No matter how much we wish, we only get 24 hours in our day to get things done (and at least 8 of those hours should be dedicated to sleep!).
And when we feel overwhelmed by how much we need to get done, we break down into procrastination mode, not knowing where to start, what to do, jumping between tasks, and basically just wasting time away.
If this sounds familiar, keep reading – we’re about to give you the simple, yet life-changing key to unlock better time management skills so you can make the most of every day.
What are conscious time choices?
Conscious time choices are the decisions you make on how you are going to spend your time. Often, we waste so much time trying to find the “right” activity to start doing that we end up wasting more time than if we had just done something.
Don’t believe us? Try it. On your next workday, every time you catch yourself wondering what you should be doing, or trying to decide between tasks, time yourself. At the end of the day, add up how much time you’ve spent. You’ll be shocked at how much extra time potential you have.
By spending just 5-10 minutes each morning planning your day, you’ll have a much more productive day and make the most of every minute you have.
How to make time conscious choices
Step 1: List your tasks
The first step to organizing your day is to list the tasks you need to get done. Don’t worry about prioritizing them, just get them written down.
You should also write how long each task will last next to it. It’s always better to overestimate than underestimate – if you feel like you are falling behind because you gave yourself too little time, you’ll feel like a failure and out of control as the day slips past, which will negatively impact your self-esteem and ability to be productive.
It might help to go through your work task list, previous to-do lists, or any emails you’ve flagged for actioning to make sure you don’t miss anything that you need to get done.
Step 2: Prioritize your list
Ok, now that you know what you need to do, you need to get clear on what needs doing the most. Ever heard the saying that 80% of your success comes from 20% of your tasks? Well, you want to try and pinpoint that 20% and prioritize them.
To do this, create four lists:
- Must do – These are the urgent tasks that are due today and need immediate attention
- Should do – These are the tasks that need doing soon and are important. If you find time to spare after your “must do”s, you can move to this list and start working through it.
- May do – These represent the tasks that do not need immediate attention, can be postponed, or are optional extras you decided to add
- Not do yet – These are tasks that aren’t due yet (for example future meetings) or that you have decided to postpone.
It’s extremely tempting to stuff the “must do” list with lots of tasks. After all, aren’t all tasks technically “must do” at some point? It’s a mentality trap that many people, especially perfectionists, people pleasers, or those that suffer from anxiety often find themselves in.
Keeping your “must do” list succinct means you’ll gain the confidence from completing your list and you can always work down to the “should do” list if there is time. But never underestimate the confidence that completing your to-do list has on your ability to stop procrastinating.
Step 3: Schedule your tasks and stick to it
Now you know what needs doing, use an online calendar such as Google calendar to schedule your workday. Make sure it is a schedule that fits your needs.
For example, if you are someone who works best in a Pomodoro style, and your technique is 25 minutes working, 5 minutes break, then add 5 minutes extra for every 25 minutes you expect to be working on a task.
Don’t forget to schedule breaks and lunch too – they are just as important to your day as working.
And most importantly, once you have made a schedule, do your best to stick to it. It might feel scary to commit so boldly to a strict schedule, but trust the process and you’ll find you always had the time to get everything done!