If you’re like most busy professionals, you always feel pressure to do more. You’re constantly bouncing between meetings and trying to figure out how that trendy new AI tool works. Oh, and there’s a pile of dirty dishes waiting at home. At the same time, you need to resist the siren call of Instagram and your overflowing inbox to stay focused.
If all those responsibilities make you feel overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Nine out of ten UK employees say they’ve experienced high or extreme pressure in the last year.
You probably can’t cut your to-do list in half — at least, not if you want to advance your career. But you can get more done with less stress with these time management tips.
Spotting the signs of poor time management
Sometimes, it’s hard to recognise that your time management skills are lacking. Sure, you might be crossing things off your list and meeting most of your deadlines. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re being productive — or finding a healthy work-life balance.
You probably need help managing your time if:
- You’re always scrambling to hit deadlines at the last minute.
- Most days, you add more to your agenda than you finish.
- Important tasks at home keep getting overlooked, until you realise you haven’t vacuumed in weeks.
- You constantly stay late at the office or spend half your Saturday working to get everything done.
- Sometimes, you don’t even know what to start working on.
- You rarely have time to upskill, so you feel like you’re falling behind your colleagues.
Look out for sneaky time wasters, too. You might spend hours reading emails or trudging to boring meetings. Or maybe you’re multitasking all the time, like typing out a memo while you nod along in a Zoom meeting. These nonproductive activities may make it seem like you’re doing a lot, but they’re actually making you less efficient.
8 ways to take back control of your schedule
You can’t pick and choose all your tasks, but you can control how you handle them. Get ahead with these simple time management strategies.
1. Set clear goals and priorities
Creating goals is the foundation of effective time management. They help you prioritise tasks and say no to things that won’t help you move your career forward.
Use the SMART framework to set professional and personal goals that are:
- Specific - Imagine what you want to achieve in detail.
- Measurable - Make sure you can easily track your progress.
- Achievable - Pick something you can realistically accomplish with your current resources.
- Relevant - Your objectives should fit your long-term career plan.
- Time-based - Set deadlines and milestones.
Let’s say you’re a Software Developer with a mile-long debugging backlog. You could aim to clear out half of it in two months by fixing at least five bug reports a week.
Once you’ve got your big goals, don’t just stick them at the top of your to-do list. That’s too intimidating. Instead, break them down into bite-sized tasks that you can chip away at. Want to clear out hundreds of unread emails in your inbox? Schedule two blocks a day to answer and delete messages, and set time limits so you don’t get lost reading months-old emails.
As you work on your goals, the Eisenhower Matrix can help you spot high-priority activities. It sorts tasks into four quadrants:
For example, reading random e-newsletters goes in the “delete it” category, so use the unsubscribe button liberally. A time-sensitive client email, on the other hand, needs an immediate response.
2. Build a realistic weekly schedule
A digital calendar can significantly improve time management at work and in your personal life. Choose a mobile-friendly platform like Google Calendar so it’s always accessible.
Before you open your calendar, write down all your upcoming tasks and sort them by priority, like this:
- High: Client presentation on Friday, report due Monday morning
- Moderate: Daily standup meetings, study sessions for learning data analysis skills, walking the dog every evening
- Low: Checking email, putting away laundry
Estimate how much time you’ll need for each item, and be honest with yourself. If that detailed report usually takes four hours, don’t say you can do it in three, or you’ll just feel stressed.
Use this list to start mapping out your weekly schedule. Create colour-coded time blocks for similar tasks — like meetings and presentation prep time — so you can see what’s coming up at a glance. Schedule at least a few hours a week for deep focus, too, so you can work on creative tasks without interruption.
And don’t forget to pencil in plenty of breaks and buffer time. Sure, you could rush to six back-to-back meetings, but you’ll probably feel too drained to work on anything else. Regular breaks reduce stress and improve your overall well-being.
3. Tackle challenging tasks first
You’ve got limited energy, no matter how much coffee you chug. Start your day by “eating the frog” — a.k.a starting with the hardest or most urgent tasks on your list. This helps you build momentum and frees up time later for routine tasks.
The Pomodoro technique can help you maintain focus for those big tasks. It breaks work into 25-minute intervals, followed by five-minute breaks. After you complete four pomodoros, take a longer 30-minute break. This strategy lets you accomplish tasks faster without burning out.
Whenever possible, avoid packing your schedule with too many difficult tasks. Quality over quantity is key to protecting your mental health and productivity.
4. Minimise distractions
While most time management tips focus on doing more, you should also cut down on tasks that sap your attention. Social media and texting are two of the biggest culprits. Turn off notifications during focus time and use app blockers to stop yourself from scrolling on TikTok for “just five minutes.”
A tidy workspace can also help you concentrate. Get rid of clutter, such as random bobbleheads and knick-knacks, and create quiet zones free from unnecessary tech.
5. Use the right tools
Many professionals use time management tools to stay organised. Here are just a few options:
- Toggl Track to record your time and see where it’s going
- Digital calendar apps to schedule tasks and set reminders
- Forest to encourage you to put your phone away and focus
- Todoist to track and manage tasks
Experiment with a few programmes to see what works best, but don’t feel like they’re mandatory. If old-fashioned sticky notes and written calendars boost your productivity, stick with that.
6. Organise notes and tasks in one place
Nothing wastes time like searching for a scrap of paper on a messy desk — or worse, trying to remember something that your boss told you three weeks ago.
Save time by jotting everything down in a digital note-taking app like Notion or Google Keep. Keeping everything together decreases stress by making sure you always have clear, up-to-date information.
7. Avoid procrastination with small wins
Nothing kills motivation like slogging through an ocean of tasks. Give yourself something to celebrate by setting micro-goals. A major white paper might take days to complete, but treat yourself to a fancy coffee after drafting each section. Little victories will help you stay motivated and recognise your progress.
Don’t let perfectionism paralyse you, either. Just start, and tell yourself you can always fix it later.
The two-minute rule also stops little tasks from piling up. If something takes less than a couple of minutes, do it right away, even when you don’t feel like it.
8. Review and adjust your system
Mastering time management won’t happen overnight, especially if you’re a chronic procrastinator or easily distracted.
Start small by choosing just two or three of these practical strategies to increase productivity. At the end of each week, spend 10 minutes reviewing your progress and analysing how you’re spending time.
Not making progress? Try new time management apps or switch up how you prioritise tasks. You could even use AI to automate basic tasks like sending appointment reminders to clients.
Above all, flexibility is key. Your personal life may get busy, or you might decide to focus more on upskilling. Adapting your time management system will keep everything moving smoothly.
Apply these skills in your Multiverse journey
Time management skills can benefit all professionals, but they’re especially critical for apprentices. Techniques like time blocking and the Pomodoro method will help you balance work, training, and projects.
Multiverse’s free Project Management and Transformative Leadership apprenticeships allow you to apply and build these valuable skills. You’ll learn how to delegate tasks and identify areas for improvement in your organisation. These hands-on programmes also help you future-proof your career with in-demand AI and leadership skills.
Complete our quick application to learn more about how a Multiverse apprenticeship can improve your time management.
