Time management is something we all do all the time either consciously or unconsciously.
We all have 24 hours per day in our disposal but some of us use the time more efficiently and effectively than other. My goal was to optimize my time as good as possible in order to get the most out of my day.
There are several steps that you need to take to start organizing your time. I can tell you what I did and how organized my time. If you find it useful you can try it too.
First of all I used the 20-minutes as the basis of my time allocation strategy. By using 20 minutes as the basis you can do 3 things in an hour. In contrast when you use a 30 minutes interval you can only schedule 2 tasks within an hour. Interestingly, all calendars either support 15 minutes and/or 30 minutes’ intervals. I have not yet found a calendar to support the 20 minutes interval. My advice, do not let the software that you use manage your time. Take management of your time to your hands. Use 20 minutes intervals. Use a paper agenda if you want.
Second, design your day in advance using a to-do list. In order to do this step you need to write down all your tasks for the next day. As soon as you do this you need to set the priority for each one and sort your list with the high priority tasks first. This is a tedious task so I used my ipad to accomplish it. I used the Toodledo – To Do List application.
Third, you need to schedule your tasks. Arrange them for the next day using the 20 minutes intervals. If you feel that a task will take more than 20 minutes then use 2 20-minutes intervals. It is important not to break the 20-minutes rule. Do not forget to allocate time for organizing the following day’s tasks. I tried to use Pocket Informant Pro but it does not support 20 minutes intervals so I end up using 3 15 minutes intervals. Other than that Pocket Informant Pro is an extremely useful application to have.
Fourth, have in mind that your schedule will change the next day due to unforeseen or urgent events that you did not know at the time you prepared your schedule. This is something normal. I will give you some hints on how to prioritize your time to make room even for emergencies.
Fifth, cross out the tasks that you accomplished. It is very important to see your progress and have a feeling of achievement.
Let me know your comments or ideas on the topic.
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