We all have only 24 hours in a day, and there’s just so much that we can fit in. We do not live in The Sims 4 world (love that game) where we can keep ourselves young forever using potions, so we know our time here is limited.

As time is always running short, learning how to manage our time (and ourselves) is one of the most important things we can do.

Here, I’m sharing some Time management tips you can easily apply.

1.- Set time to focus on your work.

We have so many things to do that it is extremely easy to forget about some (if not all) of them. Plus, we have tons of distractions all around us, all day long (cellphones are time leeches). You can divide your day into blocks and set up a 2-hour block every weekday. Moreover, you can use the Pomodoro technique to separate that block into shorter, intense focus sprints (25 minutes and a five-minute break in between, for example).

2.- Avoid multitasking at all costs.

This one is easier said than done. Once, I saw a definition of multitasking, and it said something similar to multitasking being the art of failing on several things at a time (You can read more here). 

You need time to focus on what you must do (you can apply the Pomodoro technique shared before), and you cannot advance if you juggle different tasks but complete none.

Many people think they are great multitaskers, but most aren’t. Usually, what they do is something completely different that they call multitasking. They prioritize, evaluate their progress, pivot, delegate when needed, and use a handful of resources that help them navigate and complete their tasks. Don’t waste precious time trying to multitask; just focus on focusing. 🙂

3.- Learn to delegate (and to trust).

We all know the classmates who preferred to work alone than in a team or who thought they could do it better than anyone else (you might have been that classmate, as I was before).

However, as an entrepreneur, business owner, Freelancer, or worker, you will be forming part of a team. You cannot do everything on your own, so you must learn to delegate. Start distributing the tasks from your workload that are not as important (unless it’s an emergency and you need to leverage on your team), and take the time to review the job completed by your team to provide any feedback required. You will notice over time who from your team are better suited for more challenging tasks. Now, make sure that they can take that part of your workload beforehand and thank them after they have finished the work.

4.- Leverage the power of the checklists. 

Implementing checklists reduced the deaths after surgery by 40% (read more about it here); that’s just as powerful as they are. What happens is that we tend to overestimate our own capacity to remember what we have done and what we need to do. Instead of wasting time trying to remember if you completed a task or are missing a step, write a checklist before starting a said task and divide it into any steps that you need to take.

Something that can help you is writing a list of your To-Dos before going to sleep. It has happened to me that I’m about to fall asleep when I suddenly think, “Oh, I must remember to pay the rent tomorrow” or something similar, and just like that, I fear I might forget it and lose my sleepiness. Creating a checklist before bed can help you sleep better.

Also, you can write a checklist first thing in the morning (or modify the one you wrote the night before). That way, you will start your day with a clear roadmap of what you need to accomplish.

5.- Reduce your phone screen time use.

Almost all of us need to get away from our screens every once in a while (It’s ironic that I’m typing this on my computer, tho). 

You can use the Apple Screen time feature or Android’s Digital Wellbeing app and have granular control over how much or how little time you spend on different apps. For example, I love Stardew Valley Mobile, but I have a limit, so I don’t spend more than 30 minutes per day in the game. I also have limited all social media I use, so I can only check them for up to 10 minutes daily (10 minutes each).

It might be an extreme measure for some, but it helps to make it a little bit more difficult for me to start mindless scrolling on Social media or losing myself in a game (Note: Checking Social media could make us unhappy, so it’s a good idea to reduce our exposure to it).

James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones advise us to make it difficult to complete a bad habit. That small warning that you have already spent your allowed time on a certain app (and the fact that you’ll have to modify or erase the timer to open it again that day) can be just enough to stop you from opening it.

6-. Track your time

Yes, this may feel like an extreme measure, too, but it’s worth knowing how much time you spend on specific tasks to have the right idea of how long it takes you to finish them. 

I work as a proofreader, editor, and virtual assistant Freelancer on Fiverr (self-promotion time; check my profile here), and I use Fiver Workspace to track the time it takes me to complete a task. Thanks to that, I realized that some things were taking me longer than I thought, meaning that I was undercharging for my hard work.

There are several tracking time apps that you can use that have free plans. Test different apps and keep the one that suits your needs the most.

7.- Take time to rest, connect, and have fun.

Life is not only work and study. You deserve to have quality time with your family and take a well-deserved rest. Usually, we can focus so much on what we should do and push ourselves to the edge (ending in burnout). 

Our most creative work shouldn’t rely on coffee but be sustained by a balanced life where you rest, eat as healthy as you can, move your body (there’s more to do than going to the Gym), catch up with your loved ones, and work on your personal growth. It’s easier said than done, I know, but we are worth the effort.

8.- Extra tip. If you are going to multitask, multitask correctly.

What does this even mean? Sometimes, we have to stop a task to start another without a choice. So, one thing that we can do is quickly write down what we were doing (and, if you can spare some seconds, what we were going to do next) so we can return to the previous task without having to waste any time staring blankly at the screen or the paper in front on us trying to figure out what we are supposed to do. 

You can find more tips on how to improve your multasking skill here (I still don’t recommend to do that, tho).

Confession time and wrapping up.

Time is a precious commodity, and learning how to manage it effectively is crucial for personal and professional success, yet I’m far from being a professional at it. 

I have tried so many things and struggle to consistently apply them to my life (except for checklists), so don’t beat yourself too hard if you don’t become a time manager expert in the first week or month. Try hard, fail, and try again. Take the time to learn what’s best for you and keep on exploring new options. 

If there are any extra tips that you use, make sure to share them in the comments below!

About the Author:
I’m Astrid, a biologist who made a career shift to become a virtual assistant and an accountability partner. My journey from the world of science to customer service and freelancing has given me a unique perspective on life, and I sometimes share it here on WordPress.

Do you need a capable and reliable accountability partner? Contact me on Fiverr or LinkedIn.