Self-management is the ability to manage your workflow and productivity in the workplace without reliance on a supervisor. Developing and practicing self-management skills can help you improve your workplace performance and positively impact your career development.
Self-management skills are crucial to getting ahead both personally and professionally. Some key attributes of employees with solid self-management include:

- __Reliability__: Being able to self-manage tasks shows your supervisor that you are a reliable employee who can complete complex tasks with little or no supervision. 
- __Multi-tasking__: Self-management enables you to juggle different tasks without becoming overwhelmed or stressed. 
- __Time management__: Self-management leads to good time management skills, allowing you to complete tasks efficiently and prevent procrastination. 
- __Advancement__: When it comes time to be considered for a raise or promotion, having solid self-management skills will help you make a better case for advancement.
Having self-awareness and being able to self-manage will make you a valuable asset to your team. Examples of self-management skills include:

1. __Organization__: Organization goes hand-in-hand with time management and helps you plan, prioritize, and execute your daily tasks. Learn to complete work tasks in an orderly and efficient way without distractions.
2. __Self-regulation__: Take personal initiative when approaching a task, and manage your energy levels and capacity to ensure that you can handle your workload. Have self-control, and keep yourself accountable for your own work.
3. __Dependability__: Your employer knows when they assign you a task, that task will get done, which makes you dependable and enables your manager to assign you more high-level tasks.
4. __Stress management__: You know how to prioritize one thing at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. You have high [emotional intelligence](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-your-emotional-intelligence), so you know not to let your feelings negatively affect your work or interactions with colleagues.
5. __Adaptability__: You have the skills to address any issues that may arise and the confidence in your own decision-making to solve problems independently.
You can build strong self-management skills by assessing your strengths, being organized, and setting goals.

1. __Prioritize your health and well-being__. Eating right and [sleeping well](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/deep-sleep-benefits) help you do your best work and productively interact with your colleagues. Prioritize mental health and self-care to ease stress, improve your well-being, and approach each day’s agenda with fresh ideas. 
2. __Know your strengths__. If you know your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll know which tasks you’re suited for and which will be a challenge.
3. __Focus on one task at a time__. To minimize stress, organize your workday to-do list in order of priority and importance. Multitasking can lead to more stress and more opportunities for distraction, so focusing on one task at a time will help you complete tasks promptly.
4. __Develop an organizational system__. Use a physical datebook, apps on your phone, or paper to-do lists to make sure your tasks are written down and organized. 
5. __Set short- and long-term goals for yourself__. By setting goals, you know what you want to accomplish with the work you’re doing, whether that’s personal development, challenging yourself with a new project, or working your way to a promotion. Have ways to measure your progress, and schedule check-ins with your supervisor to recognize accomplishments.

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Learn how to improve your self-management skills to be your most productive self at work.


Learn how to improve your self-management skills to be your most productive self at work.


How to Develop Self-Management Skills 

Self-management is the ability to manage your workflow and productivity in the workplace without reliance on a supervisor. Developing and practicing self-management skills can help you improve your workplace performance and positively impact your career development.

What Is Self-Management? 

Self-management skills are crucial to getting ahead both personally and professionally. Some key attributes of employees with solid self-management include:<ul class="mc-m-4 list-styled"><li class="">Reliability: Being able to self-manage tasks shows your supervisor that you are a reliable employee who can complete complex tasks with little or no supervision. </li><li class="">Multi-tasking: Self-management enables you to juggle different tasks without becoming overwhelmed or stressed. </li><li class="">Time management: Self-management leads to good time management skills, allowing you to complete tasks efficiently and prevent procrastination. </li><li class="">Advancement: When it comes time to be considered for a raise or promotion, having solid self-management skills will help you make a better case for advancement. </li></ul>

Why Are Self-Management Skills Important?

Having self-awareness and being able to self-manage will make you a valuable asset to your team. Examples of self-management skills include:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Organization: Organization goes hand-in-hand with time management and helps you plan, prioritize, and execute your daily tasks. Learn to complete work tasks in an orderly and efficient way without distractions. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Self-regulation: Take personal initiative when approaching a task, and manage your energy levels and capacity to ensure that you can handle your workload. Have self-control, and keep yourself accountable for your own work. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Dependability: Your employer knows when they assign you a task, that task will get done, which makes you dependable and enables your manager to assign you more high-level tasks. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Stress management: You know how to prioritize one thing at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. You have high <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-your-emotional-intelligence' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-develop-your-emotional-intelligence","linkCopy":"emotional intelligence","category":null}'>emotional intelligence</a>, so you know not to let your feelings negatively affect your work or interactions with colleagues. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Adaptability: You have the skills to address any issues that may arise and the confidence in your own decision-making to solve problems independently. </li></ol>

5 Important Self-Management Skills to Develop 

You can build strong self-management skills by assessing your strengths, being organized, and setting goals.<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Prioritize your health and well-being. Eating right and <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/deep-sleep-benefits' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/deep-sleep-benefits","linkCopy":"sleeping well","category":null}'>sleeping well</a> help you do your best work and productively interact with your colleagues. Prioritize mental health and self-care to ease stress, improve your well-being, and approach each day’s agenda with fresh ideas. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Know your strengths. If you know your strengths and weaknesses, you’ll know which tasks you’re suited for and which will be a challenge. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Focus on one task at a time. To minimize stress, organize your workday to-do list in order of priority and importance. Multitasking can lead to more stress and more opportunities for distraction, so focusing on one task at a time will help you complete tasks promptly. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. Develop an organizational system. Use a physical datebook, apps on your phone, or paper to-do lists to make sure your tasks are written down and organized. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 5. Set short- and long-term goals for yourself. By setting goals, you know what you want to accomplish with the work you’re doing, whether that’s personal development, challenging yourself with a new project, or working your way to a promotion. Have ways to measure your progress, and schedule check-ins with your supervisor to recognize accomplishments. </li></ol>

5 Ways to Build Your Self-Management Skills 

Get the <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/' target='_self' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/","linkCopy":"MasterClass Annual Membership","category":null}'>MasterClass Annual Membership</a> for exclusive access to video lessons taught by business luminaries, including Sara Blakely, Chris Voss, Robin Roberts, Bob Iger, Howard Schultz, Anna Wintour, and more.

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Learn how to improve your self-management skills to be your most productive self at work.