toggl track: 32 Time Management Tips

For many, the month of April means the convergence of a number of large tasks and expectations: the end of the semester has arrived, summer festivals are right around the corner, programs for the for the 2021-22 season are due, and, don’t forget, taxes. Fulfilling past, present, and future responsibilities demands a keen sense of time management (and often lots of coffee).

We recently came across a time-tracking software, toggl track. On their website, the company offers a compelling list of 32 Time Management Tips to Work Less and Play More (https://toggl.com/track/time-management-tips/). They break the 32 tips into a number of sub-sections: Time Management Planning, Time Management Strategies and Methods, Time Management Tips and Tricks, Time Management Tools, Time Management Learning Skills, Time Management and Work-Life Balance. The article offers a wealth of knowledge and ideas for how we can maximize the effectiveness and impact of how we use our time. Below are a few of our favorite tips:

• Tip #1: Create a time audit: The first step towards more effective time management is to understand how we use our time. Acknowledging that often there is a disconnect between the amount of time we think we spend on tasks vs. the actual time we spend on tasks, the article recommends using technology/apps to complete a ‘time audit.’
• Tip #7: Take advantage of golden hours or biological prime time: Understanding which times within each day that we do our best work is an important step in maximizing the effectiveness of how we use our time. The article recommends splitting our day into a number of time slots and then analyzing which periods we are most productive.
• Tip #9: Put a time limit on tasks: The article references Parkinson’s law, which suggests that “tasks expand to fill the time they’re given.” Take time to analyze and reflect upon tasks that took longer than anticipated and set time limits to future tasks.
• Tip #21: Don’t Multitask: The article argues against multitasking, suggesting that this common tool makes it difficult to avoid distractions and can negatively impact our work on a given task.
• Tip #28: Schedule Relaxation Time: This is all about giving our body and mind recovery time after intense work, and the impact that it will have on future work.

Read the entire article at: https://toggl.com/track/time-management-tips/