Time Management Hacks

Increasing your productivity

Goals

• Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound).
• Be very clear and precise.
• Use positive statements.
• WRITE your goals down
• Break goals down into small, realistic, achievable action steps.
• Keep a task list and check it regularly (see self-monitoring).
• Visualize yourself achieving your goals.

Priorities

• Focus on one thing at a time, stop multitasking.
• Define what your priorities are.
• Use a priority matrix (e.g., Eisenhower’s Urgent-Important Principle).
• Do the uncomfortable thing first.

Plans 

• Use a calendar or planner.
• Plan your days, weeks, and even your semester.
• Use your syllabus at the start of the semester and add all your assignment to your calendar, highlight the most significant ones.
• Try to plan your upcoming week no later than Friday, so that you can include the weekend in your plan to work ahead (instead of catching up the weekend after)
• To learn at the college level, expect to invest 6-9 hours into homework for each 1-credit course.
• Pull forward work from busy times into less busier times.
• Include breaks in your plan (e.g. work for 90 mins, take a 30 minute break).
• Include free time, fun time, travel plan in your schedule.
• Reserve time for unforeseen emergencies (buffer time).
• Break large projects down into smaller more manageable pieces.
• Calculate how long it will take you; be aware of planning fallacy and add some extra time to your estimates.
• Set a deadline for each task.
• Set reminders and notifications.
• Commit to keep given times (Self-discipline).

Self-monitoring

• Reward yourself for the effort not just the outcome.
• Understand where your time goes, start tracking your time making short notes every hour.
  • How much did you get done?
  • Did you estimate enough time?
  • Identify where your estimates and actual time don’t match up.
  • Did you get distracted? (Keep an interruption log).
• Keep score of your progress and goal achievement to have an overview of your productivity.

Time Savers

• Get organized, declutter, and you will find things quicker (e.g. separate folder for each class, throw away what you don’t need).
• Eliminate distractions, every time you get distracted you lose focus and time (e.g. close your browser, turn off your phone).
• Say no. if you say yes to everything other people will decide your schedule and not you.
• Cut down (or stop) watching tv, which is one of the biggest energy robbers.
• Set yourself a deadline or time limit for a task (Parkinson’s law = Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion).
• Set yourself little challenges such as “I will get this done in 2 hours”.
• Do a lot of your homework in the morning (The same tasks will take you 50% longer in the evening).

Additional Time Management Hacks

• Work ahead, submit assignments 2 days before they are due.
• Do it now! Stop procrastinating! It’s all about getting started. Start now!
• Use the pomodoro technique (work for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break, after 2 hours take a 30- minute break).
• Surround yourself with productive people.
• Fake it till you become it (act productive to become productive).
• Pretend every day is the day before the deadline.
• When you get overwhelmed, concentrate on one thing at a time.
• Avoid burning out.
  • Take time off every week
  • Get enough sleep
  • Invest time in self-care
• Use your time wisely, do reading on the bus or train, use time in between classes for homework, even 30 minutes count.
• Be aware of tasks that can be done in short times, like responding to emails, picking up a book from the library, doing laundry.
• Reflect on your attitude, motivation, commitment, and self-discipline. What is getting in your way of implementing some these tips mentioned here?

For any new habit, especially the ones that require lots of self-discipline, start small. Pick just a few or only one of strategies and tips mentioned here and start incorporating them in your daily and weekly routines. Once a new habit is formed, go ahead and test out additional new strategies.

Resources:
Time Management Secrets for College Students by Dennis Stemmle
The Productivity Revolution by Marc Reklau