Many Independent Consultants find that time management can be challenging when they have the freedom to create their own work schedule and get out of the typical 9-5 workdays. Time management is key for any successful Independent Consultant. Below are some tips on how to efficiently manage your time.
Settle on Practical Goals
As an Independent Consultant, you have a lot of responsibilities and often times find yourself with an impossible list of things to do. Be reasonable when setting your daily, weekly and monthly goals and, don’t make promises you cannot keep to clients. Make sure you give yourself enough time to complete your assignments and goals to the level of expertise your clients expect.
Prioritize
Take the first 30 minutes of each day to plan your day, and don’t start your day until you complete your plan. Tasks with fast-approaching deadlines should come first, but you also need to make time for the difficult and time-consuming projects, as well as the quick and easy tasks. Whether you knock out the easy items first and focus on the difficult projects later is your personal choice.
Schedule Time for Interruptions
When scheduling your day or week be sure to schedule time for interruptions and being pulled away from what you are doing. Leave open time slots in your day to allow for last minute must do tasks that may slip your mind. If you do end up with free time then you can get ahead on a project, catch up on admin work or take a well deserved break.
Make Boundaries
Now and again personal and professional time can blend together without having a strict work schedule. Time Management skills are important to keep a good balance between work and life, and without them you may find yourself burnt out or having less productivity and or motivation. Set a regular time to start and end your work day, and make sure your clients know these hours. Although emergencies and rare circumstances can happen which may cause you to deviate from your schedule every now and then do your best to stick to the work hours you set.
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