Three time management tips for those who have tried everything.

Optimizing time and schedule should not be a difficult mathematical task.



If you search the Internet for “time management tips,” you will find many pages with recommendations — starting with personal blogs and ending with peer-reviewed articles — where you will be told about one simple technique that will save time, get rid of stress and increase productivity.

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Many of the recommendations are helpful, while others sound too good to be true. And in fact, the correct approach is determined by what people, tasks, teams and requirements in question.



Learning to manage your own time can be difficult, and everyone will have their own way. In this article, we will discuss several common erroneous approaches, as well as effective strategies that can be used instead.



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1. Urgent tasks do not always have to be performed first.

Sometimes you can hear that you first need to deal with less time-consuming, urgent tasks, since it is more pleasant to get them out of the way and gain momentum in order to focus on the important things. However, being influenced by what scientists call the “ urgency predominance effect ” (urgent tasks are given higher priority than important), you risk forgetting about strategic planning and applying creative thinking.



For more effective time management, it is necessary to critically approach filtering and ordering tasks, as well as avoid prioritization depending on the sense of urgency of the task - and this will help set long-term goals.



“If you don’t prioritize the main tasks or try to take on too much, it’s hard not to fall into a black hole,” writes Michael Watkins , author of The First 90 Days . He suggests keeping some clear long-term goals in mind: “Take time to clarify them and get support. Write them down and stick them on the wall. Look at these goals every day and ask yourself: “How does what I do help move in this direction?”



One of the best time management tips that can reduce the impact of prioritization based on urgency is to round up time estimates when it comes to the timing of project completion. “A good starting point would be to assume that the project will take 10–25% more time than you expect,” writes Professor at the University of Texas at Austin Art Markman . “It allows ... to make a reserve for the“ blind zones ”of the brain responsible for planning the time.”



However, it is important to remember that there is no single “right” planning method — it is possible that in your case it is most effective to work under the pressure of urgent tasks. If you deliberately prioritize, communicate with teams and perform the necessary work, then your approach is also correct.

2. Focus on managing attention, not schedule

The time planning guidelines usually state that detailed scheduling helps keep everything under control and efficiently allocate time, especially if you have several projects with different expected outcomes. But in some cases, planning all day can create unnecessary restrictions.



As writes Chris Bailey , author of the book Hyperfocus. As I learned to do more, spending less time , managing attention is actually much more important than managing my time: “You can appear at meetings at the appointed time, you can follow the schedule, most of us are good at managing our time. But this cannot be said about managing your own attention. ”



Even the best-planned day can be completely unproductive if we are distracted, and getting attention in the right direction is not so easy. In order to learn how to better manage attention, business instructor Monique Walcourt suggests taking time to self- reflect every day : this can help you understand what turned out to be useful, what isn't, and how to act tomorrow. “If one approach does not work, do not continue fruitless attempts, but try another option,” she writes.



You can go into planning or act without a tight schedule, on a whim - the main thing is that in your case it works. "Strategies to increase productivity ... lose their motivational potential if they seem meaningless," says Valcourt. “Try to rethink what needs to be done on the basis of your own basic principles - this will help you concentrate and maintain focus.”

3. Think about what will happen as a result, and not just cross out tasks

One of the most proven time management tips is to start the day with a to-do list. And indeed: for many, working with him is a soothing and rewarding exercise, but others may get bogged down in a routine because of this.



In an immaculate world, to-do lists help us keep track of whether we are coping with tasks and not missing anything, and also give a sense of accomplishment when we cross out another item. By focusing on achievements and giving priority to productivity, we can limit the freedom of creative thinking. To-do lists often give good results because they represent a clear path to a specific result: do A, then B, then C. However, a study from the Wisconsin School of Business shows that when we give a specific task with a clear solution, this can be limiting.



Try a freer approach to time management — focus on results , rather than on completing tasks. “This approach focuses people and teams on a specific result, not on the process of achieving it,” said Jennifer Robison , senior editor at the Gallup Business Journal . “So employees get more freedom to use their own unique talents to achieve goals in their own way.”



By implementing a result-oriented corporate culture , managers can increase the innovative potential and interest of all employees. If it is impossible for you and your team to fully focus on the results, try an alternative to individual task management. For example, on daily meetings, a team can talk about priorities, and task management can occur asynchronously online — or it can be centralized in the hands of a project manager.

Combine time management tips

The next time someone says that he has found a magical solution for increasing productivity, remember that it is important to act in a way that is convenient for you. Our personal productivity systems and habits leave you free to create and allow you to focus on the most important. Pay more attention to what, how and why you are doing (in a convenient way), and you will find yourself on the path to making your working life as productive as possible.



About the translator



The article is translated in Alconost.



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