Three Ways to Improve Your Workplace Time Management Skills: Part 1 of 3

The work phones have been ringing off the hook all day, and there aren't enough team members to answer all the calls. There are 200-plus emails piling up in your queue. You have several prospects to enter into your CRM and several more to follow up with. The to-do list on your desk is so long it now has chapters. Not to mention, your personal cell phone is buzzing nonstop. You're scared you won't hit quota for Q2, simply because you don't have enough time.

Modern-day Americans are forced to multitask due to a lack of time. But only 2 percent of people can actually multitask effectively. In fact, experts believe multitasking leads to a 40 percent loss of productivity.

So what can be done to finally check all those boxes off your list of things to do while avoiding multitasking? In this three-part series, we'll give you some helpful tips on creating more time in your day. Our first tip is to get into a productive routine.

Experiment to Find the Right Routine

The average desk job employee wastes 2.1 hours a day. Whether that's checking their cell phone, grabbing coffee, talking to a nearby coworker or simply deciding which task to tackle next, 2.1 hours a day equals an alarming 546 hours a year. That's almost an entire month of time! 

We agree hardworking employees deserve to give themselves small breaks to reduce the effects that come from overworking, such as burnout, but there must be limits. Need to grab a coffee and reply to an urgent text? Delegate a few five-minute time frames and write them down on your schedule. During these allotted time periods, tackle small tasks like getting that coffee fix or swinging by a coworker's cubicle to chat. You should set aside time to get those things out of your system so you can focus on having a productive day. 

Learning to schedule your tasks more efficiently takes a little more practice, and your schedule will depend on your unique tasks.

We made this list as a helpful starting point:

• Use "batching," which is simply working on related tasks together.
• Prioritize your to-do list by importance, and keep it clearly visible.
• Reward yourself with incentives after completing tasks.

Once you find the most beneficial way to organize your workday, stick to your schedule for maximum productivity.

What have you done to find the perfect schedule?