Here are a few tips for time management at work. This short post was originally intended to add to a series on procrastination that I’m working on now. I know… it’s hard to imagine, but sometimes it’s other people that can interfere with your progress. 😊 If that’s the case, here are some tips I’ve found useful over the years in a working environment.

I’ve got a time management series planned ahead. Yet, given some recent conversations with clients about distractions at work, I opted to post this preview of the upcoming series.

Some Things to Eliminate distractions:

• Turn off the ringer and setting a voice recording stating you take calls between 10:00 am to 11:00 am and 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm, or a time that works for you.
• Turn off the email and check it between stages of your project.
• If you have a door, close it and place a Do Not Disturb sign. (See below)
• Place a sign by your desk.
• If you’re in a cube environment, consider wearing brightly colored safety ear muffs that show you are engaged in an important project. People won’t see earplugs, but the brightly colored ear muffs send a clear message to your supervisor and others that you take your work seriously. (See below)

I did this for years and it works well. If someone still interrupts you, it shows you who respects your time and who doesn’t. The point here is that many things can pull at you, internally and externally when working on a task. Be sure to establish a schedule, prioritize tasks and protect your time.