Don’t cheat! If you’re not honest about how you spend your time, you won’t be able to improve anything. If you spent 20 minutes playing a game on your phone, write it down. If you want a more visual depiction, you can translate your log into pie charts or graphs to get a better idea of what tasks take up the most of your time.
For example, if you find that you’re frequently derailed by social media notifications, turning those notifications off will help you stay on task better. Then, you can block specific times to check your social media accounts. If your problem is constantly checking your phone, try putting your phone in a drawer or another room while you’re working on something important.
This principle doesn’t just apply to your desk at work—you can put it to good use at home as well. For example, organize your kitchen so that the utensils you use most frequently are nearest to where you use them.
Use the “SMART” method to set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. [5] X Research source For example, you might set a goal to walk 2 miles 4 days a week. If you’re already in the habit of walking regularly, this goal is certainly attainable. It’s also specific and measurable. Once you’ve accomplished a few goals, use that sense of achievement to motivate yourself to press further. You can move on to more complex, long-term goals. Just remember to break them down into smaller pieces so they’re attainable and you’re always making progress.
Schedule time in half-hour and hour blocks. Group similar tasks together so your brain isn’t switching gears as often. [7] X Research source For example, you might schedule a half-hour block in the morning and in the afternoon to read and respond to emails. If someone asks you to do something and you’re booked, don’t be afraid to say “no. " Trying to fit too many tasks into a day is a big reason people get stressed out. [8] X Research source
Leave tasks that are neither urgent nor important for last. If possible, you can also delegate these tasks to others to complete. Since they’re neither urgent nor important for you, it doesn’t matter if the other person doesn’t do as well with the task as you would have or takes longer than you would to get it done.
If you have a deadline coming up soon, you might not be able to move around tasks like this. However, if you plan better for deadlines in the future, you can schedule that work for times when you have the most energy.
For example, if you find that you usually reply the same way to specific types of emails, you can automate a response so that you can respond with a single click rather than having to type it out every time. Avoid thinking that you have to do everything yourself or it won’t be done correctly. Give others a chance to help you, particularly with things that aren’t that important or difficult. It’ll free up some of your time so you can get more things done that are truly important to you.
For example, you might have a family dinner on an evening when everyone is going to be home at around the same time. You could also schedule a family game night and choose board games that the whole family can enjoy. Some things you do every day are even better with friends! For example, if you run most mornings for exercise, get a friend to run with you once or twice a week.
This applies to time spent with family or friends as well. When you’re eating dinner with the family, put your phone away and avoid checking your email or texting others. You’ll get a lot more out of the time if you actively participate and remain present in the moment.
If your work or school environment doesn’t allow you to take breaks this long, you should still make an effort to take some kind of break every hour or so—even if it simply means switching tasks and doing something that doesn’t take a lot of mental effort to give your brain a moment to recharge. For example, if you only have 10 minutes between 2 hour-long classes, you could step outside for a couple of minutes and walk around the building to help refresh your mind.
