TIME MANAGEMENT TOOLBOX 3 PROVEN STRATEGIES https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/timeboxing.htm

#1 Timeboxing

What Is timeboxing? Many people approach their work one task at a time, and concentrate on each until they complete it, however long this takes. Timeboxing is different because it encourages you to focus on time instead of tasks. To use this time-management tool, you allocate a certain number of hours or days, called a "timebox," to each activity. You then use this time – and only this time – to complete the task.

How To Use Timeboxing? First, allocate a set amount of time to each task on your list. Don't forget breaks, unexpected requests or interruptions. Then, set a timer to alert you to when you should move on to your next timebox. If you don't finish your task within the allocated time, make sure that you review your progress at the end of each timebox. The purpose of timeboxing is to ensure that you use your time productively. To use this technique, you assign a specific deadline to each task. This is known as a timebox and when it's finished, you analyze your progress and move on to the next one. Timeboxing offers many benefits. When you use it to schedule your workday or delegate work, it can help you and your team members avoid analysis paralysis, limit the tendency to procrastinate, and increase motivation.

#2 The Pomodoro Technique

What Is It? The technique works by getting you to structure your work in 25-minute sessions, each separated by a short break. Cirillo took the name from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that he used to manage his time as a university student. The method is remarkably simple. Each 25-minute session is one "pomodoro." When you complete one, take a five-minute break before embarking on the next. When you have completed four "pomodori," take a longer break to rest and recharge.

How Does It Work? Step 1: Check Your Schedule Step 2: Set Your Timer Step 3: Work on Your Task, and Only That Task Step 4: Take a Short Break Step 5: Continue Your Work Sessions and Take a Longer Break

#3 Eisenhower's Urgent/Important Principle

What Is It? Great time management means being effective as well as efficient. To minimize the stress of having too many tight deadlines, we need to understand the distinction. Important activities have an outcome that leads to us achieving our goals, whether these are professional or personal. Urgent activities demand immediate attention, and are usually associated with achieving someone else's goals. They are often the ones we concentrate on and they demand attention because the consequences of not dealing with them are immediate.

How Does It Work? First, list all of the activities and projects that you feel you have to do. Try to include everything that takes up your time at work, however unimportant. Next, think about each activity and put it into one of four categories: 1. Important and Urgent 2. Important but Not Urgent 3. Not Important but Urgent 4. Not Important and Not Urgent