A Busy Person's Guide to Getting More Done
- Dr Paul McCarthy
- 12 hours ago
- 8 min read
Set Clear Priorities and Goals
Effective prioritization is the foundation of successful time management. Without clear priorities, you'll constantly react to whatever seems most urgent rather than focusing on what truly matters. Setting goals gives your days direction and purpose, allowing you to make better decisions about how to allocate your limited time and getting more done.
Use the Eisenhower Matrix
The Eisenhower Matrix (also called the Urgent-Important Matrix) helps you sort tasks based on their urgency and importance. This powerful time management technique divides your work into four distinct quadrants:
Urgent & Important (Do First) - These tasks require immediate attention and have significant consequences if not addressed promptly. They often include deadlines, crises, and pressing problems that need your expertise 4.
Important but Not Urgent (Schedule) - These tasks contribute to your long-term goals but don't demand immediate action. This quadrant is where long-term success happens—schedule dedicated time for these activities 5.
Urgent but Not Important (Delegate) - These time-sensitive tasks don't require your unique skills. Delegate these to others or automate them when possible 6.
Not Urgent & Not Important (Eliminate) - These activities drain your energy without providing value. Eliminate them ruthlessly to protect your time 7.
Studies show people spend approximately 41% of their time on low-value tasks 8. Using the Eisenhower Matrix helps reduce this wasted time, directing your focus toward genuinely impactful work.
Create a daily to-do list
A daily to-do list serves as your blueprint for productivity, helping you organize thoughts, reduce procrastination, and track progress 9. When creating your list:
Be specific about scope - Break large projects into smaller, manageable tasks
Estimate time requirements - Add buffer time for unexpected challenges
Prioritize ruthlessly - Not everything can be top priority
Review and adjust - Adapt your list as circumstances change throughout the day
For maximum effectiveness, consider implementing specialized to-do list methods like:
MITs (Most Important Tasks) - Begin each day by identifying 1-3 essential tasks to complete before anything else 10
Ivy Lee Method - At day's end, select six priorities for tomorrow, ordered by importance, and work through them sequentially 10
1-3-9 Approach - Structure your day around one high-priority task, three medium-priority tasks, and nine lower-priority tasks 10
Focus on high-impact tasks
High-impact tasks directly contribute to your most important goals. Research indicates that breaking goals into smaller tasks increases success likelihood by 33% 8. When identifying high-impact activities:
Remember that the primary purpose of prioritization is to focus finite resources on a few tasks done exceptionally well, rather than many tasks done poorly 12. By consistently choosing high-impact work over merely staying busy, you move beyond simple productivity toward meaningful accomplishment.
Moreover, well-structured goals stimulate creativity and problem-solving as you seek innovative ways to achieve your priorities 13. This approach creates a positive cycle where clear priorities lead to better results, which in turn boost motivation for continued progress.
Build a System That Works for You
Success in time management comes from having a personalized system that fits your workflow and habits. Once you've identified your time patterns and priorities, the next step is creating a consistent structure that makes productivity automatic.
Choose a planning tool or app
Finding the right planning tool transforms chaotic schedules into manageable workflows. Whether digital or physical, your tool should align with your natural working style. Consider these options:
Digital tools offer accessibility across devices and automated features. Calendar apps like Google Calendar let you block work time for specific tasks and access your schedule anywhere 14. Task managers like Todoist help you categorize and prioritize what you need to accomplish 1. For complex projects requiring collaboration, scheduling tools like Microsoft Project calculate critical paths and distribute work effectively 15.
Physical planners work exceptionally well for visual thinkers. Writing tasks by hand increases retention and provides satisfaction when crossing items off. Many professionals find paper schedules force them to start fresh each day, making adaptation more natural 16.
When selecting your tool, prioritize usability and integration capabilities. The ideal system should complement your existing workflow rather than forcing you to change your habits entirely 17. Initially, experiment with different options until you find what feels intuitive.
Try time blocking or Pomodoro
Time blocking involves dedicating specific periods to particular tasks or categories of work. This technique prevents context-switching and helps you regain control of your calendar 18. To implement time blocking:
Identify your tasks and batch similar ones together
Schedule specific blocks in your calendar for each batch
Label blocks clearly (e.g., "Deep Work," "Meetings," "Email")
Include buffer time between blocks for unexpected issues
Studies indicate a 40-hour workweek with effective time blocking produces the same results as working 60+ hours without it 16. Additionally, scheduling your most demanding tasks during your natural productivity peaks maximizes efficiency 18.
The Pomodoro Technique offers an alternative structure, particularly helpful for those struggling with focus or procrastination. This method uses 25-minute focused work intervals (pomodoros) followed by 5-minute breaks 19. After completing four pomodoros, take a longer 15-30 minute break 20. This approach minimizes burnout risk by incorporating regular rest periods throughout your workday 21.
Both techniques can be customized to suit your preferences. If 25-minute intervals feel too short for deep work, try extended sessions of 50 minutes with longer breaks 22. Ultimately, the goal is creating rhythm and structure that works specifically for you.
Keep your schedule realistic
Maintaining a practical schedule requires honesty about your capacity. When planning your time blocks:
Include contingency time for unexpected delays. This buffer prevents cascading schedule failures when problems inevitably arise 15. As the saying goes, you'll eventually need that extra time you've set aside.
Avoid overscheduling, particularly for leisure activities. Research shows planning every minute can actually reduce enjoyment of free time 16. Instead, block periods for disconnection without specific plans.
Adopt flexible approaches to scheduling. Your system should serve as a guide rather than a rigid contract 16. Regularly review and adjust your schedule based on performance data. If you consistently complete tasks faster or slower than anticipated, update your time allocations accordingly 14.
Engage others in your planning process when appropriate. Team involvement fosters common purpose and helps identify dependencies or potential solutions you might overlook 15. Clear communication about timelines and responsibilities ensures accountability across projects.
Avoid Common Time Traps
Even with the best planning system, common time traps can derail your productivity. Recognizing and actively avoiding these pitfalls allows you to maintain focus on high-value activities throughout your day.
Stop multitasking
Multitasking is a productivity myth. Despite its popularity, attempting to handle multiple tasks simultaneously hampers effectiveness by as much as 40% 23. What we perceive as multitasking is actually rapid task-switching, which taxes your brain and makes it less efficient 24.
This constant switching between activities creates what experts call "attention fatigue," depleting your mental resources throughout the day 23. Notably, research shows that multitasking not only slows productivity but also impairs cognitive ability and can even lower your IQ temporarily 23.
Instead of juggling multiple responsibilities:
Focus on one task for at least 20 minutes before switching
Complete similar tasks in batches to minimize mental gear-shifting
Allow yourself to work deeply without interruption during your peak energy hours
Limit digital distractions
Digital interruptions fragment attention and derail productivity. The average knowledge worker checks email 74 times daily 3 and toggles between apps approximately 1,200 times per day 25. After an interruption, it typically takes 23 minutes and 15 seconds to fully refocus on the original task 26.
To reclaim your attention:
Many organizations have found success by implementing meeting-free days and dedicated focus time blocks for their teams 25. These structured approaches prevent the constant context-switching that drains mental energy.
Handle emails and meetings efficiently
The average professional spends 28% of their workweek reading and responding to emails 4. Although emails seem less intrusive than phone calls, they often create more stress as people worry about them throughout the day 3.
For email management, implement the "touch-it-once" principle—when opening an email, immediately decide whether to respond, delegate, or delete it 3. Creating templates for common responses can save significant time 3.
Regarding meetings, remember that many matters can be resolved through simpler means. Sometimes "five minutes spent with six people separately is more effective than a half-hour meeting with them all together" 6. Before scheduling a meeting, ask whether the same outcome could be achieved through:
A brief email exchange
A shared document with comments
A quick phone call with key decision-makers
By identifying and avoiding these common time traps, you'll protect your most valuable resource—focused attention—and dramatically improve your productivity.
Delegate and Protect Your Energy Getting More Done
Managing your limited energy reserves matters just as much as managing your time. By delegating appropriately and protecting your personal resources, you maximize what you can accomplish without burning out.
Know what to outsource
Identifying which tasks to delegate is crucial for effective time management. Look for:
Non-core activities that don't require your unique expertise or skills
Tasks that consume excessive time without proportional value
Specialized work where others have better qualifications
Repetitive or administrative duties
Research shows that many small business owners spend valuable time on tasks that could be outsourced, including bookkeeping, social media management, calendar management, and competitive research 7. For emerging agencies, outsourcing design tasks is often a cost-effective option that reduces overhead and labor expenses 29. Remember that hiring specialists qualified in particular areas helps save time and money while avoiding the headaches of doing everything in-house 7.
Say no to low-priority tasks
Learning to decline requests is essential for protecting your schedule. One of the most significant challenges in managing time effectively is dealing with distractions and demands from others 30. When declining requests:
Be transparent about your priorities. Clearly communicate your current focus areas so others understand you're not rejecting them personally 31. Whenever possible, offer alternatives such as "I can't join the meeting, but I can allocate 15 minutes for a call next week" 31.
Remember that saying "no" centers around prioritization. Without clear priorities, you'll remain vulnerable to distractions from others who will set your priorities for you 32.
Schedule breaks and self-care
Taking regular breaks throughout your workday is necessary since maintaining focus for eight hours straight is impossible 9. Studies show that micro-breaks (short discontinuities of no longer than 10 minutes) can significantly boost vigor, reduce fatigue 10, and improve work engagement 9.
Effective breaks can take many forms—stepping outside for fresh air, brief meditation, creative activities, or even scheduled daydreaming 9. Above all, recognize that self-care isn't a luxury but a necessity for maintaining productivity 33. By investing in yourself, you'll avoid mistakes, prevent health-related setbacks, and bring your best self to both work and personal commitments 33.
[8] - https://medium.com/@osamwonyiivie118/time-management-strategies-through-goal-setting-9b9e62f6a630
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