Fall is in full swing! With activities and events, school, and year-end work projects filling our calendars now, the fall season is a natural time to hit the reset button and take charge of your schedule. Structuring your days can boost productivity, reduce stress, and actually free up more time by helping you set boundaries and focus on priorities.
METHODS AND TECHNIQUES
There are countless methods and theories for managing time. Are you prone to procrastination? Try the Eat That Frog method of committing to finishing your toughest task before starting any others. The famous Pomodoro technique of focusing deeply on a single task for 25 minutes before taking a break also helps fight distraction and is especially good for students. A traditional time-blocking technique — dividing the day into chunks of time for one specific task at a time — can help you focus and fight the tendency to multitask.
TOOLS AND RESOURCES
Planners and organizers are essential tools for managing time and can deliver added benefits like enhanced mindfulness and goal tracking. Digital varieties are convenient and can sync across devices and can be quickly updated when plans change. Cloud-based calendars can be shared, allowing others to see appointments, and they’re good for collaboration, repeating tasks, and reminders.
Paper planners are as popular as ever and offer a more tactile way to manage your time. Writing things down can make your plans feel more personal and easier to recall, and they can help you focus on tasks without digital distractions. Paper organizers come in a huge variety of styles, sizes, and layout options, including options that are fully customizable.
A hybrid system combines the best of both. You might use a digital calendar to keep track of appointments, meetings, and reminders, for example, while using a paper planner to write down daily checklists, goals, or personal notes.
THE BIGGER PICTURE
It bears mentioning that among life’s many tasks and to-do lists, an intentional focus on how you choose to spend your very valuable time is an important part of time management. In his best-selling book Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman offers a fresh take on the topic, noting that “the real measure of any time management technique is whether it helps you neglect the right things.”
Time is a precious resource indeed; aligning yours with your priorities will help ensure it is well spent.
Mary Peck connects Coloradans with practical tips, ideas, and information to help them prosper.
