They say time is gold. It’s probably because it’s one of the most valuable resources you can ever have. You cannot store it or save for later use.

Why do we need to manage time? Well, nowadays, there are a lot of responsibilities that compete with your time. Managing it well helps you make conscious choices, so you can spend more of your time doing things that are important and valuable to you.

I’m excited to share with you some lessons I have learned and techniques that I use to manage my time purposefully. You may want to customize them to your own life and focus but my hope is that you will be inspired and motivated as you read through these tips. Let’s go!

Know Your Priorities

Start with the non-negotiables. What are the important things in your life? Block out time for them in your calendar. That way, you can work your schedule around these times and make sure they happen. If family is important, block dinner times with them. Block the times that you pray or go to church. Block your exercise days if health is of value. Whatever is your priority, start with those so you don’t find yourself compromising.

Tools Are Cool

There are a number of tools that can help us manage our time well. The Calendar app is of course the most useful. If I want something done, I put it on my calendar.

Reminder apps or or to-do lists that sync with your other apps are helpful. I use an app called gTasks pro which syncs with my Google Mail).

If you are an iPhone user, you can use Siri to remind you of things when you are on the move and unable to type and she (or he, depending on the voice you set) will make sure they appear in your Calendar or Reminder. The Do Not Disturb function also comes in handy when you are at a priority activity.

But, there’s nothing like an old school planner. Writing your list physically allows you to focus on it without being interrupted by anything online.

Multitasking Kills Your Focus

Realistically, our brain can only process one thing at a time. When we say we are multitasking, we’re actually just switching from one activity to another. When are working on several tasks, you don’t notice that you are not able to perform the other activities well. Like writing a blog while replying to a text message (i’m totally not doing that right now). So if you want to be productive with your time, try your best to do one activity at a time.

Identify Your Distractions

There are so many things that can distract us in this day and age. A Facebook notification comes and all of a sudden you find yourself checking the feed for almost an hour. So, identify which one causes you to lose track of time and be the boss of it. Maybe there are things you can do, like turning off your phone, so you can focus on your activity.

Take Control Of Your Time

Remember that you are the manager of your time. not the other way around. Oftentimes, we find ourselves reacting to unnecessary interruptions rather than taking control of your priorities.

I start my week looking at my schedule so I know my priorities. Then I start each day revisiting my to-do list (or creating one) so I know what I need to accomplish. Doing this, I find myself still having time to do extra things because I have put priorities on what needs to be done and focusing my attention on them.

Build An Action Plan

For some people, their challenge is getting started with managing their time. Calendars and to-do lists are not their thing. So if you want to make a change, start small. Don’t get overwhelmed by the details of time management. Maybe start just scheduling a week and see how that goes. Have an action plan that will work for you and your lifestyle.

Don’t Procrastinate

The number one challenge of building an action plan is, you got it — procrastination. I find that I tend to put things on hold when I’m lazy, don’t like the task or find it too overwhelming. If it’s overwhelming, maybe it will help if you break the task down. I tried this recently when I needed to revisit our house contract and was too lazy to dig through my archives. So I started with just putting down the box from my top drawer. When it was already out from being hidden, I found time to look for the folder. Then the last task was to read it.

It may sound like a it was broken down to very menial tasks but it did remove the sense of being overwhelmed by the entire task altogether.

Another way to break from procrastination because of laziness is change of environment. My favorite airport is Changi Airport and I would normally go there when I need to write. Sometimes, I get distracted if I stay at home because I find all kinds of excuses to just relax. So find the environment that will encourage you more to be productive.

Ask For Help

It’s ok to ask for help. Getting someone to be accountable to will help you be better especially if planning is not your strongest suit. It may also be a good push for you to get started with managing your time.

Say No To Over Scheduling

Time management does not mean you have to fill every moment of your day with an activity. Have a buffer. Rest is also an activity so make sure you don’t over-stress yourself with a full schedule.

Changes Are Ok

And at the end of it all, when changes happen, Yoda will tell you “panic, you must not”. Because you have been planning well, when changes happen, you will know how to adjust your schedule as well. Remember, you are managing your time and not the other way around.

So there you go, I hope that you can get started with one, it not two, of these 10 skills that I have learned over time. If you have some strategies that help you manage your time, feel free to share them so others can benefit as well.

Now, find time to sit down and get started. What is your priority this week?

As published on http://joytalavera.com