All of this “free” time adds up to more than you might think – 10 days per month, to be exact. Ten whole days for you to reach goals, grow spiritually and intellectually, and enjoy the people you care about.

The truth of the matter is that YOU are the master of your own schedule. The key is to focus on doing the right things, as opposed to more things. In that way, you too can have time on your side.

Five Quick Tips for Time Management in the Workplace

Completing jobs assigned in the workplace, of the highest standards, is a key determinant of career success. This is where time management in the workplace comes into play. These are some time management tips you should be conscious of if you want to increase efficiency:

1. Understand Roles

Be sure you understand your own role and responsibilities in the workplace. This helps when work is assigned to you. When you do not know what is needed and expected of you, it can cause delays and hamper your efficiency.

Have you been given a job scope? If it is a special project for which you have been pulled in, do you know what expertise is expected of you? Clarify to avoid wasting time. The first time management in the workplace tip is to understand your role and those of your colleagues.

2. Do the Important and Urgent First

The second time management in the workplace tip is to prioritize your tasks at hand. Inevitably, you will be asked to complete a few tasks at the same time. There will also be situations where colleagues or clients will come to you with last-minute requests.

Prioritize your work. Do not overwhelm yourself with too long a to-do list. Many make the wrong assumption that the more they complete at work, the better it is for them. This is not necessarily so. Too long a to-do list may cause you to procrastinate on starting the work.

3. Do Not Waste Time

One of the biggest mistakes with a to-do list is involves not allocating enough time for each task. I often made this mistake early on in my career by making lists of to-do items without an estimated time attached to complete each of them. The list becomes a source of stress at the end of the day.

I also realize that it wastes a lot of time. You end up spending too much time on a task that may have needed less time than what you have spent to complete it.

Time management in the workplace includes being conscious of time robbers: For example, taking long tea or smoking breaks, chatting on the phone and surfing on the Internet. Realize that these “luxuries” come with a price tag: – your career success.

4. Do It Right the First Time

How many times have you seen fellow colleagues fighting mini-crises that could have been avoided if only someone had gotten it right the first time? Whatever you are doing, get it right the first time. Have a high personal standard that says nothing leaves your hands unless you know you have done your best.

This time management in the workplace tip, while easy to understand, is not easy to practice. Chances are that you will have a tendency to rush through your work, assuming that speed is a surrogate measurement of efficiency. Not so: Quality of work is important, too.

5. Do It Now

Another common time management mistake for those new at the workplace is procrastination. There are many causes of procrastination. If you feel you have the necessary time management skills, but still find yourself procrastinating, then you may want to find out the causes and address them.

One quick and simple way to manage time in the workplace is to do the task immediately. Do not over-rationalize and craft the perfect plan. A good plan executed today is better than an excellent plan not executed at all.