How I manage my Time - 5 Time Management Techniques
Learn the most effective time-management methods + how to use automation to combine the power of them
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Today at a glance:
By the end of this article, you will learn the basics of five time management strategies that can help you be more productive and achieve your goals.
These strategies include:
The Eisenhower Box
The Pomodoro Technique
Time Blocking
The 2-Minute Rule
The 80/20 Rule
Also, I will share an easy-to-implement automation idea to help you prioritize tasks and time block effortlessly.
A Framework:
As someone passionate about productivity, I understand the struggle with time management. We all have 24 hours in a day, and Time is a finite resource. It is the ultimate currency!
So, how we use our Time can make a massive difference in what we achieve.
Just like we have different ways to take notes, we have various strategies to manage our time effectively. Let's explore them:
💡 Quick Tip: “Only consume content directly related to your current project or the next task at hand”
📦 The Eisenhower Box:
This method of prioritizing tasks is based on their urgency and importance. Each task is sorted into one of four categories: Do, Schedule, Delegate, or Eliminate. The goal here is to focus on tasks that directly serve your current project, aligning your attention with what's most relevant.
When to use it: Use this when overwhelmed with tasks and you need a clear-cut system for prioritization.
A Quick Tip: Spend your most productive hours on 'Do' tasks, which are both important and urgent.
⏳ The Pomodoro Technique:
Named after a tomato-shaped kitchen timer, this technique involves breaking your work into focused intervals (traditionally 25 minutes), separated by short breaks (5 minutes). Each work interval is dedicated to a single task or a set of similar tasks, fostering a deep focus. After completing 4 full blocks (25+5 minutes x 4 blocks = 120 minutes), you can take a longer break (15 minutes or a little bit more)
When to use it: Use this when you're working on complex tasks that require sustained attention or when prone to distraction or procrastination.
A Quick Tip: Resist the urge to overwork. The short breaks are critical for maintaining high levels of productivity over time.
🔲 Time Blocking:
This technique involves dividing your day into blocks of time, each dedicated to a specific task or set of tasks. This means you commit to certain tasks at specific times, reducing the chances of procrastination or getting distracted by other work.
When to use it: Use this when your day involves different kinds of tasks that require different levels of concentration and creativity.
A Quick Tip: Allow for buffer time between blocks to handle potential overrun and give your brain a chance to switch gears.
⌛ The 2-Minute Rule:
The 2-minute rule is simple: if a task can be done in two minutes, do it immediately rather than pushing it back. This helps keep minor tasks from piling up and causing stress.
When to use it: Use this rule for simple tasks that come up during the day.
A Quick Tip: This rule works best when combined with other productivity techniques like Time Blocking or the Eisenhower Box.
🔬 The 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle):
This rule states that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. In terms of productivity, it suggests focusing on the tasks that will have the biggest impact.
When to use it: Use this when you need to prioritize tasks based on their potential impact.
A Quick Tip: Identify what tasks provide the most value and dedicate your prime energy and time to them.
An Automation Idea:
↓ Apply the 80/20 Rule using Notion:
Keep a Notion Tasks Database in Notion to log and rank tasks based on their potential impact. Any task marked as "High Impact" (top 20%) is automatically added to Trello as a new task.
↓ Apply Eisenhower with Trello:
Use Eisenhower (Do, Schedule, Delegate, or Eliminate) when a card is moved to the “Do” or "Schedule" list in your Trello board, an event is automatically created in Google Calendar for the task.
↓ Apply Time Blocking with Google Calendar:
If the task gets completed early, check the box in Notion or Trello and the automation deletes the remaining time block event.
This is an example of how you can leverage the power of automation to combine the power of 3 productivity methods!
Do you want me to build this for you?
I am a Business Automation consultant spending most of my time with my trusted squad: ChatGPT, Notion, Make, Zapier, Airtable, Slack & Google Suite.
Together we can achieve almost anything - I haven't found many problems we cannot solve... you name it.
Feel free to drop me a reply to this email if:
You want me to build this automation workflow for you
You would like to explore how I can help you to simplify your business workflows with any other AI automation idea
You are an automation expert yourself, and want to collaborate!
You just want to talk about anything and everything in the no-code & automation world!