7 most effective methods of time management
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One of the most
One of the most effective ways to become more productive is to get control of your time. Unfortunately, time is something you cannot manage.
You cannot borrow a couple of hours from tomorrow and use them today.
So rather than trying to manage time, we need to manage our activities. What will you do in the twenty-four hours you have each day?
2+8 prioritization methodSelect two
2+8 prioritization method
Select two must-do tasks and eight other tasks you would like to complete the next day.
The two tasks must be done no matter what. For the eight remaining tasks, you will do whatever you can to complete the tasks, but it would not be the end of the world if you cannot complete them.
The purpose is to focus your attention on what is important.
All you need is ten minutes before you close out the day to look at your list of things to do and choose your priorities for the next day.
Keep away from Quadrants
Keep away from Quadrants 3 and 4 as much as possible and try to spend as much time as you can in Quadrant 2. It is quadrant 2 that will help you manage your time better and reduce tasks falling into quadrant 1.
You cannot avoid tasks from all four quadrants.
For instance, many things that will fall into quadrant 4 will be related to rest and relaxation time, but too much of that and you will not be moving anything important forward.
NET (No Extra Time)NET
NET (No Extra Time)
NET works because a lot of our time is wasted each day waiting in queues or for something to happen. It encourages you to take advantage of this time to do work.
For instance, if you are waiting for a meeting to start, you can respond to your email or process your inbox. You could reply to some of your Slack or Microsoft Teams messages or research ideas that need researching.
Our mobile phones have given us the ability to do a lot of the work we previously needed to be in a fixed place to do.
Time blockingThis is a
Time blocking
This is a method of time management to block out time on your calendar to do focused work.
It shows you how much time you have available to do the work that matters. The only way you will be able to do the work that matters is if you have time to do it.
To make sure time blocking works, you must treat each time block as a confirmed appointment.
If you do not, then you will not respect the time you have set aside, and the process of blocking timeout becomes meaningless.
All of these methods
All of these methods are simple and easy to adopt. You don’t need any fancy software or tools. Your calendar or a notes app will work perfectly well. They are also tried and tested to work.
If you are looking for a simple way to boost your productivity and time management skills, then any of these seven methods of time management will give you tremendous results.
Pomodoro techniqueThe Pomodoro technique
Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique is where you set a timer for 25 minutes and work focused and undisturbed for those twenty-five minutes. Then, once the alarm goes off, you take a five-minute break and set your alarm for another twenty-five minutes of focused work.
Knowing you can look at something else for five minutes, gives you the motivation to push through until the end of the twenty-five minutes.
There is an array of applications for your mobile devices and desktop that will set the timers for you and help you stay focused on whatever it is you want to focus on.
Eisenhower matrixThis method of
Eisenhower matrix
This method of time management is less about managing time and more about prioritizing your work.
The matrix is made up of four quadrants:
- Quadrant 1 – Important and urgent
- Quadrant 2 – Important and not urgent
- Quadrant 3 – Not important and urgent
- Quadrant 4 – Not important and not urgent
Starting from that place
Starting from that place gives you a massive advantage because you put yourself in control.
You control what you do in the time you have available. There are many ways you can manage your activity that focuses on what’s important.
Here are 7 methods of time management that will help you.
The Ivy Lee methodThis
The Ivy Lee method
This method was developed by Ivy Lee to improve the productivity of his senior managers.
He told each manager to write the six most important tasks they must do the next day in order of priority on a piece of paper.
When they arrived the next morning, they began work on the first task and, once completed, crossed it off and started on the next one.
If you cannot complete all six, they get carried forward to the next day, and you repeat the process with another set of six tasks.
With only six available tasks, you will not put low-value tasks on your list.
You can use a calendar, a notes app, or a dedicated task manager to write out your list of six.
Pareto principleThe Pareto principle
Pareto principle
The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes.
For instance, if you are a writer, spending time writing will proportionately contribute more to the finished article or book than researching writing applications and tools.
Similarly, being in front of your customer (or prospect) will have a much bigger impact on your sales performance than planning out a sales strategy or creating lists of potential prospects.
While the tasks that contribute 20% of your outcomes have their place, they should not be allowed to become where you spend most of your time.