Seven Effective Tips On Time-Management

“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot”— Michael Altshuler.

I’ve spent years studying the qualities of successful people, and I’ve found out that time management is one of those qualities.

What are the best habits for effective time-management?

How can you get more done in the day while still getting the necessary 6–8 hours of sleep?

We only have twenty-four hours in a day, so why is it that some of us seem to have more time than others?

Keep reading, and I’ll share my top tips to manage your time and get more done in the day.

Plan Your Day

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and encumbered by life's priorities, so practice planning them out. Remember this; your day shouldn’t start until it’s written on paper. Get into the habit of planning out your day the night beforehand.

The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities” — Stephen Covey

When you begin to write out your activities for the following morning, ask yourself, what are the things that, if done, will bring in the most results, making the rest of your day easier?

To effectively manage your time, start by tackling the hard stuff first thing in the morning. As Mark Twain once famously said, “eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.”

“It’s not enough to be busy, so are the ants. The question is, what are we busy about?" -- Henry David Thoreau

Wake Up Early & Set A Morning Routine

Nature doesn’t lie; the early bird does get the worm. We only have 24 hours in a day, which is why those who know the secrets of effective time-management are eating lunch when most people eat breakfast. Not only should you work on waking up early, but it’s just as important for you to develop a morning routine.

“It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.” — Aristotle

Imagine waking up early, getting all of your immediate tasks done before most get out of bed. Before lunch, you’ll have the rest of your day to do whatever you please. I’m telling you now, the way you spend your morning will ultimately be the deciding factor for your successes!

Limit Your Wardrobe

I like to dress nice — who doesn’t? Yet, you don’t have to waste hours in the morning to look good. Try simplifying your wardrobe.

I threw out over half of my clothes around a year ago, keeping only my favorite shirts and accessories. Then I bought two dozen plain white shirts, a few similar looking button-ups, one suit, an overcoat, and a half-dozen matching slacks.

It only takes me around ten minutes to get dressed every morning because I don’t waste time worrying about what I’m gonna wear. Of course, I like to mix things up on occasions; however, on most days — especially the busy ones — I like to stick with the usual outfit, giving me more time in the day to focus on my priorities and my morning routine.

Track Your Time

A study done in 2019 shows that on an average day, those 15 and up are likely to spend 5.5 hours on leisure activities, including reading, socializing, exercising, and watching television. Surprisingly, over 75% of the people in this study spent over 4 hours a day watching television, and these same people are likely the ones who complain about not having enough time in the day to get everything done.

Hey, I get it — who doesn’t like to zone out into the telly — but do yourself a favor and spend the next week tracking the time spent watching your favorite shows. What’s your average? 2,3,4, hours?

If you want to learn how to manage your time effectively, start by figuring out exactly how much time you spend watching t.v, as well as any time, spent engaged in other leisure activities.

Utilize Your Days Off

Most places are closed on the weekends, so use these days for tasks related to home improvement or spend it connecting with friends or loved ones. Every Saturday is scheduled with one of our friends, and Sundays are family dinner days. Use your weekends to make social connections, tackle to-do lists, or relax.

If you can, work on the weekends and take your days off on the weekdays. I used to love having the weekends off. If anything, it’s an excuse to relax — stores are closed, no baby appointments, just video-games, basic house chores, and lots of beer. Yet, over time, I learned that it’s better to take the weekdays off — and use those days for appointments, etc. — and work on the weekends.

If you can, try and set a consistent schedule, making it easy when planning appointments or scheduling time with others.

Avoid Multi-Tasking

Doing two things at once is no better than getting nothing done at all. For the love of God, please, forget about multi-tasking. It’s not a skill, so take it off your resume. Multitasking impairs your critical thinking abilities, reduces cognitive awareness, attentiveness, and takes away from your learning abilities.

The downsides of multi-tasking didn’t hit me until after our daughter was born when I almost bumped her head while feeding her a bottle and texting at the same time.

Now, whenever it’s time to provide, I play some smooth Jazz or Reggae, lean back in my recliner, and smile back at her while she feeds. Not only does this keep me focused, her safe, but it also roots me in the present moment — the only moment that counts.

"The shorter way to do many things is to only do one thing at a time." - Mozart

Do Less, AKA, Use The Pareto Principle

I can guarantee that you’re doing too much. How do I know this? Well, thanks to a handy law called the Pareto Principle. Just like gravity, the Pareto principle is a confirmed law that has yet to be proven wrong.

The Pareto Principle states that only 20 percent of your work brings in 80 percent of the results. For instance, with my writing, it doesn’t matter how often I write or necessarily what I’m writing. Only twenty percent of my posts bring in 80 percent of the traffic. The only thing that matters is that I’m contributing value.

What’s your twenty percent? What brings you the most results in your workplace? Is it cold calling, selling a particular product, making people smile?

Whatever matters most, focus on that.

Key Takeaways

• Plan your day
• Wake up early & set a morning routine
• Limit your wardrobe
• Track your time
• Utilize your days off
• Avoid multitasking
• Do less, aka, utilize the Pareto principle.