Effective Time Management Strategies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Achieving big goals seems too time-consuming, so we set modest goals and keep busy with life\u2019s immediate demands. We work from jam-packed calendars and unprioritized to-do lists that always seem to keep getting longer. Before long, we feel overwhelmed, and even modest goals seem unattainable. All the while, we often think there must be effective time management strategies to get more out of life and our careers while not always feeling that there\u2019s too much to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ll discuss how to prioritize what you spend time on, how to plan your schedule and keep track of how you use your time, how to avoid distractions<\/a> and stave off procrastination, and how to balance your life<\/a> so that you can enjoy your time as you use it more wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Time management experts generally agree that, instead of trying to do too many things at once, you need to focus on one or two major priorities every day and that these priorities should be in service to a larger goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Eat That Frog!<\/em><\/a>, Brian Tracy frames the importance of having a singular focus<\/a> in terms of the 80\/20<\/a> Rule, which states that 20% of the tasks you perform account for 80% of your results.<\/strong> Therefore, if you have five things to do, completing your single most important task will have a greater impact than the other four combined<\/a>. Each of your tasks may take the same amount of time, but one will generate more value than all the others. Before you start any task, ask whether it\u2019s a top 20% or bottom 80% task, and do it only if it\u2019s in the top 20%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How do you figure out what your top task is? In The One Thing<\/em><\/a>, Gary Keller<\/a> writes that you should ask this focusing question<\/a>: \u201cWhat\u2019s the one thing I can do that will make everything else easier or unnecessary?\u201d<\/strong> The focusing question<\/a> takes two forms\u2014a big-picture and a small-focus question: 1) \u201cWhat\u2019s the one thing I\u2019m working toward?\u201d and 2) \u201cWhat\u2019s the one thing I should be doing right now<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem is that, in the press of daily life, there are so many potential tasks that it\u2019s hard to weed out the most important ones. In First Things First<\/em><\/a>, Stephen R. Covey provides a helpful diagram to evaluate the tasks on your list based on significance and pressure<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n A task can be significant, pressing, both, or neither. In Covey\u2019s method of time management you only do significant tasks<\/strong>, instead of spending time on those that are merely pressing. Tasks that aren\u2019t significant (Zones 3 and 4 in the graph above) add little value to your life, so you should limit the time you spend on those. Also, while activities that are both significant and pressing are inevitable, aim to spend most of your time on tasks that are merely significant (Zone 2). The key is to recognize when seemingly pressing tasks like responding to emails aren\u2019t <\/em>significant and stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One key tool you can use to free your time is delegation. In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People<\/em><\/a>, Covey writes that, if you have the option, use delegation as a short-term time investment to give you more <\/em>time for important activities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A time-management plan isn\u2019t just a to-do list\u2014you need to schedule time to focus<\/a> on what\u2019s important and organize your time around your true priorities. Brian Tracy says that taking 10 minutes to plan your day<\/a><\/strong> can save as much as two hours in wasted time and effort<\/a>. First, write down everything you have to do. When something comes up, add it to the list. When you work from a list<\/a>, you can increase your productivity by 25%, so each night you should start your list for the next day, including unfinished tasks from the day before and new tasks to start on tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gary Keller puts a spin on the traditional to-do list<\/a> by saying you need a \u201csuccess\u201d list<\/a> instead. Simple to-do lists are long, disorganized, and can pull you in many directions, whereas a success <\/em>list is short, prioritized, and aims you in a specific direction. A \u201csuccess\u201d list includes only those tasks that support your overall objectives, ranked <\/em>in order of importance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Make Time<\/em><\/a>, Jake Knapp and John Zeratzky write that you should block off time on your calendar for your #1 priority<\/a>, especially if your calendar can be viewed by others at your workplace. You have to be firm with the time you set aside for your priorities,<\/strong> but make sure that you use that time constructively. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Choosing a longer time frame for your plans can help protect your priorities while making room for other tasks. Stephen Covey suggests planning within the framework of a week<\/a> to balance your big-picture perspective with day-to-day actionables. Covey says to start with the most significant <\/em>tasks, not the most urgent ones<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Make sure not to schedule every minute of each day<\/strong> so you can maintain flexibility for unexpected problems and opportunities that arise. <\/strong>Covey warns that you\u2019ll inevitably face challenges in your schedule<\/a> and will need to make decisions in the moment about how to proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also important to track what you\u2019ve done so you can measure how much time you spend on any task, judge how effectively you use your time, and determine what adjustments you should make to your schedule. There are several productivity tools to help you do this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A bullet journal is an organizational tool introduced by Ryder Carroll in The Bullet Journal Method<\/em><\/a> to help you be intentional about how you spend your time and energy.<\/strong> It\u2019s a system that archives your life\u2014past, present, and future\u2014tracking not only the day-to-day details but also your choices, your actions, and how you\u2019ve changed over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carroll explains that, throughout the day, you\u2019ll write down tasks, events, and notes<\/a> that are relevant to you. To record your information in the most efficient way, he recommends that you use \u201crapid logging\u201d\u2014a streamlined method of taking notes that focuses on only the most essential information. However, the process doesn\u2019t end there. In bullet journaling, you don\u2019t only record information<\/a>; you also re-engage with it later.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Through a process Carroll calls migration, you actively assess everything you\u2019ve written<\/a> and transfer it from one part of your journal to another (or even one journal to another) through daily review, monthly review, and yearly review. Moving information encourages you to reflect on every entry you record,<\/strong> which helps you spend your time and energy with intention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kanban is a visual tool first developed by Japanese automakers to keep track of tasks as they move through your workflow.<\/strong> In Personal Kanban<\/em><\/a>, Jim Benson and Tonianne DeMaria explain that, <\/strong>in its most rudimentary version, a kanban is a chart divided into three columns\u2014\u201cto do,\u201d \u201cdoing,\u201d and \u201cdone.\u201d Unlike to-do lists that simply show tasks until you check them off, a kanban board displays a task\u2019s entire life cycle. The catch is that you\u2019re allowed to have only a handful of tasks in your \u201cdoing\u201d column at any one time\u2014perhaps as few as two or three.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A personal kanban board tracks all <\/em>your tasks<\/a>, no matter their size, importance, or type. Once you start paying attention to your work patterns, your kanban board will show you at a glance where your bottlenecks are, the tasks you\u2019re struggling with, and how much more work you\u2019re able to take on. Having all of your tasks in one place helps you identify the right task to do now<\/em><\/strong>, making sure your energy is going where it will have the most impact. Also, by putting a limit on how many tasks you\u2019re working on at any given time, you ensure that you\u2019re focusing only on priorities you can accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It takes practice and a conscious act of will to stick to your schedule and avoid distractions, whether they\u2019re external (such as phone notifications) or internal (such as procrastination).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The barrage of modern media is so overwhelming that it takes more than sheer strength of will to keep it at bay. In Make Time<\/em><\/a>, tech industry insiders Jake Knapp and John Zeratzky assert that you have to deliberately put barriers in place to keep your devices from stealing your time<\/a>. The single most pernicious device that impinges on your schedule is your smartphone.<\/strong> Knapp and Zeratsky recommend that you delete all social media apps, games, and even your email from your phone. If that\u2019s too extreme, they suggest you turn off all notifications and remove the apps from your homescreen, forcing you to choose <\/em>when to use each app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the workplace, the other main external distractor is email<\/strong>. Knapp and Zeratsky offer several strategies to take control of your email time, such as only responding to email at the end of the day, or maybe according to an email schedule in which you only check it two or three times per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In The Procrastination Cure<\/em><\/a>, Damon Zahariades says procrastination is to delay action on something that\u2019s in your best interest to do now.<\/strong> Most reasons for procrastination are rooted in the fact that your brain prefers immediate rewards to delayed gratification<\/a>. Put another way, procrastination is a conflict between the interests of Present You and Future You.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zahariades suggests that the emotional culprit behind most procrastination is fear.<\/strong> Your fear can take many forms<\/a>, such as fear of failure<\/a> or fear of success<\/a>. Zahariades suggests shifting your perspective or using logic to expose your fears as irrational. Reframe failure<\/a> as a chance to learn, evaluate how realistic your fears are, and consider the outcomes of procrastination, such as feeling overwhelmed<\/a> later while you\u2019re scrambling to meet deadlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In The Now Habit<\/em><\/a>, Neil Fiore recommends that you change your relationship with work and leisure time.<\/strong> First of all, you should change your self-talk<\/a>. Procrastinators typically talk to themselves in \u201chave to\u201d and \u201cshould\u201d statements\u2014both of which build negative feelings that lead to procrastination. Fiore says that you can shift your self-talk to emphasize personal choice\u2014for instance, instead of saying you \u201chave to\u201d or \u201cshould\u201d do something, tell yourself you \u201cchoose to\u201d or \u201cwant to\u201d do that thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fiore argues that you can avoid procrastination<\/a> if you design your schedule so you can enter a state of flow<\/em><\/strong>\u2014a feeling of enhanced calm, concentration, and creativity. Fiore suggests that you can enter a flow state<\/a> by performing focusing and relaxation exercises<\/a>. The concept of flow<\/em><\/a>, first coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a frame of mind in which you become so engrossed in what you\u2019re doing that you enter a state of optimal creativity. Managing time is no longer an issue\u2014you may even lose the sense that time is passing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The psychological benefits of flow illustrate the most important point to remember when managing your time\u2014you\u2019re not a machine. The ultimate goal of time management isn\u2019t just increased efficiency; it\u2019s finding a way to improve your quality of life<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Do Nothing<\/em><\/a>, Celeste Headlee’s first piece of advice is to do more focused <\/em>work<\/a> so that you can work fewer hours while getting the same amount done. <\/strong>If you have flexibility in your schedule, consider working for about 50 minutes at a time, followed by a 10- to 15-minute break to recharge. Another option is the Pomodoro technique<\/a> of working in focused 25-minute work sessions, followed by five-minute breaks, with longer 15- to 30-minute breaks after every four focused-work cycles. Whichever strategy you use, Headlee also suggests not working any more than your job requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neil Fiore argues that you should plan your week<\/a> around your leisure time.<\/strong> Start by writing down specific appointments and necessary activities, then add scheduled leisure time<\/a>. Fiore recommends at least half an hour <\/em>of recreation or relaxation per day, as well as dedicating one day per week entirely free of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As much as you try to manage your schedule, total control over your time is impossible.<\/strong> In Four Thousand Weeks<\/em><\/a>, Oliver Burkeman argues that, the more tasks you complete, the more tasks will appear<\/a> to occupy your newly freed-up time. For the sake of your energy and your mental health, prioritize only those tasks that matter most. Don\u2019t take on more than you can handle, and be open to the future veering away from what you\u2019ve planned. <\/p>\n\n\n\nStep #1: Set Priorities and Goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Step #2: <\/strong>Make a Plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Protect Your Plan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Step #3: <\/strong>Track Your Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bullet Journals<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
The Kanban Approach<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Step #4: <\/strong>Stay on Target<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Digital Distractions<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Procrastination<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Making Time Flow<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
Step #5: <\/strong>Balance Your Life<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Letting Go of Time<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n