1. Write things down. A common time management mistake is to try to use your memory to keep track of too many details leading to information overload. Using a to-do list to write things down is a great way to take control of your projects and tasks and keep yourself organized.
2. Prioritize your list. Prioritizing your to-do list helps you focus and spend more time on the things that really matter to you. Rate your tasks into categories using the ABCD prioritization system.
3. Plan your week. Spend some time at the beginning of each week to plan your schedule. Taking the extra time to do this will help increase your productivity and balance your important long-term projects with your more urgent tasks. All you need is 15 to 30 minutes each week. for your planning session.
4. Carry a notebook. You never know when you are going to have a great idea or brilliant insight. Carry a small notebook with you wherever you go so you can capture your thoughts. If you wait too long to write them down you could forget. Another option is to use a digital recorder.
5. Learn to say no. Many people become overloaded with too much work because they overcommit; they say yest when they really should be saying no. Learn to say no to low priority requests and you will free up time to spend on things that are more important.
6. Think before acting. How many times have you said yest to something you later regretted. Before committing to a new task, stop to think about it before you give your answer. This will prevent you from taking on too much work.
7. Continuously improve yourself. Make time in your schedule to learn new things and develop your natural talents and abilities. For example, you could take a class, attend a training program, or read a book. Continuously improving your knowledge and skills increases your marketability, can help boost your career, and is the most reliable path to financial independence.
8. Think about what you are giving up to do your regular activities. It is a good idea to evaluate regularly how you are spending your time. In some cases, the best thing you can do is to stop doing an activity that is no longer serving you so you can spend time doing something more valuable. Consider what you are giving up in order to maintain your current activities.
9. Use a time management system. Using a time management system can help you keep track of everything that you need to do, organize and prioritize your work, and develop sound plans to complete it. An integrated system is like glue that holds all the best time management practices together.
10. Identify bad habits. Make a list of bad habits that are stealing your time, sabotaging your goals, and blocking your success. After you do, work on them one at a time and systematically eliminate them from your life. Remember that the easiest way to eliminate a bad habit is to replace it with another bad habit.
11. Don't do other people's work. Are you in the habit of doing other people's work because of a "hero" mentality? Doing this takes up time that you may not have. Instead, focus on your own projects and goals, learn to delegate effectively, and teach others how to do their own work.
12. Keep a goal journal. Schedule time to set and evaluate goals. Start a journal and write down your progress for each goal. Go through your goal journal each week to make sure you are on the right track.
13. Don't be a perfectionist. Some tasks don't require your best effort. Sending a short email to a colleague, for example, shouldn't take any more than a few minutes. Learn to distinguish between tasks that deserve to be done excellently and tasks that just need to be done.
14. Beware of "filler" tasks. When you have  a to-do list filled with important tasks, be careful not to get distracted by "filler" tasks. Things such as organizing your bookcase or filing papers can wait until you tackle the items that have the highest priority.
15. Avoid "efficiency traps." Being efficient doesn't necessarily mean that you are being productive. Avoid taking on tasks that you can do with efficiency that don't need to be done at all. Just because you are busy and getting things done doesn't mean you are actually accomplishing anything significant.

Taken from Time Thoughts.com.