5 Keys to Effective Time Management
Most of us have struggled with managing our time effectively at some point in our lives.
Despite your best efforts to stay on top of your schedule, life’s demands can get a little out of hand. Most days feel like a constant race with your long list of to-do’s,. Before you know it it’s already starting to get dark outside.
If this sounds a lot like your daily life, you're likely in need of some time management. Doing so can help you work smarter and get more done efficiently. Not only can it increase your focus and productivity, but it also helps reduce stress and burnout.
What is time management?
In essence, time management is a strategy of planning and organizing your available time to work efficiently. This involves controlling the amount of time you spend on certain activities each day.
Time management is a wide topic with various tools, techniques and strategies. What works for one person will not necessarily work for you. It’s a trial and error approach to find what suits you best, to give you the desired results based on priorities and obligations.
You can practice effective time management and master one that suits you, to achieve professional success and personal satisfaction.
How to effectively manage your time
Identify your “peak hours”
When managing your time, learning how to maximize your focus and energy is just as important.
Ask yourself, “What time am I most productive and focused?” These times are called your peak hours or golden hours. It is when you have the most energy and concentration. By identifying this time window, you can take full advantage of it and use the time to do the most important and challenging tasks for the day.
For instance some are morning people. perhaps waking up at 5:00 am each day. Know they are more alert in the morning and perform their most of the difficult tasks during this time.
Additionally, you may know someone who considers them self a night owl, being more focused at night. This person completing brain intensive tasks in the morning may prove counterproductive, because it’s not their peak hours.
Identify your golden hours and schedule your most brain-intensive activities and priorities during these times. This way, you’d have enough energy and retention to finish high-value work.
Multitasking
Multitasking has been increasingly popular for those who want to maximize their time. But are we really doing multiple tasks at the same time?
According to Dave Crenshaw, the best-selling author of The Myth of Multitasking: How "Doing It All" Gets Nothing Done, what we’re doing when we try to multitask is actually switchtasking or background tasking.
Switchtasking refers the attempt to do multiple tasks at the same time. This is usually referred to as multitasking. An example of this is talking on the phone while doing some other work. It seems that you’re doing both tasks simultaneously, however you’re actually switching rapidly from your call to the task.
The constant shift in attention makes us refocus over and over again, disrupting our flow. This increases the time needed to complete the task and even reduces your work’s quality, making you more prone to mistakes.
Background tasking includes performing a task what something occurs in the background . An example of this is listening to the radio while driving. You don’t have to focus on the music but you can have it play in the background while you concentrate on the road. Crenshaw states this can be beneficial, improving overall productivity and mood.
Find the right time management technique
Here are some of the best techniques you can try depending on your priorities and what best fits your schedule:
Time blocking
Time blocking is a time management tool that focuses on your daily structure. Instead of listing all your tasks as to-dos, you block each task and schedule it on a specific time slot. This allows you to know exactly what you need to do at any time of the day. This way you can focus on one task at a time.
How-to do:
Time blocking is fairly simple. Just like your to-do list, you write out all your tasks for the day.
After doing so, fit these tasks into the suitable time blocks or slots for the day.
You should be able to specify both the start and end times for each block.
Once you’re done brainstorming your schedule, it’s time to act on it.
Track your progress and see which one works and doesn’t.
Pomodoro method
The Pomodoro method is a very straightforward time management tool that aims to increase productivity by breaking work into intervals. Each cycle is called “Pomodoro”.
How-to:
The method involves working on a task in 25-minute increments.
To do this, you will need to set a timer for 25 minutes and start working on the task.
Once the alarm rings, stop regardless of where you are on the task.
You will then take a short break of 3-5 minutes.
Do Pomodoro after Pomodoro up to 4 times. This is likely the time you complete a task.
After that, you can take longer breaks for 15-30 minutes.
Repeat the process.
Moscow method
This method is also known as “Must Should Want” as it focuses on these three primary tasks.
MUST include your high-priority task that needs immediate attention.
SHOULD include a task that will affect your long-term goals.
WANT is something you want to do but isn’t a priority.
How-to:
Use a planner and draw a box divided into two columns and three rows. You can also create a table on your device.
In the left column, write the words MUST, SHOULD, WANT, in each row respectively.
In the right column, list a task that best reflects the goal of each row and that you would like to complete within the day.
Manage people’s expectations of your time
We all likely have had our share of troubles saying “no” may it be regarding work, extra meetings, family events, or parties with friends. We tend to say “yes” to sudden offers or favors even when our schedule says otherwise.
While it may sound like the easy option, every time you say yes, what you’re actually doing is taking time out of your planned activities to squeeze in the unplanned events or tasks. This not only disrupts your flow but can also reduce focus and effectiveness.
Once you over-extend yourself, you may get overwhelmed and not finish all of them on time. This can end in missed deadlines, burnout, procrastination and stress. If you desire to improve your time management, it helps to manage people’s expectations of your availability as too.
How-to:
Avoid giving an instant answer. You can respond by saying something like, “I’ll check mu calendar and get back to you”. This provides you time to think carefully about the request before committing.
Always stay pleasant, stand firm, and stick to your “no”. Don’t be afraid to decline politely. Once you’ve decided you’re not available, don’t permit guilt trips to change your mind.
Scope creep
Those who are specifically in the project management niche face a common challenge called “scope creep”. Scope creep happens when clients initiate sudden changes or give you more responsibilities even when they’re outside your project’s scope. It leads you to finish things longer than originally planned.
To avoid this, you should always ensure that you’ve properly identified and defined the deliverables of the project or job before starting. You should also learn to say no and be able to establish boundaries. Remember, details are your best friend.
Be very specific about your hours of availability and the services you agree to. That way, any additional work would entail added cost on their end and they won’t be able to “creep” out of nowhere. Don’t allow added commitments that don’t reflect your agreed goals unless properly compensated. This will teach them the value of both your time and effort.
Use time management tools
There are countless available time management apps you can utilize to keep you accountable. Here are some of the best ones that can help you get started:
Calendly. This tool is perfect for setting up meetings. With this, no time would get wasted on going back and forth when scheduling appointments.
Toggl. This is a time tracking software that serves as an online timer perfect for personal accountability and expanding time.
Trello. This is a tool perfect for those who want to coordinate a team. This can help you delegate better and collaborate with your team, consequently leading to a better workflow.
Don’t be hard on yourself
At the end of the day, there is no perfect, one-size-fits-all time management technique.
Structure your life better, improve your work-life balance, boost your productivity, and find time to do the things you love. All these starts with the conscious planning of the time you use each day.
Learn about time management and choose what works for you. While life remains unexpected and there’s no guarantee that your schedule will always stay the same, the right time management can provide you a sense of stability with your day.
Stay consistent and be honest with your progress. Soon enough, you’ll be able to perfect your very own time management technique one day at a time.