We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but have you ever wondered why some people don’t seem to have a problem getting it all done while others struggle to stay on top of even the basics? What if we told you there’s a secret that those super-productive people know, one that’s not taught in school but that can be mastered by anyone? The secret is a skill called time management, and like any other skill from cooking to karate, it can be learned by following a few simple tips.
To come up with these tips, we enlisted a few experts and asked them to share their very best time management techniques: Julie Morgenstern, a productivity expert and New York Times bestselling author; Ann Lightfoot, a professional organizer and co-founder of Done & Done Home; Laurel Smith, the owner of Laurel Denise; and Katy Allen, the CEO of Artful Agenda.
Time management tips and techniques can completely change the way you live and work, and they can have a major impact on your sense of control and satisfaction with how you spend your time. Whether you’re looking to be more productive at work; trying to stay on top of bills, errands and chores; struggling to find time to exercise; or seeking ways to improve your mental wellness or carve out meaningful time with friends and family, these time management strategies, techniques and tools can help you become the best version of yourself.
Brain dump to help you organize your thoughts
If you’re new to time management, or if you find yourself frequently overwhelmed by responsibilities and paralyzed as a result, Allen recommends a strategy called brain dumping.
Brain dumping can be done with digital tools, but physical journals are also great places to write down goals, to-dos, errands and any other responsibilities that might be weighing on your mind.
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“Get everything that is weighing you down out of your brain and into a master list,” she says. “Divide the list in a way that makes it feel more manageable — perhaps into categories such as work, fitness, house, kids, etc. Next, look through each category and pick out the things you need to prioritize. Work on those first!”
Know your strengths and your priorities
A benefit of having a master list of responsibilities is that it allows you to say no to things that aren’t important or to find ways to outsource tasks to others. “Go through that master list you created and challenge yourself to remove items that don’t have to be done,” Allen says. “So often we busy up our lives and schedules with things that could be eliminated altogether.”
For people who prefer paper planning, Smith recommends using items that allow for flexibility. “I use sticky notes and erasable pens in my planner so that my schedule can be fluid and adjusted if needed.”
For essential tasks that cannot be outsourced, set yourself up for success by carving out time for them when you’re at your best. “Identify the time you work best: morning, afternoon or evening,” Smith says, “and schedule your hardest tasks during that time.”
Use a technique called time blocking
“We will often say we have no time when we really do,” Smith says, “simply because we are trying to hold our entire task list in our head. Blocking time in your planner (digital or paper) for when you are hoping to do something can ensure that you have enough time to do it.”
“Artful Agenda syncs with the major calendar platform of your choice,” Allen says, “and it’s customizable, so it can be used to implement lots of different time management and productivity strategies. We have places for brain dumping, repeating and rollover tasks, quick lists, goals, time blocking and more.”
Allen recommends using time blocking to reduce anxiety around planning itself. “Scheduling out your whole week in small increments can be overwhelming and feel too rigid for some people,” she says. “Instead, consider carving out some time each day to plan your workflow.”
Make lists
“Everyone needs a single, reliable, organized to-do list and note-taking system,” Morgenstern says. “This can be physical or digital, depending on the person’s work and thinking style.”
Undated planners and to-do lists are increasingly popular tools for staying on top of everything you need to get done because they allow for built-in flexibility as to when those things get done.
If you don't want to start a new list every day, this illustrated checklist notepad allows you to keep a running list of your to-dos.
“Understand that lists are your friends,” Smith says. “Having a home for the thoughts and ideas that float through our minds while we are working on something is an incredible tool to help manage time by reducing distractions and unnecessary rabbit holes. Put that thought or idea on its designated list (‘ideas list,’ ‘research list,’ ‘errand list,’ etc.) and move on with what you are supposed to be doing.”
Integrate your to-dos into your calendar
“People often get overwhelmed by having too much to do, not enough time and end up feeling paralyzed by indecision,” Morgenstern says.
To prevent overwhelm, she recommends integrating your to-dos into your calendar: “For every to-do, ask how long will this take and when will I do it, and then immediately transfer it into your calendar on the day you are going to do it. Even if things change and you have to move things from one day to another, it gives you a complete view of everything on your plate, and nothing gets forgotten.”
Plan tomorrow + 2
Another strategy Morgenstern suggests for staying on top of responsibilities is what she calls Tomorrow + 2. “Spend 15 minutes at the end of each day to review tomorrow, plus two days beyond that,” she says.
“Having a three-day arc allows you to prepare for each item on your schedule, prevents you from getting caught up in unimportant urgencies, and gives perspective on how much wiggle room you have if things don’t go according to plan.”
“For paper planning and note systems, I lean toward disc systems over spiral or bound books,” Morgenstern says, “because they allow you to add and remove pages with ease, and tailor the way your brain and workload works.” She likes Levenger’s Circa series.
Morgenstern also recommends Inkwell Press’ disc-bound planners for people who like a physical rather than a digital planner. This bundle comes with monthly inserts, lined note pages, dedicated space for goals and bucket lists and more.
“My planner is basically another appendage for me,” says Smith, the owner of Laurel Denise. “It goes with me everywhere.” The combination of weekly and monthly views in this planner will allow you to easily look ahead to the next few days.
Be realistic about the time it takes to do something
Understanding how much time it takes to perform a task can greatly increase the likelihood that it gets done. For big tasks, Lightfoot says, “Overestimate how much time something will take and try not to overschedule yourself.”
Oftentimes, however, we overestimate how much time and effort a job requires, and that’s especially true of everyday chores like doing dishes or putting things away. “If your tasks seem overwhelming, we recommend timing yourself,” Lightfoot says. “Repetitive chores can seem soul crushing, but when you realize how little time they actually take, they can seem more doable. Grab that pile of clean clothes and set a timer to see how long it takes to fold them.”
Lightfoot recommends this easy-to-use timer for those looking to get a true-to-life idea of how long everyday tasks take to complete. You can use it as a stopwatch that counts up to 99 minutes and 55 seconds.
Use unclaimed time
When it comes to those rote tasks, bearing in mind that they typically only take minutes to perform can help you find small pockets in your day in which to pick them off.
“Another time management tool is never leave a room empty-handed,” Lightfoot says. “Whether it’s grabbing an empty glass from the living room while you’re headed to the kitchen to start dinner or picking up your shoes as you go up to bed, every little bit matters.”
"Stair bins work well if you have a two-story home — even little ones can put their things in the bin to be put away at the end of the day," Lightfoot says.
“You can make huge progress by taking advantage of spare moments that occur during your day,” Lightfoot says. “For example, while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew in the morning, use those minutes to empty the dishwasher and put away any pots and pans that may have been in the drying rack overnight. We always say that if you’re always organizing a little, you’re never organizing a lot.”
Be flexible but disciplined
If you find yourself giving up on attempts to establish a planning routine, it’s time to practice some accountability — and build in flexibility too. “Pick a system and hold yourself accountable to the system you’ve chosen for at least a month,” Smith says. “If you need to adjust it in the future, give yourself the freedom to do so.”
You should also be realistic about the tools and techniques you want to use. “Some general advice is don’t expect yourself to stick to anything that is too rigid,” Allen says. “Experiment with strategies to find what works for you, and don’t be afraid to mix it up! If you expect your time management strategies to be fluid and something you are always tweaking, you will get less frustrated with yourself and have better results.”
Build rewards into your day
Scheduling leisure time or rewards can feel like a drag, but it’s an even bigger drag to find yourself missing out on me-time because of an overpacked or disorganized schedule. “Rewards are fun, especially when a task isn’t,” Smith says. “Maybe your reward is scrolling on social media for 30 minutes. No judgment here! But, also, set a timer.”
“One of my favorite all-time tools is a Time Timer,” Morgenstern says, “a physical tool that helps you visualize lengths of time and can help train you to stay focused without falling victim to interruptions [or] distractions.”
Morgenstern recommends building what she calls “two micro-doses of self-care into the fabric of every day.” To make it happen, she says, try rethinking your approach to self-care. “Too often, we think we need to carve out huge blocks of time for self-care, but demanding jobs, household and family responsibilities make it nearly impossible to find these big blocks of time consistently. Instead, focus on short bursts of five to 20 minutes we can fold into each day.”