Time Management – Maximizing Your Productivity

Time management refers to a set of habits, skills, systems and principles, used to manage the time spent performing specific activities, in order to increase work efficiency and productivity.

In short, it refers to the way we organize and manage our time and involves control and organization.

Once you have set your goal, another equally important step is to plan and prioritize the activities and tasks you have to solve in order to get to where you set out to be.

Ideally, on Sunday evening or Monday morning you should allocate time to plan the week. Also, spend about 30 minutes each day planning your day. Don't start until you have a clear idea of what to do. Having clarity and direction will make it much easier for you to get to work.

Make to-do lists or priority lists. Don't try to remember everything you have to do. Most likely you will not succeed, so it is best to write in a diary that you have at hand, all the time.

Do not hesitate to use tools to help you in time management: from applications, personalized diaries, post-it notes, planners, magnetic board, colored markers and so on. This way you have the best chance not to feel overwhelmed by the large volume of work and to use your time efficiently.

Eisenhower’s strategy for taking action and organizing your tasks is simple. Using the decision matrix below, you will separate your actions based on four possibilities.

1. Urgent and important (tasks you will do immediately). 
2. Important, but not urgent (tasks you will schedule to do later).
3. Urgent, but not important (tasks you will delegate to someone else).
4. Neither urgent nor important (tasks that you will eliminate)

1. Get a to-do list and a timer
2. Set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings
3. When your session ends, mark off one pomodoro and record what you completed
4. Then enjoy a five-minute break.
5. After four pomodoros, take a longer, more restorative 15-30 minute break.