Your time is your most precious asset. It is more valuable than money. You can make money investing your time, but you cannot invest money to buy time, because your time is finite. This is why time management is so important. Get the most important time management tips and get more done in less time.

1. Set Smart Goals

Apply The 80/20 Rule! The 80/20 rule, also called the Pareto Principle, is based on the idea that 80% of the output from a given situation results from 20% of the input. For time management techniques this means focusing on the tasks and goals that will have the most effect.

Start with making a list of ten goals you would like to achieve this month. Then filter out two goals that will have the most impact on your business. Those two goals (20%) should be your priority for this month because they are the most valuable.

2. Learn to Say No

Once you have wrapped your head around your most important goals and tasks you can easily say no to the ones that are not important.

In our society saying no is almost frowned upon. We were raised to say yes and to be polite and helpful. There is a constant urge to want to please everyone. Plus we are afraid of passing on opportunities.

But who do we actually help if we say yes to everything without being able to fulfill our commitments? Noone! On the contrary, your business will suffer if you are not able to say no to:

• repetitive tasks – start outsourcing and automate tasks
• difficult clients – focus on clients that fit your business needs and goals
• collaborators that don’t get your business – look for people that work well with you
• meetings that are time wasters – reduce the number of meetings only attend the important ones
• toxic relationships

3. Stop Procrastinating

The 4D System/The Eisenhower Matrix:

• Delete – Tasks that have no importance and are not urgent
• Delegate – Tasks that are important and urgent, but can be done by somebody else
• Do it now – Tasks that are very important and urgent
• Delay – Tasks that are important, but not urgent

4. The 2 Minute Rule

If it can be done in 2 minutes or less do it right away. Make quick decisions on things that don’t matter.

5. Tackle Critical Tasks First

Time Management techniques are all about getting things done efficiently. Studies have shown that working on important and difficult tasks first will free up your mind for the rest of the day. By completing critical work early you will be more motivated and get other tasks done quicker and easier.

6. Eliminate Distractions

Distractions are everywhere, all the time.

What are the most common distractions and how to eliminate them:

• Social Media – turn off notifications and reserve a specific time during the day to check your accounts, answer messages/comments – outsource social media management for your business accounts
• Emails – check/answer your emails at specific times
• Messages – mute your phone when you are working on important tasks, resist on replying immediately
• Phone Calls – mute your phone, only answer important calls when you are working
• Video Streaming/TV/Youtube etc. – watch videos during your downtime, during work hours they should be off-limits
• Chatty Coworkers – politely tell them that you are busy
• Noise – wear noise-canceling headphones
• Music – only listen to music that increases your productivity – some times silence works better
• Your thoughts – focus on the tasks you are working on. If an idea pops up write it down and address it at a later point

7. Organize Your Time and Workflow

• Document Cloud Storage – Dropbox, Google Drive, Google Docs
• Note Taking Apps – Google Keep, Evernote
• Calendar Apps – Google Calendar
• Work Automation Apps – Zapier
• Collaboration Tools – Trello, Asana

8. Plan Your Day and Week For Optimal Productivity

Every Sunday evening reserve 20 minutes to plan out the next week. Define what the goals are for this week. Plan out your week by creating a workflow that will achieve this goal.

Every day in the evening plan out the next day in detail. Start with the most difficult and important tasks in the morning. Try to skim down on unnecessary meetings. Incorporate downtime and breaks.

During the day stick to your calendar, focus on the bigger goal, and avoid distraction.

At the end of the week evaluate your productivity and find ways to improve it.

9. Know Your Energy Levels

Organize your work around your energy levels. We are all different.

Some like to get up at 4 am and make important decisions, others work great in the evening. Find out when your productivity is the best and schedule important tasks for that time.

When your energy level is low, do lesser tasks or take a break.

10. Your Health Is A Priority

• take regular breaks
• reserve time to recharge
• eat healthily
• hydrate
• meditate
• exercise
• do things that make you happy
• start the day with a morning routine

11. Task Automation

The easiest way to save time is by automating repetitive tasks.

There are many tools available that can help you automize and batch similar tasks:

• Hootsuite – Socia Media Scheduling
• Grammarly – Real-Time Proofreading
• MailChimp – Email Automation
• IFTTT – Connects Apps and Devices
• Google Alerts – Monitor the Web for interesting content and mentions of your own brand
• MobileMonkey – Chatbot

Detect repetitive tasks that take the most time out of your day and try to find an automation solution.

12. Track Your Time

Tracking the time you are spending on a certain task can help you get more done in less time. One of the easiest ways to track your time is with a Google count down.

13. Set Time Limits

Setting time limits and self-imposed deadlines will help you focus more and get things done in time.

Instead of giving yourself plenty of time for completing a task try the opposite. Time constraints help get things done faster and more efficiently.

14. Take Advantage of Spare Time

Make use of all the time that is available to you like in-between tasks, during a commute, or while waiting for someone.

For example:

• Listen to an audiobook or podcast
• Make notes of ideas/thoughts
• Journal
• Touch base with a friend or family member
• Declutter your phone

15. Decision Automation

There are repetitive decisions that we have to make every single month, week or day. Automating those decisions will save you a lot of time:

• use a daily uniform or simplify your wardrobe
• establish a meal plan
• automate payments and savings
• subscribe to buy home and beauty products

16. Stop Multitasking

Multitasking is the worst thing you can do for efficient time management. Focus on one task at a time.

17. Break Big Tasks Into Smaller Pieces

A big task that cannot be tackled in one day or less is a project. To manage a project efficiently you will have to break it up into smaller tasks.

Make a list of the tasks that have to be done to complete the project. Set deadlines for every task. Then assign them to your collaborators and yourself. Apps like Trello are excellent tools to make your workflow organized.

18. Make a To-Don´t List

We all have our weak points, but have you ever written them down? Determine what you are most distracted by on a day to day bases and identify your constraints.

19. Improve your Communication Skills

Communication is the key to achieve your goals. Especially if you are delegating other people and communicating with clients. Our time management techniques will only be effective if you know how to communicate.

What to focus on:

• Listening
• Clarity
• Compactness
• Politeness
• Empathy
• Respect

20. Let Go Of Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the enemy of productivity. It will lead you to procrastination and cause anxiety. Let go of stressing over little things and focus on the bigger picture. Create realistic goals and expectations.

Time Management Tips – Conclusion

Knowing how to manage your time is a very important skill, but it is also important to relax and take time off from daily tasks. In the end, doing things that bring you enjoyment will fuel your work productivity. Try to reward yourself after completing important tasks.