9 Time Management Techniques To Improve Your Life

Most of us struggle with managing time. This includes not being able to organize our time and manage tasks within the stipulated periods. So, how to improve time management? 

Time management techniques are meant to help people manage their time more effectively. They help you prioritize the tasks and allocate them in the right time frame so you never fail to meet a deadline. 

9 Best Time Management Techniques

Here we will be discussing some of the most popular time management methods you can use: 

1-Pomodoro 

The Pomodoro time management technique was initially developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s. This particular method allows you to break down your work into 25-minute manageable pieces and then create focused work sessions with adequate 5-minute breaks intermittently (with a 20-minute collective break after 4 work periods). 

It helps improve your ability to concentrate more actively during work periods while also ensuring minimal mental fatigue. This way, it helps solve issues of procrastination, getting easily distracted from work, improper scheduling, and inability to meet deadlines.

Pros of the Pomodoro Technique

• Improves focus when it’s time to work
• Helps save you from mental fatigue or burnout
• Easier to track your productivity 

Cons of the Pomodoro Technique

• It may be counter-productive if you stop working after setting a nice pace
• Not every task can be accomplished in 25-minute sessions. 

2-Kanban

Kanban is a visual time management method initially developed by Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer for Toyota in Japan. This technique allows you to visualize your work, making it easier to map your progress. 

Essentially, you arrange your work on a board with columns that indicates which tasks you are working on, which tasks are completed, and which tasks are yet to be done. You can then select the task that is most urgent for work. It helps improve your ability to prioritize tasks better and allows you to streamline processes and delegate tasks more efficiently (in a team). This technique helps improve your ability to multitask and schedule your tasks, so they are completed on time. 

Kanban article

Pros of Kanban

• Visual reforestation allows for clarity on your workload
• You can track individual progress for each task on the board
• You can customize the projects as you wish 

Cons of Kanban

• Creating a Kanban board may be time-consuming for some
• A Kanban board won’t necessarily help you lay tasks in order of importance 

3-Getting Things Done (GTD)

Developed by productivity consultant David Allen, GTD is a popular time management technique that allows you to gain clarity on your tasks. This works by putting your tasks and thoughts out of your mind and onto paper through 5 steps i.e. Capture, Clarify, Organize, Reflect and Engage. 

The time management method helps improve your ability to accomplish goals efficiently, effectively, and with more focus. It enables you to tone down the chaos in your mind, so it is easier to schedule and prioritize tasks. 

Pros of Getting Things Done

• Easier to get clarity on pending tasks
• Helps save you from information overload
• Allow you to schedule and prioritize tasks easily. 

Cons of Getting Things Done

• Doesn’t offer solutions for distractions
• It can be overwhelming if your task list is too big.

4-Eat That Frog 

Eat That Frog comes from the rule, “If you have to eat two frogs, eat the ugliest one first.” This means that if you have two important tasks due, work on the harder, more important task first. It helps improve your ability to quickly prioritize and identify difficult tasks. Furthermore, it helps deal with issues of ineffective scheduling, missed deadlines, and poor multitasking. 

Pros of Eat That Frog

• Easier to manage your work
• Helps you tackle worrisome tasks first
• Makes prioritization easier 

Cons of Eat That Frog

• Results are subjective; some individuals may struggle to focus on a big task at the start of the day.
• If your one task takes up too much time, you may not have enough time for the remaining tasks. 

5-Timeboxing

Timeboxing works by having you allocate a fixed period to a pre-planned activity. You can only work on it during the period. This helps you gain more control over your schedule, improve your focus, and better organize tasks. 

Pros of Timeboxing

• Ideal if you have multiple small tasks to handle
• Helps meet deadlines efficiently 

Cons of Timeboxing

• If time runs out, you have to stop working on your task, which may be counterproductive.
• Sometimes the time allotted for a task is not sufficient. 

6-Time Blocking 

It is one of the popular time management strategies. This is a type of scheduling format that breaks down your day into specific blocks of time. You can then appoint specific tasks to these blocks. Unlike time boxing which limits the amount of time you spend on a task, time blocking is more focused on what block of time you set aside for a task. It helps improve your ability to plan, multitask and set priorities. 

Pros of Time Blocking

• Helps provide clarity on what tasks to prioritize
• Allows you to focus better on tasks within their assigned block 

Cons of Time blocking

• May be time consuming 
• Not all days can be broken down into the same time blocks; schedules aren’t always rigid. 

7-In Box Zero

If you want a management technique specifically for your emails, you can rely on the inbox-zero method. This method includes taking any of 4 possible steps for any emails: Delete, Delegate, Do or Defer. It helps you to keep your inbox free from unopened messages. By decluttering your inbox, you declutter your mind.  

Pros of In Box Zero

• Helps keep your inbox clutter-free
• Removes distractions produced by email

Cons of In Box Zero

• May be time-consuming if you have a lot of messages to go through
• Can only be applied to email inboxes

8-Who’s Got The Monkey?

This method is meant to improve managers’ project delegation. Here monkeys refer to the “tasks” in question. Here the manager’s time is divided into 3 following types:

• Boss Imposed Time where he manages tasks required by his own boss, 
• System Imposed Time, where he helps his colleagues in their tasks 
• Self-Imposed Time where he may work on his own initiatives or deal with subordinate problems (subordinate imposed time). 

The time management technique helps improve your ability to delegate tasks, eliminate subordinate-imposed time and increase your discretionary time.  

Pros of Whos’s Got The Monkey

• Helps managers allocate time 
• Helps deal with employee problems efficiently 
• Supports delegation

Cons of Who’s Got The Monkey?

• Only suitable for managers 

9-Action Method 

The action method allows you to consider everything as an individual project. Continue with breaking up your project into the action items that will take your project to completion, backburner items that are ideas you won’t need, and reference items that include information or resources that will guide your project. 

Pros of Action Method

• Easier to break down your projects into manageable activities
• Helps improve planning and goal-setting skills
• A good solution for ineffective scheduling

Cons of Action Method

• May be time-consuming to accomplish

There you have it; the 9 best techniques for time management. Now you can improve your time management skills and enjoy the many benefits of time management.