The Ultimate Secret to Better Time Management

We’ve all done it: promised ourselves we’ll be better at managing our time, only to follow through for a few weeks before eventually reverting to our old habits. Then, we resort to fighting fires again.

Our to-do list is so full that we scramble to finish whatever is at the top, while continuously adding items to the bottom. The list grows until one day, we decide it’s time for a change. We look for productivity apps to help us keep track of it all, decide on the one that we think will be best for us, and commit.

For some reason, though, it seem to stick. Sound familiar?

Finding the Right Time Management Method for You

There are an abundance of time management strategies; finding the right one for you depends on a variety of criteria.

If you are a chronic multi-tasker, you may benefit most from implementing the “touch it once” rule, which promotes working on only one task at a time, until the task is brought to completion. By using this method, you can train yourself to stop multi-tasking, which allows you to accomplish more in the day.

For those who have trouble deciding what to work on, the Eisenhower Matrix is a great option. This style of organization helps people prioritize, by sorting tasks into categories based on their Importance and Urgency. Once you have organized your to-dos in this manner, it’s obvious which ones you should attack first: those that are both important and urgent.

People with too much work on their hands can benefit from implementing the 5 steps of the GTD Method. Following this methodology allows for quicker decision-making, so you spend less time getting organized and more time “getting things done”.

“So, which is the best?”

The fact of the matter is, there is no answer to this question. The “best” method of time management depend on the individual. However, no matter which you choose, the bottom line is this:

The Secret to Better Time Management is Actually Discipline

And here’s why: once you find a method that really works for you, unless you stick to it, you’ll inevitably slip back into your old habits.

So, in order to become better at managing your time, you must work on increasing your discipline. Here are 6 tips to help you increase discipline, inspired by this article in Forbes:

1. Remove Temptation. If you’re following the touch-it-once rule, for example, leave your phone in the other room when you sit down to work on a task.
2. Don’t Wait for it to “Feel Right”. Growth is not always comfortable, and sometimes it’s necessary for us to force ourselves out of our comfort zone to make a change. Don’t start next Monday. Start today.
3. Schedule Breaks. Growth is also incremental. As you grow, give yourself time to breath. This will keep you refreshed and allow you to keep making forward progress.
4. Forgive Yourself. It’s okay to make mistakes along the way. Forgive yourself quickly for failures and get back in the game, rather than letting small obstacles deter you.
5. Tell People About Your Goal. Telling others around you about your goal helps you hold yourself accountable; if you know your co-worker or classmate is aware of the change you’re trying to make, you’ll be more vigilant about monitoring yourself.
6. Make it a Habit. Studies show that forming a new habit takes about two months. Challenge yourself to stick to your new time management routine for at least 60 days. Before you know it, you’ll be following it subconsciously.

Becoming more organized is a goal for many of us, and reaching this goal can help us accomplish more, while reducing stress and increasing our level of happiness. For each individual, the road to organization will look different, but for all of us, the secret to success is staying in the lanes.

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