Time I will be talking you through time management tips and techniques.

Do you have a lot to get done, but you don’t know where to start? So many people think they do not have enough time to do the things they need and want to do.

Most people, however, just need to learn to manage their time better. If you have a super-long to-do list it can be overwhelming to figure out how to fit it all into your day.

You do not have to implement all of these tips to be successful. Feel free to pick one or two that resonate with you and start there.

Even utilising a few of the techniques on this list will help you make your day more manageable.

Once you master a few, you can move on and choose a couple more to work on later. It doesn’t matter what you have going on, whether at work or at home, these time management tips are sure to make you more productive.

People are busier today than ever before. Sometimes we go so far as to glorify busy as if taking on too much is a badge of honour that we should wear proudly.

We have to be careful about how we choose to spend our time. It is so important to manage your time well, so you can spend more time on the things that truly matter.

I hope you have a good idea of what that is for you, so you can focus your efforts accordingly.

Below are 10 simple time management tips and techniques that will skyrocket your productivity.

Time Management Tips and Techniques – Ultimate Guide!

Shift your mindset

One of the best time management skills you can adopt is the ability to shift your mindset. To have an open mind; able to understand fresh perspectives and to be willing to question them.

Basically, to challenge both yourself and your assumptions in regards to how things work.

One great way to do this is to simply ask yourself why. For example, why…

• Do I do X first thing in the morning?
• Am I responsible for X tasks?
• Is there only so much of X?

These questions are meant to help you understand the big picture. Because you’ll often find that the work you do isn’t aligned with your goals.

Which is a problem.

So, from time to time, ask yourself why.

You may just discover some new ways of doing things. Or better yet, that some things that you do now don’t need to be done at all!

Utilise a calendar

Ah, the calendar. Seen by many as one of the top time management strategies (myself included).

Why?

Because of how helpful it is in organizing your life.

Whether planning for today, for your week, or for a year from now, using a calendar is a must.

Most smartphones come with a calendar built in. Personally, I use the default one that comes on Apple devices. I’ve also heard great things about Google Calendar too. You can use a free app or a paper calendar. You can use a notebook or a spreadsheet.

It doesn’t matter as long as you have some sort of system for planning.

Use your calendar as a way to plan for the future, to stay organized, and to manage your time.

Stop multitasking

Plain and simple – multitasking doesn’t work.

I used to consider myself the king of multitasking… until I realized that I wasn’t actually getting anything done.

So, if you’re wondering how to manage time effectively, keep this one in mind. Because by spreading your focus too thin (i.e., multitasking), you won’t be able to actually get anything done.

Instead, then, create a list of what you need to do. Pick the most important item on that list and start working on it with clarity and focus.

Close out of your social media, put your phone on airplane mode, and get it done!

By single-tasking instead of multitasking, you will make huge strides in whatever you are trying to get done.

Be flexible

What? Be flexible? Didn’t you just tell me to plan out my life with a calendar?

Yes, but there’s more to time management than just using a calendar.

Things will happen unexpectedly. Problems arise here or there, deadlines change, software crashes.

Life will mess up your plans occasionally.

And when that happens, you need to be flexible.

In those moments, use your time to the best of your ability, but don’t be too hard on yourself if other things take precedence. Be flexible with your schedule and open to the fact that things will change and you’ll have to adapt as you go.

However, don’t use those events as an excuse to stop working towards your goals.

Instead, once the unexpected situation is resolved, get back to the task at hand with determination and drive.

Know when to say no (and yes!)

You may feel the urge to say yes to every single thing that comes your way. It’s a common feeling that many share.

And I get it. You don’t want to miss out on an opportunity. So, if you say yes to everything, you’ll never miss a thing.

That’s not true though.

Keep in mind that one of the best time management skills that you should develop is to recognise when to say yes and when to say no. Because if you say yes to one opportunity, that means you are simultaneously saying no to potentially hundreds of other opportunities.

For example, if you attend a conference over the weekend that you have no interest in, that’s time that you could’ve spent:

• Working on your side project
• Exercising
• Reading
• Spending time with loved ones
• Updating your resume for a better job

But instead of doing any of those things, you’re sitting in some poorly lit meeting room listening to someone drone on about something you’re never going to use.

So, recognise that every time you say yes to one thing you are also saying no to something else and decide accordingly.

Optimise your meetings

Meetings are time wasters.

At best they help move a project along. At worst they burn an hour from your otherwise productive day.

So similar to recognising when to say yes and no, take the time to understand which meetings will provide value to you before agreeing to them.

If deemed not valuable, politely decline.

Or if you determine that it’s an important meeting to attend, make sure that:

• Only the necessary people are there. Keep it small and concise.
• There is an outline of topics that will be covered.
• That it is scheduled for a short period and ends on time.

I try and avoid meetings at all costs, but when I need to attend them, I make sure they follow those guidelines.

Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone

Here’s one of the best (and simplest) time management skills to develop – pick up the phone.

Sending emails back and forth wastes time. Communication can often fall apart, message deliveries can get delayed, people can take days to respond.

If you are looking to get things done fast, try picking up the phone and calling the other person instead.

Doing so will avoid unnecessary time waste and miscommunication.

Prioritise

With an ever-expanding list of to-dos, it is imperative that you prioritize the important versus the non.

So, go through your list and determine which items are important, not important, urgent, and not urgent (often referred to as the Eisenhower Matrix).

Use your goals as a reference point to help determine which items should be worked on first.

Put the urgent, important items at the top of your list and either remove or put the not urgent, not important items at the bottom.

Slow down and prioritise!

Get motivated

Whether it’s work, your routine, or overall health, burnout is not fun to deal with.

So be proactive!

Experiment with different ways of keeping yourself fresh and motivated. Build in some new positive habits, try out some new techniques, keep pushing onward.

Treat your mind and body well so that you can sustain your energy levels through the long haul.

You can be more productive!

Learn to focus

To close out the list of time management skills, one skill that you’ll greatly benefit from developing is focus.

Because the better you can focus, the easier it will be for you to complete important tasks and get real work done. It’s a truly essential skill to have in your time management tool belt.

So, try putting:

• Your phone on airplane mode so that you don’t get distracted
• Some music on that helps you focus
• Your current workspace aside and go find a quieter place to get work done

The key to making this time management skill work is to uncover what best allows you to concentrate.

Final thoughts

Just like learning how to use a hammer or paint a wall, building out your time management skill repertoire will take time.

It won’t be immediate and it won’t happen overnight.

But if you take little steps forward with your skills each day, your ability to effectively manage your time and get more done will continue to grow and grow.

So, get to it!

Push forward and make the progress you’re after!

Use the time management skills listed above and start harnessing your time like never before.

I really hope you found inspiration in this article.

I would love to hear your thoughts on what you are doing to change your life in the coming days and years!

If you have any questions please reach out to me via adam@adam-lawrence.org. I would love to hear from you!

I really hope you found inspiration in this article.

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Adam

Hello! My name is Adam and welcome to my space on the internet. Here you can find me writing about subjects such as spiritual growth, self-discovery, wellbeing, addiction recovery and mental health. Please connect with me on my journey and join the community!