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Photo by Mina Ivankovic on Unsplash - Image by @upklyak on freepik

Whether it's renovating the bathroom, starting a blog or exercising more, there's always something more we'd like to do, when our days already seem too full. The truth is that we can save time, without it being deducted from our sleep schedule...

- Our plan -

Obviously, we don't have complete autonomy over our time, but we do have some to reclaim and make our own choices. So, first and foremost, we need to stay in control of our schedule, as much as possible. This means getting to know our periods of productivity better, then planning and working around them. We also need to find a way of reserving time and space for our projects in a comfortable environment and on the schedule that suits us best.

- Respecting -

We should decide in advance on a time period to devote to our project : four hours daily, weekly or monthly, it may even be a conditional schedule (after the completion of a specific professional task). The important thing to note is that there will be no exceptions, once we've set this timing.

- Prioritising -

There will always be something to add to our pile of things to do. To avoid getting buried, we need to decide early on what's important, and start with there. Because we're doing a lot of things at once, we have to be careful not to overload ourselves. Taking on an extra project is not a problem, wanting to complete two is doable, but completing three is often a challenge.

- Confining -

Phone calls, e-mails, text messages, social networks and a host of other communication methods prevent us from isolating time just for ourselves. Worse still, all this noise is available everywhere, all the time. We'd be amazed to realize how much time we can reclaim for our projects, when we're not distracted by these false digital obligations.

Just as it's not uncommon for us to arrange appointments or outings that we don't want to take part in. This time will seem stolen, because we could have devoted it to our projects or to ourselves. So let's make sure we don't find ourselves in these situations in the first place.

- Distinguishing -

Watching TV isn't a crime, but spending all day watching « Binger », when we have things to do, is another story altogether. We all have activities we use to kill time, but these same activities can get in the way of, or devour, essential time to our projects and well-being.

So, if we take a week to study the activities that waste our time, without overlooking the fact that a few mental breaks are necessary, we could set a schedule for our goals and get on with it.

- Learning -

We can take advantage of our commute to work or home to research, study or read about our project. Not only will we learn more about our project, it will motivate us to take even small steps forward.

- Accompanied -

If our attempts at self-discipline fail, we can try using peer pressure : Joining a group will keep us on track, especially if the group scrutinizes our progress, as it will force us to stay the course.

- Taking breaks -

None of us can stay focused indefinitely, so breaks are necessary to keep us functioning properly. We have to allow ourselves to slow down, otherwise our body and mind will mutiny against us and force us to do so, if we don't anticipate.

- Postposing -

Many of us put off our project, leave it dormant on our « to do » list or in a corner of our head and there are only two ways to deal with the things we procrastinate on :

Do them immediately ;

Abandon them.

- Preparation -

We can prepare for the next day. That way, we'll have a better chance of making sure certain things get accomplished first :

« Is there anything special planned ? ».

« Are there things I should pay attention to ? ».

« Are there any actions that would bring me closer to my plans ? ».

« Is there a time I can set aside for myself ? ».

- Planting tomatoes -

If we're looking for a time management strategy for ourselves, it might be worth trying the Pomodoro technique. The Pomodoro technique was developed in 1987, by Francesco Cirillo. While preparing for an exam, he found it difficult to concentrate and used a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato (Pomodoro in Italian). He set the challenge of staying focused for two minutes timed by the timer. When that worked, he set the timer for a longer interval and found that it helped him stay focused on his task. After experimenting with different interval periods, he found that 25-30 minutes of work followed by a 5-10 minutes break was ideal.

The process is quite simple :

Selecting a task (just one).

Setting a timer for 25-30 minutes.

Working on the task until the timer rings.

Taking a 5-10 minutes break.

And repeat.

We'll also need to make sure we take a longer break, every four to five rounds of « Pomodoro ».

Conclusions

We know that time is our most precious resource, and in the near-continuous company of our tablets and phones, we've never been in a better position to measure how we use our time. At the touch of a button or by downloading an app, we can track the time we spend exercising, sleeping and even browsing our news feeds or our time on PC or TV. By analysing our days, we can identify sections of time that can be devoted to things that matter to us and our projects.

What do you think?