Three-Pronged Approach to Time Management
There is a slew of time management tips that you can research and experiment with. Though, I’ve found that there isn’t a single trick that helps entrepreneurs and busy managers effectively manage their time. Instead, it’s a combination of methods that create daily and weekly habits.
Personally, my time management and productivity are a combination of task management, calendarizing, and prioritization. All of this help keep me focused, especially when I get distracted or am feeling generally unmotivated.
For more tips to help you manage your time, request our Simplify How You Prioritize guide.
Here’s what I do and why I use so many different methods:
Task Management System - I remember a time when I wrote my to-do list. And then, as the infamous jack-of-all-trades person in the office, my to-do list became 2-3 pages long. I would have 80% of page 1 crossed out but have high-priority items on the third page. I would flip back and forth frantically and ultimately miss things that were important. A task management board has helped me get everything into a digital system that’s always easy for me to reference (and categorize).
Calendar - besides the basic use of a calendar (scheduling meetings and appointments) I’m able to time block so that I can set no disruption or zero meeting times and be reminded to do certain habits consistently that are good for my business, like business development work, content creation, or catching up on informative reading.
Prioritization - I like to write. I have an old soul and I certainly contribute to the statistic of people remembering things better when they write them down. For this reason, I use a planner. But it’s silly to write down everything I have in my task management system or to copy my calendar (especially with how often some meetings are rescheduled). My planner allows me to write down my 2-3 priorities each day. When I get distracted or unmotivated, I can quickly refer to my daily priorities to get back on track. I found that having this list separate from the task management board (though I also set Low, Medium, and High priorities in that system), helps me from getting overwhelmed, especially since I have lots of different task boards for client and internal work. It also helps me set a purpose and celebrate a small win each day.
Often time management and productivity aren’t one fail-safe solution but a combination of strategies that allow you to maximize solutions that work with your personality type. Finding the right combination also allows high productivity to become a part of your daily routine as you set up systems that help you succeed, even when motivation and energy falter.
Don’t forget to check out our Simplify How You Prioritize to help catalyze your time management.