Nine Essential Strategies for Time Management
With a new season approaching, you may find yourself swept away in a sea of endless tasks. From work or school to chores to other things such as a fitness regimen, social clubs or hobby groups, it might be a little hard to manage. However, throughout my time in college and in my first two years as a young professional, I have developed these nine strategies which allow me to accomplish all that I do even during the most demanding times and with ADHD.
1. Make use of daylight hours
Research shows that exposure to natural light while working has several benefits and most importantly, it can boost productivity. To be most effective, shift your schedule to start and end your day 1–2 hours earlier. For example, instead of waking up at 7am and staying up until 11pm, try waking up at 5 and going to sleep at 9. In addition, you will be interrupted less during the early hours of the morning so you have the advantage to take action and accomplish more.
2. Focus on the same tasks at the same time of day in the same place
Developing a routine will make it easier for you to get started and concentrate on the task at hand. If you do a certain thing such as workout every morning, keep doing it in the morning. Likewise, if you do something such as meal preparations or laundry on Saturday afternoon, then maintain that schedule. Additionally, it will be easier to focus on the task itself by associating that task with that specific place. I work at my desk, eat in the kitchen, and read on my couch. Similarly, don’t do other things in these places or they will distract you later when you’re doing other work. Be sure to select an appropriate place as well. I don’t do work or stream shows in bed. I even avoid reading in bed as well. Choosing to other things in bed considered poor sleep hygiene and can even lead to insomnia.
3. Learn the time needed for each task
Pay close attention to the time required to complete the actual task as well as the time needed for other related tasks. For example, working out may only take 30–45 minutes but getting changed, driving to the gym, and a post-workout shower may also add an additional 30–45 minutes. Similarly, you might find that certain tasks require less time than you think such as washing dishes or folding laundry so you’ll be less likely to put them off in the future if you are aware of this.
4. Distribute your time effectively
Typically, your focus can be maintained for 60 to 90 minutes at a time for each task. Deep work should not last any longer than 2–3 hours. Working for longer periods of time could become counterproductive with reduced cognitive function or lower levels of creativity resulting in errors or lower quality of work. Allow for a 10 to 15 minute break before switching tasks as well.
5. Make a daily to do list
Keep your list to 5 or 6 prioritized items and set specific goals. Prioritizing tasks can be done using a matrix with urgency on the vertical axis and importance on the horizontal axis (see below).
6. Identify your peak periods of momentum
For most, this will be early in the morning or immediately after getting off work in the evening. Essentially, you will gain momentum when you start working. Let it carry you through your daily tasks. If you find yourself saying, “I can do this later.” let it serve as a prompt to do it immediately if possible.
7. Eliminate dead hours
If you analyze your day, you will discover how many 15-30-minute blocks of time are wasted waiting or spent unnecessarily. For example, if you have an event at 7 pm and it is currently 6 pm but you only need to leave at 6:30, consider what tasks might need to be done the meantime. Additionally, if you go to the gym immediately after work, take your gym bag with you and change in the bathroom as opposed to going home to change and then going to workout. By eliminating any redundancy, you can get back ample amounts of time lost throughout the day. Lastly, multitasking can be implemented in some cases. Certain tasks are inherently passive such as running the washing machine or updating your computer operating system. Be sure to start tasks like these and then complete other tasks in the meantime to maximize efficiency.
8. Leave unscheduled time for flexibility.
This one is pretty straight forward but giving yourself a buffer of even just 30 minutes can allow for time that may rollover due to any unforeseen interruptions. The standard method is adding an extra 15 minutes per task prior to and post completion.
9. Consolidate your schedule into one place.
There is no need to keep multiple calendars across numerous analog and digital platforms. Just pick one and stick to it. For an analog system, I recommend using the Field Notes 56-week Planner. If you prefer a digital system, the calendar provided by your email platform or smartphone should work just fine.
Joseph Mohr is a Catholic, Athlete, Craftsman, Writer, Stoic, and, most importantly, a Floral Enthusiast. He graduated from Texas A&M in 2019 with a B.S. in Human Geography but quickly became an aspiring polymath. He currently works as a data analyst in the urban planning sector and runs The Night Watch, his personal brand dedicated to fighting the good fight. In his spare time, he enjoys studying art, architecture, cartography, psychology, and language, and is a lover of running, lifting, drawing, camping & hiking, hockey, and Texas Two-Stepping.
