24 Hours Be at your Productive Best

 24 hours is what all of us get every day, whether we like it or not. The way we use our daily 24 hours over a long period ultimately determines where we finish. Time management is an oxymoron, and I am surely not an expert on it. I see myself more as a student and have gathered some ideas that can help in managing ourselves better.

I firmly believe that time management is not reserved only for the work we do; it plays a very important part in our personal lives as well. When we manage ourselves better, it reduces stress and increases our experience of joy. Everyone’s philosophy of time management is different, so finding what works for each person is the key. For some people, it may mean spending more time with the family, while for others, it may be reaching the apex of corporate success. Here are eight ways that can help us on our journey to optimum personal effectiveness.

Focus on the Wildly Important

This is the essence of time management. There will never be enough time to do everything, but there is always enough time to do the important things. It is absolutely essential to focus on the top 20% of your items, which will result in 80% of your results. This is the Pareto Principle in action. Learn to say no to the things that are not aligned with your priorities. As Stephen Covey says, you can say no to a lot of unimportant things if you have a more important burning yes.

Multitasking is a productivity killer. According to experts, “If you are trying to accomplish many things at the same time, you will get more done by focusing on one task at a time, not by switching constantly from one task to another.” I recently read an article in Inc. magazine which said, “In one survey, people confessed to spending 40 percent of their time on things that are unimportant or downright irrelevant.” The key is to reverse this and focus on the most important things to be done. As Stephen Covey sanely observed, “The key is to schedule your priorities and not prioritize your schedule.” Focus on what is the most important and say no to everything else.

Maintain Written Lists

Write down a list of all the activities and tasks on your plate, including personal and official. This is common advice from all management gurus and time management experts. Despite all the tools available, I find the best way to maintain clarity is to write things down. This increases clarity, and you get more things done. A good practice is to maintain a master list that contains all the tasks and activities to be done, including simple things like calling the doctor’s office to schedule an annual checkup. The key is to free up our brain for more creative pursuits by writing the mundane things down.

I like the Reminders app on the iPhone, where I can record all my items that need to get done, and the Notes app is great for recording ideas. Make a point to celebrate when important tasks get done. Most of the time, we don’t acknowledge ourselves when we complete something, like getting our five workouts for the week, but if we write down what we have accomplished—even the small things—every week, we will improve our productivity and keep ourselves motivated. Measuring our progress against our lists keeps us engaged.

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

Most experts have concluded that planning your day in advance is a critical step in gaining control over your life. Stephen Covey's teaching was all around planning for a week, as it is a more recognizable unit of time, and more work can get done in a week than in a day. As Peter Drucker says, “We grossly overestimate what can be done in a year and underestimate what can be done in five years.” Plan your weeks, days, months, and years as it surely brings more energy and clarity to your days. Once we have things on paper, we are much more productive and eager to get to work.

Block out specific times to do activities that interest you. For example, you can block a Sunday for only family activities or recreation. Block out a certain amount of time every week for personal hobbies as well, since this would give more joy and again reduce overall stress. General George S. Patton observed, “Successful generals make plans to fit circumstances, but do not try to create circumstances to fit plans.”

Work Hard and Play Hard

All work and no play can make life boring and tedious. Yes, working hard is critical to long-term success, but working hard and not playing only leads to poor performance in the long run. The key is to manage your priorities every day and schedule periods of recreation by engaging in worthwhile hobbies. Exercise, playing a sport, or engaging in a personal pursuit is a great stress buster.

Sleep is one of the most neglected aspects. On average, 6-8 hours of sleep is absolutely necessary to keep us energetic throughout the day. Yes, at times, burning the midnight oil is necessary, but eventually, we have to ensure that it is not short-term gain for long-term pain. I read the following about President Obama in the book The Best Place to Work. The author, Ron Friedman, says, “Six days a week, his first order of business is to exercise forty-five minutes alternating between weight training and cardio. He makes time to fit basketball and golf into his weekly schedule. He reads history and non-fiction. During his first four years in office, Barack Obama took 131 vacation days, averaging more than a month off per year.”

Another example cited is FullContact, a Denver-based software company that in 2012 implemented a program that actually pays employees $7,500 to take their family on vacation. To receive the bonus, the employees have to agree on three things: 1. You have to go on vacation, 2. You must disconnect, and 3. You can’t work while on vacation. My purpose in sharing these examples is that everyone needs to recharge, and the busier we get, the higher we rise, the more important recharging our batteries becomes—and we can’t leave it to chance.

Reduce Stress

There are many technological distractions, and there is too much stress from overstimulation. This stress mainly comes from a perceived lack of time. While this may be the case, we have to understand that all of us have the same 24 hours. The reason for this frustration could be due to accepting more responsibilities than we can handle, which leads to frustration, stress, and lack of control. It is important to constantly reevaluate and weigh the costs of accepting more than we can chew, both in our work and personal lives. Ultimately, peace of mind is more important than overcommitting, resulting in stress. Mickey Mantle reportedly said, “If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself.”

Reflection

Writing in a journal is a powerful way to reflect and improve our overall effectiveness. I have written down everything that has happened over the last fifteen years in my life and have 35 journals to show for it. As someone once said, your life is worth recording. I also try to write every week about what went well, what can be done better, and where I can improve. This keeps me honest and allows for learning to sink in. It is surely a great way to get to know ourselves. As Peter Drucker said, “Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From that quiet reflection will come even more effective action.”

Focus on the View of Tasks for the Day

Sometimes we all get overwhelmed with the number of tasks to be done over a long period. One of the key time management hacks, which is easier said than done, is to only focus on the tasks to be done for that day. Have a view of only the tasks to be done on any given day. If we focus only on that, we will achieve more with less stress. A good book which I liked on time management is "How to Have a Good Day" by Caroline Webb.

Deep Work

Cal Newport, author of Deep Work, emphasizes the importance of focused, undistracted work to achieve high levels of productivity. Deep work is the ability to concentrate on a demanding task without distraction, which Newport argues is becoming increasingly rare in today's multitasking culture. By carving out time for deep work, you can make significant progress on complex tasks that require creative and analytical thinking. Newport suggests setting specific periods in your day for deep work and protecting that time from interruptions, allowing for maximum cognitive performance.

The Pomodoro Technique

This technique is all about working in focused intervals of 25 minutes followed by a 5-minute break. This technique keeps you mentally fresh and prevents burnout. You can use apps like Pomodone or Focus Booster to help maintain this rhythm. Allocate specific blocks of time to different tasks or activities. This method helps you stay focused and avoid distractions. Using tools like Google Calendar to block time for important tasks can help ensure you make steady progress.

In the journey of mastering time management, it’s important to remember that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. The strategies discussed here—from focusing on the most important tasks to embracing deep work, maintaining written lists, and practicing self-care—are tools that can help you craft a routine that works best for your unique needs and goals. Time is the most valuable resource we have, and by managing it wisely, we can enhance both our personal and professional lives.

Ultimately, time management is about making deliberate choices. It’s about choosing what to prioritize, when to take breaks, and how to structure our days to maximize productivity and satisfaction. By continuously refining our approach and staying mindful of our goals, we can navigate the demands of modern life with greater ease and fulfillment. Remember, the goal isn’t to fill every moment with activity, but to ensure that the moments we do have are used purposefully and joyfully. Wish you a productive week ahead. The views expressed here are my own and do not represent my organization.