Plan Ahead to Fall Back

The leaves are beginning to change, the air is cooling and the daylight hours are becoming shorter. This can only mean one thing – fall is upon us! That means it’s almost time to fall back one hour. At 2 a.m. on Sunday, November 2nd, Daylight Savings Time ends. Twice a year, our body clocks are thrown in disarray thanks to Daylight Savings Time. We are forced to make a few slight changes in our schedules until our bodies make the necessary adjustments.

The good news is you can sleep in an extra hour on Sunday November 2nd and enjoy sunny awakenings in the months ahead. Yet, it also means nighttime arrives an hour earlier. Here are some time management tips that will help you make the most of the time change. 

Plan Your Day

Plan your day before it gets away from you. Make it the first thing you do in the morning, or even better, the night before. The plan gives you a good overview of how the day will turn out. ­­Your only job for the day is to do your best to stick to the plan. 

Attention Please!

Are you trying to do everything at once and nothing ends up done at all? If so, focus on just one key task at one time. Turn off all the applications you aren’t using. Exit out of the tabs in your browser that are taking away your attention. You will be more far more efficient if you focus solely on the task at hand. Plus, it’s such a great feeling to check a task off the list once it’s complete! 

Pencil It In

When do your tasks need to be completed? Mark the deadlines clearly in your calendar so you know when they need to be finished. 

Pencils Down!

Put a time limit on each task. Be clear that X task needs to be completed by 9:00 a.m., Y task by 12:00 p.m., and Z task by 5:00 p.m. This prevents your work from dragging on and digging into time reserved for other tasks.

Arrange for a Pause

It’s easy to get lost in front of your computer screen for 8 hours without a second thought. Without breaks and time for your mind to recharge, your productivity will waver. Schedule several small breaks throughout the day to fight off mental fatigue, ensuring you’ll be able to complete all of your tasks as efficiently as possible.

These time management tips will help get you through the time change – and then some. What will you do with your extra hour? Let us know in the comments section below!