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CONTENTS

Introduction…………………………………………………………3

Understanding the Concept of Time Management………………….4

Benefits of Time Management……………………………………7

5 Key Factors of Time Management………………………………………12

Time Management Techniques ………………………………..18

Conclusion…………………………………………………………31

About the Author…………………………………………………..32

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 Introduction
The ability to manage time in any practice will determine your success or failure. Time is
the one indispensable and irreplaceable resource of accomplishment as we all have
access to equal hours of the day.

It is your most pre- precious asset. It cannot be saved, nor can it be recovered once
lost. Everything you have to do require time, and the better you use your time, the more
you will accomplish, and the greater will be your rewards.

Time management is essential for maximum health and personal effectiveness. The
degree to which you feel in control of your time and your life is a major determinant of
your level of inner peace, harmony, and mental well-being. A feeling of being ―out of
control‖ of your time is the major source of stress, anxiety, and depression. The better
you can organize your time and control the critical events of your life, the better you will
feel, moment to moment, the more energy you will have, the better you will sleep, and
the more you will get done.

You can gain two productive hours each working day, or even double your output and
your productivity, by using the ideas and methods shared in this book. To effectively
manage your time, you must have an intense, burning desire to get your time under
control and achieve maximum effectiveness. Another factor to consider you must make
a clear decision that you are going to practice good time management techniques until
they become a habit.

You must also be willing to persist in the face of all temptations to the contrary until you
have become an effective time manager. Your desire will reinforce your determination.
And finally, the most important key to success in life is discipline: You must discipline
yourself to make time management a lifelong practice. Effective discipline is the
willingness to force yourself to pay the price and to do what you know you should do
when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not. This is critical for success.

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 Chapter 1
Understanding the Concept of Time Management
Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time
between different activities. It could also mean the ability to use your time effectively to
get work done within a stipulated period. Get it right, and you'll end up working smarter,
not harder, to get more done in less time – even when time is tight and pressures are
high.

Everyone has equal time allotted to them each day, month, and year so you need to
understand that to successfully become a professional time manager you need to
understand the psychology of time management and how to effectively implement it.
This goes to explain how you think and feel about yourself largely determines the quality
of your life, and the emotional core of your personality is your self-esteem.

Your self-esteem is largely determined by the way you use your life and time in the
development of your full potential. Your Self-esteem increases when you are working
efficiently, and your self-esteem goes down when you are not. self-esteem is defined as
the degree to which you feel you are competent, capable, and productive, able to solve
your problems, do your work, and achieve your goals. People who manage their time
well feel positive, confident, and in charge of their lives.

The psychology of time management is based on a simple principle called the Law of
Control. This law says that you feel good about yourself to the degree to which you feel
you are in control of your own life. This law also says that you feel negative about
yourself to the degree to which you feel that you are not in control of your own life or
work. Psychologists refer to the difference between an internal locus of control, where
you feel that you are the master of your destiny, and an external locus of control, where
you feel that you are controlled by circumstances outside yourself. When you have an
external locus of control, you feel that you are controlled by your boss and your bills,
and by the pressure of your work and responsibilities. You feel that you have too much

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to do in too little time and that you are not really in charge of your time and your life.
Most of what you are doing, hour after hour, is reacting and responding to external
events.
There is a big difference between action that is self-determined and goal-directed and
reaction, which is an immediate response to external pressure. It’s the difference
between feeling positive and in control of your life and feeling negative, stressed, and
pressured. To perform at your best, you must have a strong feeling of control in the
important areas of your business and personal life.

Another factor to consider when examining the psychology of time management is your
thoughts and feelings. In psychological terms, each person has a self-concept, an
internal master's program that regulates his behavior in every important area of life.
People with a high self-concept regarding time management see themselves and think
about themselves as being well organized and productive. They are very much in
charge of their lives and their work.

Your self-concept is made up of all of your ideas, pictures, images, and especially your
beliefs about yourself, especially regarding the way you manage your time. Some
people believe themselves to be extremely well organized and efficient. Others feel
continuously overwhelmed by the demands of other people and circumstances which
affect their productivity skills.

Another thing to take note of is that your beliefs become your reality. What are your
beliefs about yourself and your ability to manage your own time? Do you see yourself
and think about yourself as a highly efficient and effective time manager? Do you
believe you are highly productive and in complete control of your life and your work?
Whatever your belief, if you think of yourself as an excellent time manager, you will
naturally do those things that are consistent with that belief. Your belief system will help
you become a professional time manager.

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Decide to develop a specific time management habit, like being early for a meeting or
business event, also program your mind that once you have decided to become a highly
productive person, there are a series of personal programming techniques that you can
practice.

The first is to change your inner dialogue. Ninety-five percent of your emotions, and
your eventual actions, are determined by the way that you talk to yourself most of the
time. Repeat to yourself, ―I am well organized and highly productive.‖ Whenever you
feel overwhelmed with too much work, take a time-out and say to yourself, ―I am well
organized and highly productive.‖ Affirm over and over to yourself that ―I am an
excellent time manager.‖ If people ask you about your time usage, tell them ―I am an
excellent time manager.‖ Whenever you say that ―I am well organized,‖ your
subconscious accepts these words as a command and begins to motivate and drive you
toward actually becoming well organized in your behaviors.

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 Chapter 2
Benefits of Time Management
The ability to run a business is good time management. If you can’t manage your time
well, there’s no way you will achieve anything that was planned. Time management will
be difficult to implement if you don’t value time at all. When you waste the time you
have, it will feel very heavy when trying to achieve business success. If you want to
succeed in business, time management must be considered well.

Those who have success also have the same time as you, so you still have a chance to
succeed. So, this is not about how much time you have. It’s about how effectively you
manage your time. The ability to manage your time effectively is important. Good time
management leads to increased efficiency and productivity, less stress, eating more
success in life as well as your business. Here are some of the benefits of managing
time effectively:

1. Relieve stress
Creating and following a task schedule reduces anxiety. When you check the items on
the ―to-do list‖ list, you can see that you are making real progress. It helps you avoid
stress because you are worried about whether you have accomplished something.

2. More time
Good time management gives you extra time to spend in everyday life. People who can
manage time effectively enjoy more time spent on hobbies or other personal activities.

3. More opportunities
Managing time well leads to more opportunities and less time wasted on trivial activities.
Good time management skills are the main quality sought by employers. The ability to
prioritize and schedule work is highly desirable for any organization.

4. The ability to realize goals

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Individuals who practice good time management can achieve goals and objectives
better and do so in a shorter time. After considering the benefits of time management,
let’s look at several ways to manage time effectively:

How to Manage Time Effectively

1. Set goals correctly

Set goals that can be achieved and measured. Use the SMART method when setting
goals. Bottom line, make sure you set goals that are Specific (Specific), Measured
(Measurable), Achievable (Attainable), Relevant (Relevant), and Timely (Timely).
For example, every night before going to bed, make a list of activities for the next day.
This is indeed a little disturbing your sleep time. But by making a list of activities, you
effectively determine what activities will be carried out the next day. That way, you have
a reference to being able to work optimally. Indirectly it will prevent you from inefficient
time.

2. Prioritize wisely
Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. For example, look at your daily
assignments and determine which:
* Important and urgent: Perform this task immediately.
* Important but not urgent: Decide when to do these tasks.
* Urgent but not important: Delegate these tasks if possible.
* Non-urgent and unimportant: Set this aside to do later.

3. Set a time limit for completing the task

Setting time limits for completing tasks helps you be more focused and efficient. Making
an extra effort to decide how much time you need to share for each task can also help
you identify potential problems before they arise. That way you can make plans to deal
with them.
Not only finance must be audited, but the time spent must also be audited. Take a few
moments to assess how you spend your time. You can use your daily activity book or

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cell phone to record all activities carried out. Is the time spent well spent? Is there time
wasted? Can you determine when the time you spend is often and make sure no time is
wasted.

4. Rest between tasks

When doing multiple tasks without breaks, it is more difficult to stay focused and
motivated. Allow some time breaks between tasks to clear your mind and refresh
yourself. Consider taking a nap, going for a short walk, or meditating. You might not
think that this will help you manage your time better, but meditating and exercising
every morning will make your body fitter. That way, you can do various routine activities
that are usually done. So the time available can be used properly. After exercising, your
mind will also be fresher and can think clearly to do the task at hand.

5. Manage yourself
Take advantage of your calendar for long-term time management. Write deadlines for
projects, or for tasks that are part of the overall project completion. Think about which
days are best for dedicating certain tasks. For example, you might need to plan a
meeting to discuss cash flow on the day you know the company’s CFO is in the office.

6. Delete the tasks/activities that are not important

It is important to delete excessive activities or tasks. Determine what is important and
what is appropriate for your time. Removing unnecessary tasks/activities frees up more
of your time to be spent on things that matter.

One of the biggest time wasters you have is bad habits. Whether it’s watching movies,
going to parties, using too much time social media, playing games, often going out for
drinks with friends, and so on. Bad habits take up the less precious time we have. Use
your time wisely by eliminating your bad habits if you are serious about achieving big
goals in life. Think of time as gold that you must guard well.

7. Plan ahead

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Make sure you start every day with a clear idea of what you need to do – what needs to
be done TODAY. Consider getting used to, at the end of each workday, going ahead
and writing a ―to do‖ list for the next workday. That way you can touch the ground the
next morning. Finding a mentor who can guide you in managing time is also important.
You will easily be lulled into doing other activities that are outside the plan if you do not
have a mentor. His experience will make you have extraordinary time management. Be
selective in choosing a mentor; make sure he can help you at any time.

Bad Time Management Consequences

1. Poor workflow
Inability to plan ahead and not holding fast to goals means poor efficiency. For example,
if there are some important tasks that must be completed, an effective plan is to
complete the related tasks simultaneously or in sequence.
However, if you don’t plan ahead, you end up having to jump back and forth, or back off,
in doing your work. That means reduced efficiency and lower productivity.

2. Time wasted
Poor time management results in wasted time. For example, by talking to friends on
social media while doing an assignment, you disturb yourself and waste time.

3. Loss of control
By not knowing what to do next, you suffer from losing control of your life. It can
contribute to higher levels of stress and anxiety. That is why it is important to have
control over your time so that you can effectively manage it.

4. Poor quality of work

Poor time management usually decreases the quality of your work. For example, having
to rush to complete a task at the last minute usually reduces the quality of the results of
the work itself.

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5. Bad reputation
If your client or boss cannot rely on you to complete tasks in a timely manner, their
hopes and perceptions about you will be affected. If clients cannot rely on you to get
things done on time, they will likely take their business elsewhere.

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 Chapter 3
5 Key Factors of Time Management
Effective time management is intimately linked to success, productivity, satisfaction and
wellbeing. In fact, time management amounts to life management. It is a fundamental
skill we must learn to master in our everyday life at work and home. It’s not about
working more, but smarter, becoming more results-oriented and more satisfied.

1. Your Time Is Your Life

It is essential that you become aware at every instance: How you spend your time is
how you spend your life. Time has become our most precious commodity, that’s why we
suffer from lack of time. Today more people complain about not having enough time
than not having enough money. The amount of time you spend in any activity fashions
the quality of your work and your relationships. The number of hours in a day is the
same for everyone, but some manage to use them much better than others. It is crucial
to be mindful of where you spend your time and to evaluate the results of your time
investment.

2. Poor Time Management is a Major Source of Stress

Time pressure has become the curse of our time: It is a major source of stress and the
origin of a multitude of ills and dissatisfactions. If we want to improve quality, we need
more time or we have to reduce the number of objectives. If we want to increase the
number of things we want to accomplish, quality may suffer or we’ll be short on time. If
we are given less time, there is pressure on the quantity and quality of our production.
Yet, despite these obvious and ever-present constraints, today’s demand at the
workplace is to accomplish more, better, faster and cheaper, inevitably leading to more
stress.

Treating everything as urgent, rushing from one activity to another all day long, not
enjoying anything and without ever feeling satisfied is a straight path to tension and
ultimately to burnout, the disease of our century (Huffington, 2015).

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It is vital to find some pleasure in our work. Our productivity, our commitment to
contribute to the success of our company and our wellbeing depend on it. The feeling of
time starvation has taken on gigantic proportions. It is partly a matter of perception, but
there is also much reality to it. We are inundated by a flow of information that never
stops, day or night. Absorbing this constant onslaught, sorting out what is relevant, is
time consuming, distracting and taking our focus away from the objectives that really
matter.

3. Importance vs. Urgency

We know from our daily experience, and studies confirm it, urgency constantly overrides
importance both in the choice of a task and the amount of time consumed in the activity.
Unless we are mindful of our priorities, we’re always tempted to first tackling urgent
rather than important work, often at the detriment of obtaining significant results.

Contrary to what counts for us, the urgency is most often determined by others. We
frequently let ourselves be pushed by someone else into undertaking a task
immediately that we do not necessarily deem important. In order to manage our time
effectively, it is indispensable to precisely define our objectives, for example using the
five SMART characteristics: Specific, Measurable, Ambitious, Realistic and Time-
bound. Having specific daily objectives and being ever conscious of their respective
priorities is a hallmark of successful people (Covey, 2013).

The time frame to fix deadlines has shrunk considerably: What used to be medium term,
say 3 months, is now often considered long term and short term has shrunk to a week
or even days or half days. This raises the question whether meaningful planning is still
possible, given the fact that significant accomplishments typically require longer periods,
even years. Periodic evaluations of where you spend your time turn out to be very
useful. Recording every day for a week, for example, what activities you have engaged
in and for how long, may reveal that you have spent much more time on unimportant
tasks, such as e-mails, than important ones, such as completing an important project.

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4. Time Savers and Time Wasters
Identifying time savers and time wasters helps to become more efficient and more
satisfied in our daily work.
Examples of time savers as pinpointed by research:
 A calm workspace is conducive to productive work. Large open-space offices have
been found to generate distractions and disruptions, perturbing and slowing down
work.
 Weekly and daily to do lists help to stay focused on priority tasks and remembering
deadlines.
 Doing difficult and important tasks first in those periods where you feel you’re most
productive (for example early in the morning) is a great strategy to combat
procrastination (Tracy, 2007).
 Only tackle a task once: Whether it’s an email, letter, document or voicemail, only
handle it when you have the time to deal with it in one setting.
 Collaboration and teamwork: If you need help, get it early, don’t let pride get in the
way. Allow others to help you.
 Delegation: Managers are often resistant to delegate (―only I can do this well‖, ―it
takes less time to do it myself than to explain the task to someone else‖…), even
though delegation could relieve their busy schedule and give their employees an
opportunity to develop new skills.
 Learning how to say no is a must: Asserting yourself without being aggressive or
disrespectful when demands are made that disrupt important work you are engaged
in.
 Regularly blocking time in your agenda for yourself: For strategic reflections, taking a
breather… and also for coping with emergencies…
“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. »Michael Altshuler.

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Why is it important to avoid time-wasters in the workplace?
It has become necessary to avoid time-wasters in the workplace because they can
cause distraction, interruption or a lack of productivity. Avoiding these impediments can
improve a professional’s ability to focus on their task, work efficiently and accomplish
their goals.
There are various environmental and individual factors that can contribute to wasted
time at work and being aware of these factors can help professionals overcome them to
cultivate success in their careers.

Frequent Time-wasters and how to overcome them

Social media:
Social media is one of the biggest time-wasters for professionals in any work
environment. Most of the time people waste quality time on social media doing nothing
tangle with their precious time. Don’t get me wrong am not saying it’s not good to have
a social media account but you must make sure you discipline yourself to have a
scheduled time you spend on social media. To avoid wasting time on social media,
remove temptations by using settings on your phone and computer that block certain
applications during designated hours.

Interruptions:
It’s common for individuals to face a variety of interruptions throughout their workday,
including email notifications, calls, text messages and co-workers stopping by to ask
questions. While these interruptions may seem harmless, they can distract you from the
tasks you were originally working on and make it challenging to refocus consider setting
a specific time period during your work day that you can use to focus without
interruptions. The solution to getting distracted by interruption is to discipline yourself,
make up your mind that you don’t want to do certain activities at particular hours of the
day, this principle helped me personally, and since I started apply the rule of discipline I
have been productive more than ever before.

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Multitasking:
Most people believe that multitasking – or the act of working on multiple task
simultaneously can help them save time and accomplishing their goals more effectively.
Unfortunately though, this isn’t usually the case because multitasking often takes rather
than performing them at once. Therefore, to avoid wasting time, try to focus on one task
at a time, try to focus on one task at a time and see it through to completion rather than
attempting to multi-task.

Working without a plan

We often face many tasks throughout a single day, it’s important to plan strategically. If
you work without a plan, you may risk wasting time as you attempt to figure out what
duties to focus on and when. You can overcome this challenge by purposely planning
your workflow for the next day at the end of your regular routine for each day, by doing
this you can come up with a schedule that follows to achieve your objectives most
efficiently.

Lack of Delegation of Tasks

While trying to get the work done within trying to get the work done within a stipulated
period of time it is very important to avoid taking on too much so you can save your time
and joy own task. You can overcome this challenge by being reasonable with your
expectations of yourself and setting clear boundaries with your coworkers regarding
project workflow.

Disorganization
Working in cluttered environment can lead to higher rates of inefficiency. If you need to
spend time searching for paperwork in your office or finding files on your computer, you
need to spend time searching for paperwork in your office or finding files on your office
or finding files on your computer, you may waste more time trying to accomplish your
goals than if you develop a more effective organizational system. You can avoid wasting

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time due to disorganization by arranging your workspace and strategically organizing
key items so you can easily access them you need them.

Procrastination
Procrastination they say is the thief of time. So when you procrastinate about
completing to-do list items they may waste more time than others. This is because
procrastination often results in spending more time putting off their task by worrying
about them and rescheduling them continuously. To avoid wasting time procrastinating,
shift your workflow principles and implement personal policy for taking care of your
tasks as they arise. This policy can help you become more efficient over time and
strengthen your reflexes so you can overcome the impulse to procrastinate in future.

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 Chapter 4
Time Management Techniques

Time management techniques are a set of rules and principles you need to follow in
order to be more productive and efficient with your time, make better and faster
decisions, as well as accomplish more in less time and with less effort.

Time management is something that some people struggle at, whereas others are
champions of productivity. No matter the case, to master it, you need to know how to do
it the right way. Time can be tricky. And so, it’s important to know how to fit your work
and daily activities into it. If you struggle with managing your work or want to experiment
with your current methods, check out our list of the most effective and proven time
management techniques.

How Does Time Management Help?

The concept of time management has gained significant popularity over the last three
decades. That’s because it helps to better plan and organize activities, increase
productivity, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. So how does time management
improve performance? The main goal is to consciously control how you spend time on
important tasks and activities, whether at work or in your personal, daily life. Mastering
the right time management technique can help you in many areas:
 You’ll be able to accomplish goals successfully
 It’ll be easier to set priorities
 You’ll eliminate bad habits such as procrastination, not being goal-oriented, or will
decrease low attention span
 Developing time management skills will reduce stress, and keep you motivated
 You’ll have a clear idea of how you need to plan all your tasks.

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Time Management Techniques vs. Work Management

The concept of time management has gradually evolved and now covers many themes
related to work and daily life. All kinds of theories have been mixed with techniques and
approaches. People like to adopt and adjust them to their needs, type and style of work.
However, there is a significant difference in time management and methodologies used
to manage work. It’s especially visible in larger organizations that need to streamline
business processes for better results and higher performance and at the same time
meet the high demands of clients and customers.

Work management involves time management as one of its assumptions is to optimize

the time necessary to deliver a product while maintaining efficiency and quality. It
incorporates professional co-related practices, rules, and specific procedures set in a
logical order that you can reuse and adjust for your team to perform better.
Some of the popular methods or frameworks for managing work (also known as project
management techniques) include Kanban, Scrum, Agile, Lean, or Six Sigma.
Overall, time management techniques based on work management systems are
commonly used by many people to manage working time but extend to wider aspects
such as the entire scope of work in a project, the flow of works, teamwork, and
collaboration.

What Is The Best Way to Manage The Time?

According to the research conducted by Development Academy, only 1 in 5 people

(18%) have a proper time management system. In other words, not many people know
how to be productive. But with a little help, you can become the master of your time.
Here are popular time management techniques you can use to improve your time
management skills.

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1. Plan your day in advance

Planning is the first, the best, and most proven of all time management techniques.
Firstly, because it helps to properly organize your work. Secondly, because it gives you
a detailed insight into all the things you need to do. If you can plan your daily, weekly, or
monthly tasks, the rest comes easily.
There are many ways to plan and organize your work:
 Fancy calendars and personal organizers, either in digital or paper form
 Time management apps and tools
 Dedicated to-do-lists
 Post-it-notes, notepads, bullet journals, and other paper forms of time managers
 The Morning Sidekick Journal—a motivational journal that helps to improve habits
you can mix, combine and adjust different options to master your time management.

2. Find your productivity zone

Some people are early birds, whereas others are night owls. We all are different and
like to work in different parts of the day or night.
Sam Carpenter, the author of the book Work the System: The Simple Mechanics of
Making More, coined the term Biological Prime Time, describes time management
technique as a process where you find your most productive hours of the day and
schedule work for when you have the most energy.

Get up super early if you’re most productive in the morning. Or stay up late at night if
you prefer to work in the darkness. But don’t force yourself to change your habits just
because it is said that people reach productivity at certain hours. Find your most
productive hours and stick to them. Whatever time management strategies work for
some people, may not work for you. And don’t forget about the deep work phase – a
time during your work time when you focus solely on important tasks.

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3. Eat the frog

Mark Twain said, ―If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the
morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

What this means is simply prioritizing your daily task. Do the most important tasks first,
and when you’re done, switch to those less pertinent. It will help you better organize the
workflow and you will become efficient. It’s as simple as that!

4. Take Regular Breaks

Working without breaks may bring you more harm than good. We need breaks so that
our brain can refresh and then refocus on work. You can use the Pomodoro technique,
or go for a short walk. Read a chapter of your favorite book or make a cup of coffee. Or
spend your free time learning something new watching documentary films on video
streaming platforms like Netflix. You can use a VPN to get a reliable connection. Picking
up a new hobby like playing an instrument (check out Musician Authority for ideas) can
also be a fun and stimulating way to spend your breaks. Take breaks to improve your
time management techniques and feel refreshed. This will give you a significant
productivity boost.

Of course, it’s okay to work in a long string when you have a super-powerful flow…
sometimes. But doing so in the long term will make you feel tired and will reduce your
creativity. Breaks are good for your productivity and well-being. And for the employees,
remember that you are entitled to have breaks. It’s your right and the employer is
obliged to obey it. If you’re not getting breaks, contact the appropriate legal entities in
your state.

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5. Limit e-mail Intake

Checking and answering e-mails is a burdensome task. Nobody likes it, yet everybody
does it. Statistics say that ―the average worker spends around 30 hours a week
checking email.‖ Think about all the tasks you could do during that time and limit the
time you spend on e-mails to the minimum to keep those 30 hours for work. If you check
it in the morning, reply only to those most important which need an immediate answer.

Leave the rest for breaks between tasks or go through them at the end of the day. Also,
make sure to mark those unimportant messages as ―spam‖ so they don’t dump your
inbox.

6. Set goals

Set goals and you will exactly know which direction you’re heading to. Goals are part of
the organizational processes and they are extremely important in time management. To
take advantage of any time management technique, the key is specificity when setting
goals. Break down bigger visions into monthly targets to hit. OKR software makes this
process easier for the teams. For example, if you’ve decided to start your online
boutique this year and your goal for the semester is making $80k in revenue, this
month’s targets might be closing a contract with 2 wholesalers, hiring an intern to help
with shipping, and finding a marketing channel with a lower cost of acquisition than your
current one.

Goals set your path to reaching success. They are the rungs in the leader to the top.
Goals determine your organization’s main objectives, priorities, and vision. But they’re
also helpful in getting things done faster and more effectively. However, setting goals is
easy; the real challenge is sticking to them. One way to ensure that you always stay on
top of your set goals is by monitoring them. With this intuitive dashboard tool, individuals
and teams can easily track, manage, and review set goals at a glance.

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7. Create a Morning Routine

What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? If it’s making a bed or exercising,
you’re on the right track. But if it’s checking social media, you’re doing it wrong.
Having your own morning routine will unquestionably power you up for the rest of the
day. From a psychological perspective, it’s the first thing you do in the morning that
determines the outcomes you will achieve during the day. Try from such small things as
making your bed, then have a healthy breakfast, and leave social media or other tasks
for the end of the day. A good morning routine will set you in the right mood and
motivate you to work.

8. Exercise

Exercising is a great way to boost energy levels. It’s a way for the body to get rid of the
tension caused by stress. It can also help clear your mind of unnecessary or disturbing
thoughts, which only make your work worse. Put on your running shoes and go for a
jog! You will see how much regular exercise can help in mastering time management
techniques.

9. Tools, tools, tools

In today’s highly developed world, tools are an inseparable part of our work. This is
especially true when you’re hiring on-demand employees that you don’t know as well as
regular employees. If you want to be able to fully use time management techniques, you
should implement the following into your daily work:
 Time tracking software — helps you to track the time of your work and keep a hand
on all projects and numbers including billable time
 To-do-list — enable you to schedule and plan your workweek
 Project management software — many time tracking tools have the feature of
project management. Use it to better manage your projects and clients, and track the
progress of daily tasks

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 Apps helpful in creating good habits – it can be a simple calendar or productivity
journal, but if you’re a demanding user, try Habitica, To-Do Adventure, Habit
Tracker, Morning Routine or other fancy productivity apps.

10. Communicate

Proper communication can save a lot of time. If you don’t convey your plans, intentions,
or requirements clearly, people won’t understand their tasks, or yours. And that will lead
to conflicts and misunderstandings.

Also, don’t forget to use dedicated tools and apps to enhance communication between
you and your team or clients. It’s an easy, fast, and convenient way to transfer
messages, schedule meetings, or exchange any form of information.

Other Time Management Techniques

Many popular time management techniques are based on practical approaches that aim
to complete tasks within a specific timeframe and in a specific manner. Over the years,
various methods have emerged that help to improve management skills and boost
efficiency.
Here are other good time management techniques used by people all over the world.
Take a look, choose your favorites, mix, combine, and adjust them to skyrocket your
productivity!

Pomodoro Technique

 Pomodoro technique is a time management technique that was invented in the late
1908s by Francesco Cirillo. As the name suggests, the technique uses the popular
Pomodoro timer as a tool in setting time constraints. Its aim is to manage time in an
effective way and focus on a single task.

 The Pomodoro technique consists of 4 ―pomodoros‖ — 25-minute intervals

separated by breaks. When one Pomodoro ends, you take a 5-minute break.

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 Afterward, you set another 25 minutes and keep repeating the action. After
completing the 4-Pomodoro cycle, you take a longer break.

PRO TIP: you can use time tracking software with a 25-minute timer to precisely track
your time with the Pomodoro technique.

Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is a time management technique created by Dwight D.

Eisenhower, the 34th President of the United States. The method helps to prioritize
tasks by urgency and importance while sorting out less urgent and important tasks
which you should either delegate or not do at all. In this technique, you create 4
quadrants with the following categories:

Figure 1.0

1. Do first: do the essential tasks first

2. Schedule: schedule every less urgent but still important task for later
3. Delegate: delegate to others (if possible) urgent tasks but less important
4. Don’t do: don’t do tasks that are neither urgent nor important
The Eisenhower Matrix is a goof task management technique for eliminating bad habits
and prioritizing tasks.

Deep Work

The deep work method was already mentioned but it’s a popular technique worth
reflecting upon. Cal Newport, the author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success
in a Distracted World, distinguishes between deep work and shallow work.
During the deep work phase, you focus solely on the important task and avoid
distractions at all costs. So no phone call, social media, meetings, and other
distractions. This certain period in your schedule is good for when you have high energy
levels. For shallow work time, do small tasks that don’t require you to be sharply
focused, e.g., routine tasks, emailing, etc.

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GTD (Getting Things Done)

Developed by David Allen and described in his books, the Getting Things Done method
is one of the most widely and successfully adopted time management systems.

The idea of the GTD system is to clear your mind of all the tasks, projects, and issues
and take specific actions to complete them. It’s an effective five-step method:
1. Capture: write or record in any form everything that has your attention
2. Clarify: decide what to do with it— do, don’t do, or delegate
3. Organize: file tasks into different categories; use task management tools and to-do
list to make sure you’re making progress
4. Reflect: make regular updates on your work to ensure you’re on track and that
nothing bothers your mind
5. Engage: take actionable steps to be accountable for your time

ABCDE

ABCDE method was invented by Alan Lakein and outlined in his book, “How to Get
Control of Your Time and Your Life”. It can help you prioritize tasks and optimize the
time necessary for finishing them.
You put an A (most important), B (important), C (nice to do), D (delegate), or E
(eliminate whenever possible) next to each task or activity and prioritize them
according to the letters.
Each time a new task emerges, you should add it to your ABCDE task list.

Time Blocking

Time blocking is a simple time management technique that helps you become aware
and strategic of how you spend your time. In time blocking, you divide your day into
chunks of time—time blocks.

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During these blocks of time, you focus on one specific task and do it with an imposed
time limit (e.g., ―I’ll be answering emails from 9 am to 10 am‖). It’s like putting your to-do
list on the calendar and stretching it throughout the day.

Time Boxing

Time boxing is similar to time blocking; however, in time boxing you put a specific time
limit on a task (e.g., ―I’ll have all emails answered by 10 am‖). It’s a stricter version of
time blocking.

Task Batching

In this method, you group similar tasks together and time block your day to work on
them. You can label every task for a specific category to make batching easier and
more effective. For example, you can put activities such as answering emails, calling
clients, and meetings into one category as administrative tasks. Task batching lets you
squeeze as many tasks that are similar into one master activity so you don’t stretch your
day into time-consuming undertakings that disturb your work.

Rapid Planning Method (RPM)

According to Tony Robbins, the creator of the Rapid Planning Method, it’s a system of
thinking, not a system to manage time. The RPM is about deciding what you’re going to
focus on realizing your vision. RPM also stands for Results-oriented/Purpose-
driven/Massive Action Plan. This system can help you to focus on the most important
tasks you want to and need to do, and determine the best course of action to achieve it.

SMART Goals

SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-
Bound.

 Specific: you need to define your goals as clear, concise, and significant so you
know exactly what you need to do.

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 Measurable: in order to achieve your goal, you should be able to monitor and
assess its progress. You can do it by using metrics, numbers, or smaller tasks that
will indicate advancement.
 Achievable (or Attainable): your goal needs to be realistic; something that you can
stretch yourself for but not too far.
 Relevant: a goal should align with your projects and tasks, and long-term plans. You
also need to set manageable tasks.
 Time-Bound: a goal shouldn’t stretch too much in time because it’ll be harder to
achieve it. Instead, it should have a time limit with a specific deadline.
To set SMART goals, you can use SMART goals templates or create your own
system of tracking goals.

1-3-5 Rule

The 1-3-5 Rule is a simple strategy to manage your tasks. Each day you dedicate your
work time to 1 Big Thing, 3 Medium Things, and 5 Little Things.
That way it’s easier to accomplish your goals—you’re not able to always work on bigger
tasks. You only can do so much and there are limits to what you can accomplish.

POSEC Method

POSEC is an acronym for ―Prioritize by Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and

Contributing.‖ This method was developed by Steven Lam, author of “The Posec
Method of Time Management”.

POSEC method adopts five needs you have to address for better work management:
 Prioritize your tasks, life goals, and what’s important to you
 Organize your tasks and goals and plan how to work on them
 Streamline tasks, chores, and all the little things you don’t want to but must do
 Economize what’s enjoyable and is not on the priority list but still have to be done
 Contribute to the community and pay attention to what makes a difference around
you. This method is loosely based on Abraham Maslow’s theory of the hierarchy of

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 needs. POSEC is a reflection of this hierarchy—you have needs that you must meet
so you can move up a ladder of success and efficiency.

The Glass Jar

The Glass Jar or The Pickle Jar Theory is a good method of visualization.
The glass jar is a visual figurative expression of time—each day you fill your glass (time)
with different things (activities): rocks, pebbles, and sand. Rocks are big, important
tasks; pebbles stand for urgent tasks; and sand for distractions.
The aim of this technique is to plan your day in such a manner, that the glass jar is filled
with tasks according to the level of urgency.

4 Ds

The 4Ds method is very similar to the Eisenhower Matrix. It’s best for planning and
organizing larger projects in teams.
Here’s how you act in the 4 Ds technique:
1. Do what needs to be done. As simple as that.
2. Delay work that can be done later and isn’t a priority on your list.
3. Delegate what you don’t have to do to the person with the right skill set.
4. Drop (or Delete) every non-vital task that doesn’t bring value to the team and project.

The Pareto Principle

In 1895, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto concluded that the 80/20 rule seemed to
apply to money, property, and the accumulation of fortunes in every society. After years
of research, he discovered that 20 percent of individuals and families—those he called
the ―vital few‖—controlled 80 per- cent of the wealth and property throughout Europe.

The 80/20 rule seems to apply to almost all areas of human endeavor, especially tasks
and responsibilities. That is, 20 percent of the work that you do will account for 80 per-
cent of the value of all the work that you do. Peter Drucker says that often it is the

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―90/10 rule.‖ Sometimes 10 percent of the work that you do will account for 90 percent
of the value.

When you start off each day with a list of your tasks and responsibilities, before
beginning work, quickly review your list and select the top 20 percent of tasks that can
make the greatest contribution to achieving your most important goals and objectives. If
you have a list of ten items to accomplish on a particular day, two of those items will be
worth more than all the others put together. Your ability to clearly identify those two
items and act on them first will largely determine your success in your career.

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CONCLUSION

The final point about about time management is the concept of balance. The most
important thing that you can instill in your life is balance. The most important thing that
you can instill in your life is balance and moderation by practicing the method, ideas and
in this book, you will become a master time manager, you will become a master time
manager and have more time for your family and your personal life.

Often, people take time management programs so that they can increase the number of
things that they can do in a day-to-day basis. However, as the wise man said. ―There is
more to life than simply increasing its speed.‖ The main purpose of learning and
practicing time management skills is to increase the amount of pleasure and happiness
you experience.

Also, take into account all of the explained strategies that are very helpful to achieve a
better time management. It is important to add, that sports also provide a helpful hand
for time management, and also permit your body to be healthy and to have a better
social circle. It is also important to note that time management is an essential tool for
stress reduction, success and perhaps even survival, especially in today’s society of
increasing demands on a much scale of activities.

In conclusion, time management is a very important skill to be learned and to be

mastered in order to have a better life style. Proper time managenent prevents one from
suffering from stress, and all work/tasks will be done on time and with great quality.
Remember that it is important to have the attitude to change your schedules and to
change procastination.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Toyosi Igbinovia is a young Nigerian woman who is passionate about God, an
entrepreneur and Digital Business Manager, currently managing a Public Relations firm,
Tyranx Consult.

A computer scientist from the National Open University of Nigeria, with professional
certifications from Microsoft and ICDL Africa.

A transformational and business coach who is passionate about young people

becoming a better version of themselves.

The Art of Time Management and Work is my first published book, having taught about
the subject of time management in my online coaching group, I decieded to carry out
more research on time management and how it is an important tool in service delivery.

The techniquies on time management taught in this book has worked for me and helped
me become a professional time manager.

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