With so many time management techniques, it’s difficult to know where to start or what method you should use. Whether you’re struggling to keep up with your assignments, prepping for finals, or simply learning to make the most of your time, finding a technique that works for you is invaluable. Here Adult Student Services breaks down 5 of our favorite proven time management techniques. 

Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix (also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix) can help you rank your tasks by urgency and importance, as well as determine what can be delegated out or scrapped all together. Dwight D. Eisenhower created this process while serving the United States in many roles: Army general, Supreme Commander for Allied Forces in World War II, Supreme Commander of NATO, and of course, as the 34th President of the United States of America. Critical thinkers and those in leadership positions will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix. To use this technique, you will prioritize tasks in four categories: Do First, Schedule, Delegate, and Don’t Do. 

Items in the Do First category are important for your life, career, education, etc., and must be done as soon as possible. They’re both urgent and important.

Schedule tasks are still important but are treated with less urgency. By planning and scheduling your tasks here in the second quadrant, you’re less likely to be stressed by “last minute” items.

The Delegate category is where you can rely upon your community and network. These tasks are less important to you but are still important overall for productivity. In practice, this looks like asking for an urgent favor or recommending a better person for a task and prepping them with necessary materials. It’s important to keep track of the progress/completion of items you’ve delegated.

The last quadrant, Don’t Do, is reserved for items that shouldn’t be done at all, like spending excessive time scrolling social media.

Pomodoro Technique

In the late 1980s, Francesco Cirillo developed the Pomodoro Technique to help him read and study for an exam. Now, millions of people use this technique to increase their productivity. When Cirillo was preparing for his exam, he used a small kitchen timer that looked like a pomodoro (Italian for tomato) and found, for a number of factors, the ideal unit of work was 25 minutes followed by a 2-5 minute break. If you find yourself easily distracted, working past the point of productivity, or having multiple tasks that can take unlimited time (such as studying or researching), the Pomodoro Technique may be for you.

The technique’s foundation is simple. 

1. Pick a task.
2. Set a 25-minute timer.
3. Work until the timer goes off.
4. Take a five-minute break.
5. Repeat.

Every four pomodoros, take a slightly longer break, 15-30 minutes. This technique, like all time management techniques, requires a little bit of planning.   

At the start of each day, or the night before, review what needs to be done and estimate how many pomodoros (focused work sessions) are needed to complete the task. Anything greater than four pomodoros needs to be broken into smaller actionable items. For example, “Write French Revolution history essay,” becomes research and gather references, create outline, draft introduction, edit, etc. These sub-tasks become more manageable than the broad “write an essay” task we had to start with. Small tasks that won’t require a whole pomodoro can go together.

Time Blocking   

Time blocking is one of the easiest techniques to understand and implement. With this method, you divide your day into blocks of time where each block is dedicated to a specific task or group of tasks. For example, you may use the start of your day to organize your daily workload and sort emails (8:00a-9:00a), then head to class (9:00a-10:30a), read the assigned materials (10:30a-12:00p), break for lunch (12:00p-1:00p), and so on until your day of tasks is done. Time blocking provides a clear structure and allows focused time for each task that’s required.

What do you need to do?

1. Identify your tasks (for the day, week, etc.).
2. Create and schedule your work blocks. This can be done on paper or with a digital calendar.
3. Balance your schedule. Be sure to add in any personal errands, breaks, and hobbies.
4. Stick to the schedule. Stay focused on the task at hand. If it doesn’t get finished, it’s okay. Move on and return to the task later on. If you don’t move on, you can fall behind the rest of your schedule.
5. Review and adjust times for the future. Identify what was left incomplete and what new tasks were assigned, so you can adequately prepare for the next day. By planning each day, you won’t be exhausted by constant decision-making during the day.

It’s important to note that you can’t account for everything. Don’t beat yourself up if interruptions and unexpected events throw off the schedule a bit. Build in “buffer times,” so you can allocate time for transitions between blocks, or even a little extra time to wrap something up. 

“Eat That Frog” Technique 

Mark Twain is famous for saying,

”If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.”

In Brian Tracy’s book, Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time, he teaches you to get the hardest, most important task done first. In doing so, you have the satisfaction that the “worst” task has already been done. This technique is particularly helpful for those who struggle with procrastination. In this method, you prioritize high-impact items and boost your sense of accomplishment, and therefore your mood and momentum for the tasks ahead.

So, how do you eat your frog? 

First, identify what your frog is. Ideally, it’s something that can be completed in 1-4 hours; if it isn’t, break down the task into smaller, more actionable items. Think back to breaking down the process of writing an essay: research, outline, drafting, editing, etc. When you must break down items, refrain from scheduling items for later in the week or month – this can create opportunities for procrastination. Then, “eat your frog” as your first action item of the day – don’t check your email or scroll online. When your working period has begun, dive right in!   

Getting Things Done

Developed by author David Allen, the Getting Things Done Method helps you identify all your tasks and action items so you can be more productive. This method is helpful for those who feel overwhelmed by their ever-growing to-do lists. The GTD Method includes five simple steps.   

1. Capture: Write or record anything and everything that has your attention. I refer to this as “brain dumping” – anything taking up space in your brain gets documented so you can finally sort through it.
2. Clarify: Are any of these actionable items? If not, decide if it’s trash, reference, or something to put on hold.
3. Organize: Place your categorized list in appropriate places (action items in your planner, references in a guidebook, trash in the bin, etc.).
4. Reflect: Update and review the content to regain control and focus.
5. Engage: Take action on the items you need with a clear mind.

What do you think?

Whether you’re a full-time student, full-time employee, or busy parent (or perhaps all 3!), the amount of to-do’s can seem overwhelming. By maximizing your time and working efficiently, you can find time to be productive and meditative. The Todoist is a great resource for exploring productivity methods and has a free quiz to help you determine what method may work for you (no email required!).   

I want to point out that you don’t need to pick just one method, you can pair two or three methods together in a way that works for you and your life.  Director of Adult Student Services, Jaime Ross, combines the Eisenhower Matrix and Time Blocking. In doing so, she says she’s able to maximize her productivity and create a better work-life balance. Personally, I find the Pomodoro Method to be very beneficial since I often have five or more open tasks at any given time. By establishing focused work sessions and implementing short break periods, I’m able to complete projects without feeling burnt out. 

In the end, you need to find what works for you and stick with it. Practice makes perfect.
Let’s get organized, Bears!