effective time management enables you to accomplish tasks faster and prioritising those that will make the most impact. figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life.
to help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored six popular techniques. here are some time management strategies you can try:
- the pomodoro technique: this technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. select a task you need to focus on, set a timer for 25 minutes and work only on that task. after 25 minutes, take a short break for 5 minutes, then start again for another 25 minutes.
- parkinson’s law: british historian cyril northcote parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” in other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
- the eisenhower matrix: also referred to as urgent-important matrix was created by the 34th president of the united states, dwight d. eisenhower, who was faced with complex decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the eisenhower matrix. to implement this technique, you need to organise your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent.
- eat that frog: this technique is named after a mark twain quote: “eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way. the goal of the "eat that frog" technique is to analyse the items on your list and organise them according to their difficulty. the idea is that you tackle the most challenging tasks first.
- the pareto analysis: also known as the 80/20 rule, this is a technique created by the italian economist vilfredo pareto. it’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. the goal of pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
- time blocking method: it is a scheduling format that helps boost productivity by dividing your day into specific blocks of time.in contrast to multitasking, time blocking allows you to focus on a single task and devote certain parts of your day to specific tasks.
last but not least, avoid agreeing to too many responsibilities. while it's important to help others when you're able and be a team player, it's also essential to be assertive about your own workload. there is only so much that you can take on without breaking!
achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. if you implement these tips gradually into your workday, you’ll start to see a noticeable difference in the quality of your work and in the results you produce.
