How to Take Control of Your Time: 9 Proven Strategies That Work (Even When You Have No Time)

How can you fit a meaningful job, time with your loved ones, and leisure time into your schedule? Many of us would say that it’s impossible. But in 168 Hours, productivity expert Laura Vanderkam argues that you can have a full, satisfying life as long as you manage your time intentionally.

Our guide will explore what it means to manage your time intentionally, and how to discover where all your time is going. (Spoiler alert: You’re spending way more time watching TV than you think!) You’ll also learn why and how to be intentional at work, at home, and with your leisure time—so that you can fit all your favorite activities in without overscheduling yourself. Additionally, we’ll compare Vanderkam’s advice to other experts’ ideas on how to practically and intentionally manage your time.

Do you feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? That you’re constantly checking things off your to-do list but still don’t have enough time for the important things? Your problem might be that you’re doing a lot, but not doing the right things.

In First Things First, Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, presents a time management approach that focuses on priorities, or “first things.” This approach teaches you to use your time effectively instead of just efficiently—in other words, focusing on what you spend your time on, rather than just how much time you spend per task. You’ll learn how to identify your priorities, schedule your time at the daily and weekly levels, and collaborate with others to ensure the best possible results for everyone.

In this guide, we link Covey’s ideas to books and articles about leadership, spirituality, and even biology to help you determine what’s most important to you and why. We also include connections to other self-help books and business strategy guides to help you maximize your potential, both individually and as part of a group.

There’s so much to do and so little time. Everyone has goals to achieve and dreams to make real, but our time to pursue them runs out too fast and gets filled with constant distractions. Is there a better way to manage time so we can get more out of life and our careers while not always feeling that there’s too much to do?

In this Master Guide, we’ll 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 and stave off procrastination, and how to balance your life so you can enjoy your time as you use it more wisely. To do so, we’ll pull insights from the writings of Stephen R. Covey (First Things First), Gary Keller (The One Thing), Brian Tracy (Eat That Frog!), and many others.

How can you fit a meaningful job, time with your loved ones, and leisure time into your schedule? Many of us would say that it’s impossible. But in 168 Hours, productivity expert Laura Vanderkam argues that you can have a full, satisfying life as long as you manage your time intentionally.

Our guide will explore what it means to manage your time intentionally, and how to discover where all your time is going. (Spoiler alert: You’re spending way more time watching TV than you think!) You’ll also learn why and how to be intentional at work, at home, and with your leisure time—so that you can fit all your favorite activities in without overscheduling yourself. Additionally, we’ll compare Vanderkam’s advice to other experts’ ideas on how to practically and intentionally manage your time.

The word “productivity” typically doesn’t bring to mind self-care behaviors such as sleeping in and enjoying a leisurely meal with friends. But in Working Hard, Hardly Working, entrepreneur and influencer Grace Beverley insists that self-care and productivity aren’t opposites—they actually require each other. She argues that you can improve your life and avoid burnout by recognizing that productive work leaves you with more time for self-care, and self-care boosts your productivity by energizing you.

In this guide, we’ll explore Beverley’s advice for improving your self-care and productivity. You’ll learn how to use your work time wisely, make work tasks more enjoyable, and pursue self-care that leaves you feeling replenished. We’ll also supplement Beverley’s insights by offering tips from other self-care and productivity experts and providing historical context, such as the origins of our culture of overwork.

Do you feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? That you’re constantly checking things off your to-do list but still don’t have enough time for the important things? Your problem might be that you’re doing a lot, but not doing the right things.

In First Things First, Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, presents a time management approach that focuses on priorities, or “first things.” This approach teaches you to use your time effectively instead of just efficiently—in other words, focusing on what you spend your time on, rather than just how much time you spend per task. You’ll learn how to identify your priorities, schedule your time at the daily and weekly levels, and collaborate with others to ensure the best possible results for everyone.

In this guide, we link Covey’s ideas to books and articles about leadership, spirituality, and even biology to help you determine what’s most important to you and why. We also include connections to other self-help books and business strategy guides to help you maximize your potential, both individually and as part of a group.

We often feel pressured to be as productive as possible, striving for intense, uninterrupted concentration—but what if being laser-focused isn’t just unrealistic, but detrimental? In Attention Span, Gloria Mark suggests that attention isn’t limited to binary states of focus or distraction, but that there are multiple types of attention, all of which have value—even time spent doing mindless work or letting your mind wander.

Mark draws from decades of research on how the human brain spends its mental energy, the many ways we become distracted, and how our capacity to focus fluctuates. In this guide, we’ll explore Mark’s different modes of attention, how digital media acts to break our concentration, and how Mark says we can reclaim our attention from the distractions of the modern world. We’ll also look at what other experts say affects attention, how to direct it, and whether distractions are something you can control.

How can you be more productive and creative? Most of us assume that the answer lies, at least in part, in managing our time better. But in Hyperfocus, productivity expert Chris Bailey presents an alternate hypothesis: To focus in a world full of ever-increasing distractions, you must learn not just how to manage your time but also how to manage your attention.

Bailey explains why your current method of directing your attention isn’t working—like why you still feel tired no matter how many breaks you take—and then shares several strategies for managing your attention for better productivity and creativity. In this guide, we’ll compare these strategies to recommendations from neuroscientists and other productivity experts, supplementing Bailey’s ideas so that you can manage your attention in the most effective way possible.

In The 5 AM Club, Robin Sharma contends that the early bird really does get the worm. He explains how adopting an early morning routine will activate your creativity and productivity, allowing you to discover your inner genius and maximize your abilities. By spending your first hour every day working on your mind, body, heart, and spirit, you’ll gain the tools to become influential in your field, achieve your goals, and create a lasting impact on the world. Our guide explains the principles behind the 5 AM Club, breaks down the basics of habit formation to help you jumpstart your new morning routine, and explores Sharma’s advice for sticking with this routine for good. We also go deeper into why some people find it easier to wake up at the crack of dawn, why you can’t stick to habits even when you know they’re good for you, and what other experts say to help you reach your full potential.

How can you fit a meaningful job, time with your loved ones, and leisure time into your schedule? Many of us would say that it’s impossible. But in 168 Hours, productivity expert Laura Vanderkam argues that you can have a full, satisfying life as long as you manage your time intentionally.

Our guide will explore what it means to manage your time intentionally, and how to discover where all your time is going. (Spoiler alert: You’re spending way more time watching TV than you think!) You’ll also learn why and how to be intentional at work, at home, and with your leisure time—so that you can fit all your favorite activities in without overscheduling yourself. Additionally, we’ll compare Vanderkam’s advice to other experts’ ideas on how to practically and intentionally manage your time.

What is the key to success? It's hard to tell when so much success advice is contradictory: Should you be kind, or is being nice for losers? Should you spend every waking hour at work, or focus on work-life balance? In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, peak performance expert Eric Barker examines the research on every option—and shares what he believes are the secrets to success.

In this guide, you'll learn why context is king—in other words, why the rules for success depend on who you are—and examine interpersonal relationships, reviewing the importance of kindness, networks, and your attitude towards success. We'll also present Barker's views on persistence and hard work, namely why you need to stick to some things and quit others, and how you can achieve the ideal balance of work and play. Along the way, we'll examine how Barker’s ideas compare with those of other thought leaders and introduce even more ways to implement his suggestions.

Everyone wants to find true happiness in their lives, but many of us believe that happiness can only come from experiencing huge changes—such as a trip around the world or a lottery jackpot. But, as it turns out, you can change everything...without changing much at all.

In The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin explains how resolving to make the smallest of changes in your everyday life—using the “good” dishes, remembering friends’ birthdays, or singing in the morning—can translate into more vivid memories, stronger relationships, and a deeper sense of happiness and gratitude in your life.