Every employee and worker has been there at some point – you feel you’ve been working away diligently, but at the end of the day when it’s time to clock out and go home, you realize you haven’t checked off as much on your to-do list that day as you had hoped. Part of success, beyond motivation, dedication and ability, is good time management, a skill that can often feel elusive, especially if your schedule is jam-packed on a daily basis. However, you can make the most of whatever work hours you do have simply by staying organized and getting into a regimented work routine. Here’s how you can maximize your time simply by rearranging your schedule a bit.

Don’t Hesitate To Delegate Certain Items When Needed

This tip may depend somewhat on your level of seniority at work, but if you have the authority to do so, don’t hesitate to delegate some items when you need to. Part of what keeps many workers constantly busy is being afraid to ask for help when schedules become too overloaded. However, if you can focus on getting a few essential items done without the distraction of lesser ones, you may find you’ll work more efficiently and produce a higher-quality work product in the end as well.

Make a New To-Do List Every Day

It’s common to create one to-do list per week, for instance, but these can not only get out of date quickly but can also make you feel overwhelmed just looking at the sheer number of tasks you have to accomplish that week. Instead, it may be psychologically helpful to stay organized by writing up a bite-sized list fresh every morning when you first get to the office. That way, you can focus on one day at a time and rearrange your time around the most pressing tasks.

Schedule Your Breaks To Ensure You Don’t Overwork

Working hard is a virtue, but overworking can easily lead to stress and burnout if you aren’t careful about giving yourself a break sometimes. To make sure you don’t miss taking a few minutes off here and there, try using a scheduling app to write down when you’ll take your breaks.

Nailing the art of time management can feel like a balancing act when you’re first getting used to it, but staying incredibly organized can help you strike the right balance. When it comes to maximizing the precious work hours you have available, getting into a routine to help avoid procrastination and make the most of every minute is essential. With these tips, you can maximize your time while minimizing your stress.