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Time management techniques and strategies can prevent procrastination and increase productivity.

Here are our favourites, explained briefly so we don’t waste your time!

1. The Pareto Principle (80/20 rule)

20% of your tasks will give you 80% of your desired results.

Find your 20% and achieve more in less time.

Whilst these percentages are not always fact, the 80/20 mindset will increase your productivity as you try and think outside the box to get more out of less.

2. Eat that Frog

The first task of your day should be the most important, and the one you are most likely to procrastinate on.

This will stop you performing less important and valuable tasks (procrastinating) in order to avoid the difficult and important task.

The feeling of achieving your most important task first will help you stay more productive throughout the day.

3. Plan your day ahead of time

Make a plan of what your intend to achieve in the day.

Do this the night before or in the morning, always before you start your first task.

This will give you clarity which will help do the more important tasks, avoid procrastination and be motivated to achieve your daily goals.

4. Time blocking

Schedule a distraction free block of time dedicated to an important task.

Have laser focus on this task during this time; don’t answer emails, phone calls or entertain any other distraction.

This is a vital technique for busy people to get important things done that they “don’t have time” for.

5. The Eisenhower matrix

Categorise your tasks as Urgent & Important, Not Urgent & Important, Urgent & Not Important or Not Urgent & Not Important.

Prioritise time on important tasks, eliminate and delegate unimportant ones.

This will get you to do tasks that will have the most benefit in the present and the future.

7. Never multitask

Multitasking has been shown to reduce productivity so you get less things done overall.

Focus on one task at a time until completion to maximise your productivity.

Make sure to cut out distractions that might direct you to a different task.

8. Task batching

A lot of time is wasted when switching between tasks.

Batch regular tasks such as email in two or three sessions, rather than continuously checking email throughout the day.

This will help prevent procrastination, switching between tasks and multitasking.

9. Saying no

Saying no to a commitment when under pressure from others is difficult.

But these commitments can take valuable time away from the important tasks that will yield the best results.

Have the courage to say no so you don’t stretch yourself too thin, and you will be more productive.

10. Physical decluttering

Having a cluttered space is distracting and stressful.

Clear the area around you so there are no visible distractions.

This will allow your mind to focus on the task at hand and get more done.

11. Mental decluttering

Holding information only in your brain takes up valuable cognitive load.

This means you have less focus to concentrate on the task at hand and get things done.

Write things to remember down; whether it is a to-do list, a calendar, a password manager or something else.

12. Sharpen the axe

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” – Abraham Lincoln

This means dedicating time to improving your skills or tools available to you will save you time in the long run.

Make sure to spend time working to increase productivity on your regular tasks.

13. Take a break!

You can’t work at maximum productivity constantly.

Taking a break can recharge your productivity and make your day more productive overall.

You must take breaks in the right way in order to get value out of them.

14. Look after your health

Your body and mind are inextricably linked.

Eating healthy, exercising regularly and sleeping well will make you more energetic and will clear your mind.

So a healthy lifestyle can help your productivity as well as your lifespan.

15. Create necessity

A huge way to motivate yourself and get things done is to feel that they are “necessary”.

You can create necessity internally by reminding yourself how the task meets your goals or externally by having another person expecting you to perform the task.

This pressure will help you stay focussed and get more done.

16. Turn nothing time in to something time

Tasks like commuting and cleaning that don’t use much active thinking can be turned in to more valuable time.

This can be done by listening to audiobooks or podcasts whilst doing these tasks.

Then you can learn and improve yourself whilst doing the things you would be doing anyway.

17. Split mammoth tasks

Large or challenging tasks can be daunting and it can be easier to procrastinate than get started.

Try splitting these in to smaller tasks and find the smallest possible things you can do to get started.

By going 1 step at a time there are less mental barriers to getting the task done!

18. The Miracle Morning

Wake up at least 1 hour earlier than usual and do tasks to improve yourself that you otherwise “wouldn’t have time” for.

This could be reading, exercising, studying, a side project or something else.

Achieving something in the morning will help motivate you for the rest of your day and will improve yourself in the long run.

19. Be SMART with Goals

Your goals should be S pecific, M easurable, A greed upon, R easonable and T ime-bound.

pecific, easurable, greed upon, easonable and ime-bound. This way of goal setting will help you clarify what is needed and motivate you to complete it.

This will therefore help you avoid procrastination and be motivated to meet the goal.

20. Take an information diet

In the age of the internet we have more information you could ever consume.

Most of us are guilty of consuming too much unnecessary information.

Try and restrict your information intake to those needed for your current tasks and this will avoid a lot of wasted time.

21. The 2 minute rule

If you have something you need to do that can be done in less than 2 minutes, just do it .

. This will help get those little things out of the way and off your mind.

And with that clearer mind you can get more of the important things done.

22. Set time limits and deadlines

Set time limits for quick tasks and deadlines for longer tasks.

This will give a feeling of urgency.

And that will help you get more done!

23. Review regularly

Every week, month and year take time to review yourself, your goals and your progress.

This will help you set your priorities correctly.

And motivate you to spend your time on the things that will help you in life.

24. Automation and Delegation

The fastest way to do a task is to get someone or something else to do it for you.

You can automate regular simple tasks by using software or even robots!

Or delegate a task or part of it to someone else whenever possible and reasonable.

25. The Pomodoro technique

Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a task, without distractions.

Every time you do this take a 3-5 minute break, after four sessions take a 15-30 minute break.

This technique combines timing and breaks to increase your productivity when working on a task.

26. The 4 “Ds” of Email Management

Delete emails that are of no use beyond the first time reading, immediately.

emails that are of no use beyond the first time reading, immediately. Do handle emails that can be managed in under 2 minutes and Defer those that will take longer.

handle emails that can be managed in under 2 minutes and those that will take longer. Delegate by forwarding all emails that are better handled by someone else.

27. Track your time

You can use software or a diary to track how you are using your time.

Use this information to see how you are spending your time and act to change how you spend time to meet your goals.

Consider using the “Time Smart Quadrant” to categorise your tracked time and take appropriate action to improve your life.

28. Cut out excess deciding

You might spend too much time making decisions on things that aren’t important enough to spend excess time deciding on (e.g. which tie should I wear).

Be aware of when you are stalling to make a decision.

And if the decision isn’t that important just decide as quickly as possible.

29. Morning exercise

I started exercising in the morning a few months ago and it changed my life.

It improves my focus and makes me more motivated and enthusiastic during the work day.

Try it and see if it works for you!

Thank you for reading! Please let me know what time management techniques I have forgotten in the comments below.