12 Time-Management Problems with Methods To Fix Them

How do you detect what factors are slowing you down? Don’t worry at all. Here, we have listed our own top 12 common time management issues with easy solutions to overcome them. Have a look. 

1. Handling Every Task On Your Own

   Having too many tasks to complete single-handedly can lead to poor time management. Whether you are an employee, a self-employed individual, or a business owner, it is always difficult to handle all the tasks alone. After all, as human beings, we all get 24 hours and limited energy in a day. If you push yourself beyond your limit, you will get stressed out soon and end up with low-quality work. 

   Solution:

   • Accept tasks that you can complete successfully on your own. 
   • Delegate tasks to other individuals that you feel are capable, or outsource some parts of the project. For instance, you can outsource app development tasks to a development agency and spend your time on other important aspects. 
   • Take the help of time management methods like the Priority Matrix method created by Eisenhower to understand what types of tasks you can assign to different people. 
   • Automate repetitive tasks such as checking the project’s progress, the performance of the team, etc.

2. Perfectionism

   Perfectionism is an excellent thing, but it is also a double-edged sword. A perfectionist always gives their best and shows maximum engagement level towards a task. They always try to offer high-quality results. However, their inflexible and high-standard mindset can lead to burnout, anxiety, and stress, affecting productivity with a lack of time. 

   Solution:

   To overcome this time-management issue, you need to learn perfection with organization. Attention to detail and diligence are good traits, but working on them without considering the time will definitely not work. Instead, set realistic goals. Give attention to progress over perfection. You can work with the Pareto Principle where you consider the 20% of most impactful efforts in the project that can bring 80% of results to your project. Find a balance to get every task done perfectly without spending a lot of time to be a perfectionist. 

3. Not Opting for Flexible Planning

   When a plan to accomplish an object is over-optimized, it can become a serious time-management issue. While managing a project or business, it is common to face interruptions and frequent changes in clients’ requirements. With a rigid plan, it will be challenging to accommodate those unexpected changes. Such issues can lead to poor decision-making or missed opportunities. 

   Solution:

   • Understand the importance of flexibility. 
   • Utilize different techniques like Eisenhower to incorporate sudden changes into an ongoing project.
   • Incorporate regular review and progress checks, divide tasks into multiple manageable phases, and always keep room for adoption. 
   • Instead of following a strict deadline, it will be better to use buffer time to easily accommodate unexpected requirements without spending much time. 

4. Not Staying Organized

   Most employees and managers have found that messiness can be a reason behind their unproductivity and poor time management. Not staying organized costs you the wastage of time in searching information, missed deadlines, and reduced productivity. Also, the cluttered workspaces where the task lists are unstructured and documentation is poor, it becomes difficult for the employee to focus and prioritize on important tasks effectively. On the contrary, when you are organized, you can spend most of your time attaining objectives. Besides, finding the right items will be easier and quicker. 

   Solution:

   • Maintain a to-do list to effectively organize all the tasks. 
   • Use a digital or physical planner to organize your files, emails, and tasks systematically.
   • Try to reorganize and declutter your workspace for a better workflow. Clutter can easily influence time management.

5. Inefficient Workflow management

   This is also a major reason behind the delays and unexpected errors. If you are experiencing signs like repeated tasks, communication mistakes, poor quality results, or unnecessary steps, then you are dealing with an inefficient workflow. Some major reasons behind inefficient workflow are poor communication, multi-tasking, not tracking efficiency, and manual activities.

   Solution:

   • Work on addressing the lack of transparency and ineffective communication by visualizing the whole work process. 
   • Reduce multi-tasking and context switching.
   • Implement workflow automation with project management tools like KaryaKeeper, Trello or Asana to streamline tasks and track their progress.
   • Establish proper clarity about the flow of different activities. 
   • Regularly measure the workflow efficiency by taking feedback from employees and analyzing performance metrics.

6. Lack of Proper Rest

   Not taking proper rest and working continuously is one of the most common time management difficulties or challenges. Such behavior can lead to decreased productivity, mental fatigue, and low focus. Furthermore, in the long run, it can cause serious mental health-related issues. After all, the human brain is not capable of offering eight hours of continuous concentration. It needs breaks in between to relax.

   Solution:

   • Find a good routine and maintain that. Whether doing errands or working on an important project, give your brain a break.  
   • Take the help of apps such as Google Calendar for scheduling the tasks and include sufficient breaks in between your working hours. 
   • Try to implement different time management methods like the POMODORO technique, where you work for 25 minutes and rest for 5 minutes.

7. Lack of Motivation

   Employee motivation is an important factor in time management. Unmotivated employees may find it difficult to stay focused and prioritize their tasks according to time requirements. As a result, you will experience delays in project completion. Once employees lose their motivation, it becomes quite challenging to get them back on track. 

   Solution:

   • Keep your team engaged and focused by establishing clear goals. 
   • Offer regular incentives and recognition to keep them motivated. 
   • Breaking down large projects into small, achievable goals can also keep you and your team motivated while working on long-term projects.

8. Frequent Distractions At The Workplace

   Whether you are a project manager or a business owner, you will be handling a lot of responsibilities all the time. That means you may need to deal with multiple distractions. These diversions can be work emails, paper clutter, notifications, and more. These distractions can make you forget crucial tasks at times. Well, it doesn’t mean that you need to completely block these distractions. You need to come up with a way to manage them wisely.  Solution:

   • Use apps or plugins that will block access to unnecessary or distracting sites. 
   • You can also mute unimportant notifications during your working hours. Prefer to work in a productive and quiet space. 
   • Avoid gossiping at the workplace. 
   • Schedule your free time and work time wisely. 

9. Lack of Self Discipline

   For a team leader or business owner, who will have to manage everything on their own, self-discipline is the key to success. Lack of self-discipline can create many negative impacts, leading to other time-management challenges like distraction, procrastination, and unclear goals. Moreover, it will gradually start to affect your approach to handling tasks as you will feel forced to work on a project. Without self-discipline, you may lose focus.  

   Solution:

   • To develop self-discipline, you can use the SMART goals concept. Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. 
   • You can also use time-tracking apps to prioritize and schedule tasks. This will also help you maintain a balance between your professional and personal life. 
   • Practicing meditation can also help you stay focused while lowering stress levels. 

10. Multitasking

    Multi-tasking may help you attain multiple things at the same time, but in some cases, it can make you less productive. When you switch from one project to another, especially if both projects are different, concentrating on the new project can take time. As a result, you will waste time, and this can also affect the quality. As per a study, it takes around 20 minutes to refocus when people switch between different tasks. 

    Solution:

    • Instead of multi-tasking, complete tasks one by one. This way, you will save time and perform more efficiently. 
    • Take breaks between tasks to decompress and rejuvenate your mind. 
    • Using AI tools or apps to handle repetitive tasks can also be a good idea, for example, sending emails, sorting files, formatting content, etc. 

11. Procrastination

    Some employees put off work until there are a few minutes left before the final timeline strikes and have to finish that last minute. This is a major reason behind procrastination. It leads to an unproductive mindset. Procrastination can arise due to multiple reasons, such as lack of motivation, feeling overwhelmed, fear of failure, handling difficult tasks, etc. Employees may procrastinate when they focus on perfection. They postpone projects until they think the project is ready to attain the desired standard. 

    Solution:

    • The best way to do that is by organizing your tasks and setting a timer for every task. 
    • Always establish clear deadlines and try to reduce distractions at the workplace.
    • Break Large assignments into smaller manageable tasks to reduce pressure. 
    • Implement the “Two-minute Rule” where if a task is taking less than 2 minutes, make sure to complete it immediately.
    •  A good reward system can also help employees avoid procrastination. 

12. Not Breaking Down Large Projects

    Working on large projects without breaking them into smaller tasks can be overwhelming. Such projects can cause stress and may lead to procrastination. Even though it is easy to accept big projects with a lot of enthusiasm, the time required to complete them can exceed the time allotted. Furthermore, you may not get time to deal with other important tasks. Managing a large team working on a big project can also be very challenging. 

    Solution:

    • One of the most effective solutions for this issue is to break down large projects into smaller parts. Ensure that you can complete each part in 30 to 40 minutes. 
    • Another thing to keep in mind is to create a logical sequence and complete tasks in order. 
    • For motivation, prefer to review the overall progress frequently. A perfect way to do that is by visualizing the progress using Kanban.