Florencia Basavilbaso
Content Writer At Gradehacker
Which Are The Best Time Management Techniques?
If you want to complete your tasks faster and organize your schedule better, these are the time-management techniques you can use:
- Pareto Analysis
- Pomodoro Technique
- Eisenhower Matrix
- Time Blocking Method
- Pickle Jar Theory
- Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
- Einstein Technique
The Ultimate Time Management Solution
If you have too many responsibilities and want to advance faster, Gradehacker can help you with everything included in your classes!
The Ultimate Time-Management Solution
If you have too many responsibilities and want to advance faster, Gradehacker can help you with everything included in your classes!
There’s not a person on Earth who won’t benefit from incorporating time management techniques into their daily life!
So, if you’re having trouble managing your time or feel like you’re constantly behind on tasks and can’t seem to get a sense of accomplishment, you just need to find the one that fits your needs.
And if you don’t even know where to start, don’t worry cause here, at Gradehacker we are the non-traditional student #1 resource and have years of experience helping students find the best resources to meet their goals.
With the right technique, anyone can become an expert at managing time, so let’s see which are the most popular ones!
1. Pareto Analysis
Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian polymath, created “The 80/20” Rule, a time management strategy oriented on how we make decisions and the quality of our time invested in it!
Even if It’s created to resolve problems, you can use this principle to start time tracking your activities and manage your energy levels.
The rule of this technique states that 20% of what you do will determine 80% of the result.
This means that if you can identify which tasks are helping you produce the best results, you can focus on them and get more done in less time.
To apply the Pareto Analysis you need to:
- 1. Make a to-do list
- 2. Rank each task on its importance and expected results
- 3. Schedule time to focus on completing the top 20%
Follow these steps, and you’ll ensure a productive time period with maximum efficiency!
Take your productivity skills to the next level
Being productive is not only about following techniques, there are more tips and hacks for college students!
Take your productivity skills to the next level
Being productive is not only about following techniques, there are more tips and hacks for college students!
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique is another popular time management technique that can help you stay focused and productive even with the most complex tasks!
This technique involves setting a time limit of 25 minutes to only dedicate to what you’re working on or studying. When the timer goes off, you can take a five-minute break before heading back to your duties.
This is one of the most effective techniques of all since it allows you to focus on one task at a time instead of trying to do everything at once.
It also helps to break down large projects into smaller, more manageable chunks so you can focus and remember better what you’re learning!
By adding this method to your daily routine and using a time tracker, you can tackle any repetitive tasks for once and even start enjoying more of your personal time!
You can find out more about how to use the Pomodoro Technique by checking our tips.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
This time management strategy focuses on advance planning and prioritizing tasks based on their importance and urgency.
Then, categorize each task as either:
- Important / urgent
- Important / not urgent
- Unimportant / not urgent
This helps you prioritize tasks and focus on the most important ones first, and you can then delegate or eliminate the ones left.
It’s an awesome tool, especially helpful when you have multiple things to complete in a short period of time.
This way, you can make better decisions about how to manage your time and energy throughout the day, ultimately leading to a more efficient and balanced life where not even the most tedious tasks can be an obstacle to reaching your ultimate goals.
4. Time Blocking Method
The Time-Blocking Method involves effective planning and scheduling of your day by dividing it into distinct blocks of time dedicated to your activities. A great time-management technique to improve your focus, productivity, and overall time-management skills.
To effectively use it, you need to set specific time blocks for different activities and stick to that schedule as closely as possible.
This means prioritizing and organizing your daily schedule to see the task progress in a short-term period, which will be applied to every single task!
For example, let’s say you have a busy workday ahead. Using the Time Blocking Method, you may set the first two hours of your day for important and high-priority work.
You can then designate the next hour for focused work on a specific project. Following that, you may set aside a half-hour for a creative break or to recharge.
By organizing your day into specific time blocks dedicated to different activities, you can ensure that you have enough time to complete everything without losing focus or feeling overwhelmed.
Discover tips to be more productive:
5. Pickle Jar Theory
This is one of the most effective time management strategies! The theory gets its name from the analogy of fitting various-sized pickles into a jar.
It’s meant to help you get done and prioritize urgent tasks based on the amount of time available.
To use this method, start by writing down all you have to do and then organizing them into two categories from high-priority to low-priority. Then, assign certain chunks of time to each category based on its importance.
You can set time limits to turn any of your duties into more manageable tasks.
For example, you might dedicate 90 % of your time to high-priority tasks and 10% to low-priority ones. This helps you stay focused by enhancing productive hours on what’s important!
With this time-management technique, you ensure that the most crucial and time-sensitive work is completed first, effectively managing your time and maximizing productivity.
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
The Getting Things Done (GTD) Method is an efficient time management technique that helps you stay organized and productive and get through your routine tasks successfully.
Similar to the others, this method involves breaking down large and urgent tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks and setting deadlines.
The difference is that it provides a framework for organizing assignments and actions to increase productivity, reduce stress, and achieve a sense of control over one’s goals and commitments.
The GTD method has four steps:
- Capture: Collect all your thoughts, duties, and commitments into one place, like a notebook or app
- Clarify: Determine the importance of each item and identify specific actions to move them forward
- Organize: Sort things into categories like projects, errands, or phone calls and create a list
- Reflect: Regularly review your task lists and commitments to avoid overlooking anything. Conduct a weekly review to prioritize
For example, as a student, you can use this method:
- Set goals: Determine what you want to achieve in your studies, like passing exams or completing projects.
- Establish priorities: Make a list of tasks and prioritize them based on their importance and urgency.
- Develop a schedule: Create a schedule that assigns how much time you’ll be dedicating. Be realistic and include buffer time; it’s important to have a time tracker for this.
- Minimize distractions: Identify and reduce distractions like social media or games during study time.
- Review and adjust: Regularly check your progress and make changes to your schedule if needed.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your academic goals and keep a balance in your personal life!
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
The Rapid Planning Method (RPM) is a time management technique that helps you create an effective and massive action plan, ideal for those with larger projects!
This method involves setting a goal and then creating a “roadmap” to get there while making good use of your valuable time.
First, start by creating task lists. Then, just like other time-management techniques we mentioned, prioritize each of them based on their importance and estimated completion time.
Finally, set deadlines for each task and create a timeline that outlines the steps necessary to reach your goal.
For example, you can:
- Set your objective for the day: Complete a research paper for English class.
- Break it down into smaller tasks: you can set 1 hour for research and gathering sources, 30 minutes to create an outline, and 45 minutes to write the introduction and thesis statement.
- Prioritize the tasks based on importance and urgency.
- Estimate how much time each task will take and set different blocks of time.
- Schedule and stick to your plan, like:
- 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Write the body paragraphs
- 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Research and gather sources
- 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM: Write the introduction and thesis statement.
You can use this method to go through any difficult task, but don’t be haunted by a sense of urgency since this gives you enough organization to eliminate any time management issue!
8. Einstein Technique
The Einstein Technique is a time management tool that can help you with larger projects and manage your energy levels to achieve any goal you have for your daily life!
Similar to the time management Matrix technique, start by writing down all your tasks and then categorizing them as either:
- Essential
- Nonessential
Essential tasks are those that need to be completed in order to reach a goal or complete a project.
Nonessential tasks are those that can wait or be eliminated.
Finally, prioritize the essential tasks and focus on completing them first. This helps you stay focused and productive while also allowing you time to relax.
To apply the Einstein Technique, you can:
- 1. Make a list of all your tasks
- 2. Categorize them based on urgency and importance
- 3. Prioritize the urgent and important tasks first
- 4. Delegate or eliminate tasks that you don't need to do yourself
- 5. Schedule your tasks and set realistic deadlines
- 6. Focus on one task at a time, avoiding multitasking
- 7. Take at least a 5-minute break to stay refreshed
- 8. Review your progress regularly and make adjustments to your schedule
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Getting Your Work Done by Mastering The Time You Have!
Time management is an essential skill in today’s world. It helps you stay organized and productive while also allowing time for rest and relaxation.
By using the techniques listed above, you can better manage your time and make progress on important tasks.
Remember to prioritize essential tasks first, break large projects into smaller chunks, and take regular breaks throughout the day. With these strategies, you can master your time and get more done!
Now, if you have too much on your plate and want to progress faster in your classes or need personalized help with an upcoming essay, you can submit your request for free and work with the Gradehacker team!
And to expand your possibilities of becoming even more effective with your tasks, you should check these blogs:
Florencia Basavilbaso
Florencia Basavilbaso is a content creator passioned for writing, music, films, and the arts. At Gradehacker, she helps to improve non-traditional students life’s by finding and providing the most useful information, so they can always progress. You can find her on LinkedIn.
