Time management methods
Do you always have enough time? Or do you find that there are ‘not enough hours in the day'? Maybe you even ‘run out of time’
But do we really? Of course, we don’t, so why do some people manage to fit in more than others? The answer is simply Time management.
What is Time Management?
Time management is the process of properly planning and organising your time between particular tasks and activities. Remember, being productive is not the same as being busy.
The most productive people manage to use their time extremely well, often incorporating time management methods that we will cover in this article.
Why should you use Time management?
Great use of time management enables you to work better without working harder; it allows you to get more work done but in less time. As well as providing you with a good reputation in your business, greater opportunity to achieve your goals both in work and life and less stress. Poor time management can harm your professional reputation, provide poor quality of work, less workflow and a rise in your stress levels.
Spending a little time reading about time management methods now could help you in the long run.
Pomodoro method
The Pomodoro method was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo as a student. This method uses a timer to break down your work into shorter periods. It is named the Pomodoro method because that is Italian for tomato, and he used a tomato-shaped kitchen timer when he came up with the method.
Main points:
Set a timer for 25 minutes.
Only focus on 1 task in those 25 minutes with no distraction
When the timer rings, take a short break of 5 minutes and something not work-related. Eg goes for a walk, make a cup of tea.
Repeat steps 1 -3 four more times and then take a longer break.
Parkinson’s Law
Cyril Parkinson was a British historian who believed that the amount of time you set yourself to complete a task would mean it WOULD be the amount of time you used to complete it.
Main points:
Try working without a computer charger. It will force you to finish before the computer runs out of power.
Set a deadline and then cut it in half
Set yourself a limited time to do things. For example, allow yourself 30 mins to return messages and don’t do that at any other time.
Time Blocking Method
Main points:
At the start of your day, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks are everything you need to complete, from having a shower to working.
For every hour in your day, create either 1 hour or 30 min blocks
Estimate how long it will take you to do each task and fit them within the blocks.
Don’t forget to add buffer zones to allow for times when you may overrun or need to make adjustments.
Eisenhower Matrix
Yes, you are right in thinking that this method was invented by Dwight Eisenhower (before he was president).
Main points:
Divide a piece of paper up into 4 quadrants.
Label the top 2 Important and Urgent. The bottom 2 unimportant and non-urgent.
Urgent tasks are ones that are needed to be done immediately; Important tasks are the ones that help you achieve your long-term goals.
Then sort your tasks into 1 of the four quadrants. Then only work on the tasks in the top 2 quadrants, and the bottom 2 should be deleted or delegated.
Eat the frog method
The method does have a strange name and is named after a quote
“Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”
In other words, begin your day by doing the task you want to do the least and getting it out of the way.
Main points:
Decide what your overall goal of the day is
Make a list of steps you must do to achieve it
Prioritise the tasks on the list
Start with the tasks you don’t want to do first, and if you have more than one, start with the worst.
Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
This method is also known as ’result, purpose, and massive action plan’ and was created by Tony Robbins. It claims to train your brain to concentrate on what you want so you can make it real.
Main points:
Write down all your tasks for the week.
Put those tasks into chunks.
On a sheet of paper, make three columns with the titles The task, The result and the purpose.
Now list the actions you need to take to get there
Give yourself an empowerment role, something that will get you excited about completing your goal.
These are just a few methods out there, so whatever your task, goal, or deadline is, there is bound to be one that works for you.
And if you’re looking for an organised, experienced VA to help with day-to-day management, scaling up your social media presence, and more, feel free to get in touch with Erin at Bizzybee.
