5 ways on how you can improve your time management

 

estimated read time: 3m 42s

Time is money and money is time. You might have heard this famous saying before. Regardless of your profession, and no matter how well you are with managing your time, there is still something you might find useful from my list of five things you can do to improve your time management.

 

1.  Use a calendar

The first thing you want to do in order to improve your time management capabilities is using some sort of Calendar. The calendar can be physical such as an agenda or large sheet of paper . Or your calendar can be digital such as an app on your smartphone, next you will want to input any important events, assignments, client projects, deadline or any else that will require your time and attention on-way or another. If you are using a digital calendar, I would highly suggest setting up reminders for an event (refer to image below). If you are using a physical calendar and it’s a small agenda, make sure to carry it with you.

  

Let me tell you a brief personal story relating to calendars. Back when I was in a high-school I never touched a calendar in my life and let’s just say I wasn’t the best with my time management either, but as soon as I got into college, I realized how important it was to be on top of things, both in relation to school and my personal life. The calendar app on my phone has changed my life completely. 

 

2. Set timers

Consider using a timer! If you aren’t so great with the time, opt-in for using the time app on your smartphone or buy one at your local dollar store. The timer is an excellent tool especially for those of you that might not be so aware of time passing and easily lose track of it.

 

3. Use your energy wisely

Energy is important in-order to get anything done, so use it carefully. Don’t put all your energy into something that doesn’t require it or simply isn’t worth it. Consider grading your tasks on-scale from 1 to 10 in terms of importance. The tasks that end up (for conversation purposes) on 8.5 scale and above dedicate more of your energy towards those items.

 

4. The Salami slice method

As we all know procrastination is the greatest enemy of time management. A few years ago, I read a book called “Time management” by Brian Tracy and in the book, he talked about methodology called “The Salami slice”. This method is a variation of the " bite-size pieces" technique for overcoming procrastination. This method is especially great to use when you have a big school project or work project. Brian Tracy uses the example “just as you wouldn't try to eat a loaf of salami in one big bite you do not try to do a large task in a single time period”. Instead, Brian Tracy says slice the salami (the task), reduce the size of the task by breaking it into a couple or multiple parts (depending on the severity of the task).

 

Let me provide you with an example of this method. In college, there was a course that I knew I was going to have some challenge with the completion of weekly assignments. Instead of trying to complete weekly assignments in one sitting, I broke it down in 3 separate tasks that I would do on three separate days. The results were phenomenal. Not only did I have a better understanding of when I was learning, but I also completed all weekly assignments with high marks.

 

5. Be Realistic and Flexible

Lastly, sometimes unforeseen circumstances and events will come up and you will simply not be able to get everything you have set out to be done in a given day. Be patient with yourself when things don't exactly go as planned. When using all the suggestions listed above, make sure to be realistic about what you can accomplish and include buffer (extra) time if you're unsure. This can help you to reduce obstacles and potential friction.

  

Sidenote:

Time management isn't just about sticking to a rigid schedule, it's also about giving yourself space for change and improvement. And it’s also worth mentioning that these suggestions won’t work over night unless you are willing to put in the work. The hard work will pay off.

Sources:

8 Time Management Tips for Students. (2022, October 14). Harvard Summer School. https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/8-time-management-tips-for-students/

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