How do I manage time when I work 10 hours a day?

Sometimes it seems that the more time we spend working the more difficult it can be to actually get things done. Learning to manage our time can be the first step in assuring that the time we put into our work is actually reflected in what we accomplish.

Keep Track of Your Time

If you are at work for 10 hours a day but can’t seem to figure out why you aren’t completing 10 hours of work, it may be smart to start tracking your time. This means that every 15–30 minutes you stop and take stock of everything you did during that time. I recommend that the first few days to first week you keep your schedule as normal as possible, just keep track of time. This will show you where you are losing time and how much time you are really spending on certain tasks. Then you can start to change your daily workflow based on what you were seeing. This will help keep you accountable and make sure that you aren’t getting too sidetracked during the day.

Map Out Your Day

The night before or the morning of your day of work it is a good idea to map out your day. This can either be a list of everything you want to get done for the day, organized by priority, or it can mean making a schedule for yourself. There is no need for your schedule to be too strict, so if things come up and you have to go off schedule don’t be too hard on yourself. Just make sure anything that didn’t get done today gets set higher on the list of priorities tomorrow.

Have an Organized Space

One of the biggest things working against your productivity is distractions. Sitting in an office (or office area) that is unorganized and messy makes for a lot of distraction, making it easy to get sidetracked and accomplish less. By making sure your space is organized and clean you keep yourself on track and increase your productivity.

Allow Yourself Breaks

Self-care is just as important as productivity. If you are getting worn down then your quality of work is going to suffer. Make sure that you are taking breaks as needed throughout the day. Schedule 15–30 minutes to play on your phone, eat, or take a walk. This way the time you do spend working is as productive as possible.