Meet Marty

A man sitting at a desk with a laptop and a computer monitor. He has one hand on his keyboard and one on the mouse.

Marty works in a fast-paced position in the ed-tech field. While Marty's position is in-person, he finds that he often has to bring work home to meet deadlines.

Recently, Marty has had to cancel plans with friends and family because of work. Marty's work/life balance is suffering and he realizes that he needs to make some changes.

These 4 time management techniques will help improve Marty's productivity at work and, in turn, improve his work/life balance.

How Can Effective Time Management Techniques Help Marty?

These techniques can help improve productivity by:

  • eliminating procrastination

  • lowering stress levels

  • meeting deadlines

  • building a reputation

  • allowing for more work/life balance

1. Prioritize

Creating a to-do list can help you to prioritize your work. These two methods will help you apply time management techniques as you create your list:

A clip board with a list. Some items are checked off on the list.

ABC Method

Prioritize your day in order of importance.

A. Must do items: Most important task(s)

B. Second most important: Never move on to these until "A" tasks are complete

C. Not required: Tasks that would be nice to get done but are not requiredfor that day

Eisenhower Matrix

Prioritize based on importance and urgency.

A. Do immediately: tasks with specific deadlines or that are overdue

B. Schedule for later: important tasks without deadlines

C. Delegate: tasks someone else can do

D. Delete: tasks that can be deleted because they are not important for your goals

2. Keep Things Organized

A person organizing their desk. They say,

Organization increases productivity, reduces stress, and helps to ensure deadlines are met.

Drawers and containers for supply organization.

Use these time management techniques to organize your:

  • Desk: eliminate clutter, sort and file important documents, and have daily tools within reach

  • Computer files and shared drives: be specific for file names and use a folder system for different projects

  • Calendar: either paper or digital, label by type (personal, work, etc), and color code to indicate priority

3. Stick to a Daily Schedule

A man standing in the dark saying,

A daily schedule will create efficiency, structure, and good habits andwillincrease proficiency throughout the day.

A calendar with a number for the date, an analog clock, and a list.

Create a daily work schedule that includes:

  • Consistent start & end times

  • Scheduled lunch & breaks

  • Routines for the start & end of the workday (ie. plan for the next day in the last 15 minutes of your day)

  • Blocks for unscheduled tasks that arise such as meetings

  • Awareness of your most productive hours

  • Eliminating distractions during that time

4. Learn When to Say No

A woman with wind blowing in her hair saying,

Saying "no" politely but firmly can be challenging — but it's one of the most powerful time management techniques you can add to your toolbox.

A person saying,

It's important to:

  • Know your limits

  • Recognize your strengths and weaknesses

  • Focus on what you're good at

  • Delegate tasks that can be done better or more efficiently by others

  • Set expectations for your time by saying, "I won't be able to get to that until tomorrow."

Check out this Byte for more information on saying "no" at work.

Quiz: Time Management Techniques for Marty

Help Marty implement time management techniques so he can become more productive!

Remember: Marty works a busy, in-person job that requires time outside of work hours in order to meet deadlines. Marty would like to maintain a better work/life balance by completing his work at the office while still meeting deadlines.

A desk with papers, pens, notebooks, and other items all over it. Photo by Ferenc Horvath on Unsplash

Some additional things to keep in mind about Marty:

  • He is a "yes" guy and often takes on more than he can handle

  • He loves to talk with his co-workers about the weekend sports games throughout the day

  • He admits he has a difficult time finding things on his desk

Quiz

What are some ideas that might help Marty to improve his time management at work?

Take Action

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Are you ready to implement time management techniques in your life?

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