There are time realists and time optimists, according to Ms. Morgenstern. Time realists look at a task and break down the math of it. They’re conscious of how long things take, and they factor that in to their plans for the day.

Time optimists, by comparison, are just that: hopeful about things they would like to do. It leads to them to overstuff their days and become frustrated when their list of to-dos doesn’t get completed.

Be a time realist. Here’s how.

⚋

Take a pause before

committing to anything

Don’t automatically say yes, no matter who is asking, according to Ms. Morgenstern. Even if it is your boss, think, “How I can fit that in?’” If, after calculating how long the task will take, considering what else you were going to do in that time against what you could take off your plate, you’re still in need of relief, Ms. Morgenstern suggests going back to your boss and saying, “I could do this, but I’d then have to postpone that. Which way do you want me to go?”

✺✺

Always end every day

by planning tomorrow,

plus two more days

Ms. Morgenstern recommends looking ahead. She says that doing so allows you to see in advance if you planned your calendar for the next few days well, “sort of figuring out the puzzle,” in her words.

☾

Put activities in categories

depending on your

concentration threshold

Batch activities like administrative work, creative projects, hobbies and social activities, by mental function in order to identify your concentration threshold for each. Ms. Morgenstern says that batching activities helps you to carve smaller subdivisions into your days, creating mini-deadlines that make concentrating on and completing dreaded tasks more manageable.