Time Management: 8 Methods for
Effective Time Management
What is time management ?
Time management is a technique for managing time. It is self-organization and self-management. Time
management helps a person or a company to plan time and save resources; for example, if you are overwhelmed with work, and you do not know what to do in the first place so you should prioritize; Prioritising helps you figure out which tasks are urgent and important, and which are just distracting you .
The more we manage to do our plans,
the better the quality of our work and life will be. And in the word of
digital transformation and accelerating change, managing time clearly helps you
stay focused on goals and stay on path.
Time management principles
Almost all existing methods of time management consist of three components: prioritization, planning and structuring.
Prioritization : To complete a task, you need to determine how urgent, complex and important it is, and only then proceed with its implementation.
Planning : To complete a task, you need to figure out when it should be done and how long it will take.
Structuring : To complete a task, you need to understand how to track its progress and results.
Best Time Management Techniques
1. Preparation in the evening
Preparing in the evening is suitable for those who find it difficult to get up early in the morning ,so you do not forget to write down your tasks and your personal work for the next day ; This will help you understand your workload in advance and distribute tasks without rushing in the next day, you can also prepare a task plan that is suitable for your evening routine.
2. Deadlines
Set clear deadlines , a clear time frame encourages you to work faster and helps you cope with procrastination. Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found that even self-imposed deadlines help to get things off the ground .
3. Eating the "frog"
The business coach Brian Tracy suggests what he called "Eating the frog" every morning ; doing the most difficult and unpleasant task first. In the morning, the brain is less loaded with information, so it will be easier for you to cope with a difficult task. After such a task, you will feel satisfied .
4. Small tasks
This is the complete opposite of the previous method. Do small tasks - 1-2 minutes - first, if possible at the same time. For example, check your mail and equipment, submit requests, or distribute tasks. This rule is taken from the Getting Things Done (GTD) method of business coach David Allen .
5. Autofocus
The "autofocus" method is suitable for people who often work on tasks without a deadline. The two preceding principles dictate the obligation to choose a task, and this sense of duty is rejected. The author of the method, Mark Forster , believes that first you should write all the tasks into a single list, and then slowly read it until you choose one. The hardness of the task does not matter, the desire to do it right now is more important. If you succeed in completing the task today, cross it out. If it didn't work, move it to the end of the list and hit it again.
6. Do it tomorrow
The author of the book Do It Tomorrow , Mark Forster recommends taking on urgent tasks right away, do not put them off until tomorrow. To do this, you need to maintain closed to-do lists. You cannot add a new task to the closed list, until the next day. This approach helps to keep focus on urgent and current affairsso you only do your job.
Forster distinguishes between "my real job" and "being busy." A real job helps you advance in your business or profession. This is where you fully apply your skills and knowledge. Step out of your comfort zone often - doing things you haven't done before. The work is really difficult, and this work may cause a little resistance.
"Busy", comes when you put off real work into small tasks. Activity is not the same as action. If the job feels overwhelmed but doesn't feel challenging, it’s most likely just "busy". Real work can be difficult, but it doesn't make you feel like a squirrel in a wheel.
7. One task at a time
Multitasking in an intellectual work doesn't work. In 2009, researchers from Stanford University conducted an experiment ; They found that when a person does several intellectual things at the same time, for example, reads and talks on the phone or listening to music, it is worse at remembering both the content of the conversation and what he read. At the same time, he cannot determine which information was important and which could be omitted. If a person only works on one thing at a time, he or she copes better with the task and remembers information well.
8.Time management by chronotype
The method is suitable for those who want to create an ideal daily routine for themselves. Michael Breus, a clinical psychologist,states that there are four chronotypes. Each of them has their own ideal time to wake up, peak productivity and sleep patterns:
- "The Bears". They are comfortable waking up from 7 to 11 in the morning, the peak of productivity falls on the period from 11 to 18 hours, and going to bed should be no later than 23 hours.
- "Lions". They can wake up without an alarm clock from 5:30 to 10 in the morning, are most productive from 10 to 17, it is better for them to go to the bed before 22:30.
- "Wolves". They get up very hard in the morning, their time is from 7:30 to 12:00, they work effectively until 20:00 and easily go to bed at 00:00.
- "Dolphins". People with hectic sleep patterns, so even if they get up from 6 to 10, can easily fall back to sleep. To fall asleep by midnight, they need to remove any screens two hours before bed. The peak of their activity is from 10 to 18 hours.
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