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Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact. Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list. Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you. 9 Types of Time Management TechniquesAchieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try: 1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems. How it works:
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
2. Pomodoro TechniqueThe Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created. How it works:
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule. 3. Eisenhower MatrixBefore Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix. How it works: Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete. Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
4. Parkinson’s LawBritish historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task. How it works: This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Types of people this works for:
5. Time Blocking MethodInventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking. How it works: From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Types of people this works for:
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) MethodCreated by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items. How it works:
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real. How it works:
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
8. Pickle Jar TheoryThis theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day. How it works: Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand. Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
9. Eat That Frog TechniqueThis technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way. How it works:
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for YouWhether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals. Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs. Sources: Allen, Jennifer. “10 Methods of Time Management At Work.” BusinessPundit. February 19, 2018. https://www.businesspundit.com/methods-of-time-management-at-work/ Accessed: January 26, 2022 Tay, Daniel. “10 Popular Time Management Techniques.” Boost. September 9, 2014. https://www.brightpod.com/boost/10-popular-time-management-techniques Accessed: January 26, 2022 Johnson, Eric. “Full Q&A: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Recode Decode.” Vox. November 5, 2018. https://www.vox.com/2018/11/2/18053428/recode-decode-full-podcast-transcript-elon-musk-tesla-spacex-boring-company-kara-swisher Accessed: January 26, 2022 |