We have unlimited desires, but our time is limited. If you do not apply something in your life that you know or learn, then your knowing is worthless.

So try to turn what you know or learn into action. Otherwise, there will be no benefit in reading so many books or reading articles. Rather it will just be a waste of time.

Principles of Time Management

1. Planning

If you think to do time management so first off all planning is important. Take a few some minutes in the morning or whatever time you are like to plan your activities for the day.

You can use different types of planning tools to plan and organize your schedule. These tools include calendars, notebooks, electronic planners, Pocket Note. List all your tasks and schedules so that you can focus on your priorities in your planning tool.

Consider the following important things when using a planning tool:

Record all the information on your tool only.

Review your planning tool every day.

Always carry your planning tool with you.

Make a list of your priorities on the tool and stick to it.

If you are using an electronic planner, synchronize it with your computer and recharge the batteries of the planner regularly.

Ensure that you get a backup system for your planning tool.

At the end of each workday, invest a few minutes to quickly make a list of things to be done the following day in your mind. It will mentally put the most important duties on your mind and less important ones out of your mind on the next day.

2. 90/30 Principle

Apply 90–30 rule every day — 90 minutes continuously work and after 90 minutes take a short break for 30 minutes but don’t multitask. Then repeat again this method the whole day.

Its essence is that within 90 minutes your brain goes through five stages of sleep, then rests for 20–30 minutes, then repeats the cycle. The research found that the body obeys such a schedule during wakefulness.

3. PARETO’S OR 80/20 PRINCIPLE

You’ve probably heard of the Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule. According to him, about 80% of the result depends on 20% of the action. Therefore, focus on just a few tasks that will benefit you the most.

Perhaps you want to do everything at once and can’t figure out what to do. Then take a minute and evaluate: what is important, what is urgent, what you can delegate, and what is generally a waste of effort.

To do more in less time, keep track of how much time you spend and on what. Answer the following questions. What brought you closer to the goal? What was a waste of time? What could be delegated?

Choose 20% of your tasks that give 80% of the result and perform only them. Delegate the rest or simply delete them.

Use the most important things rule. Highlight three main tasks every day and fully concentrate on completing them for a certain time.

4. 2 MINUTE PRINCIPLE

The Two-Minute Rule states “When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do.” In the book Atomic Habits, James Clear tells us that whenever you are feeling unproductive or feeling unwilling to do some work, then do that work for 2 mins.

So, what happens is that you set up a timer for 2 minutes and try to complete that particular task in that time. It eventually breaks your unproductiveness and increases efficiency.

5. 5 Second Principle

“The 5 Second Rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it. The moment you feel an instinct or a desire to act on a goal or a commitment, use the Rule.

When you feel yourself hesitate before doing something that you know you should do, count 5–4–3–2–1-GO and move towards action.”

Just start counting backward to yourself: 5–4–3–2–1.

The counting will focus you on the goal or commitment and distract you from the worries, thoughts, and excuses in your mind.

Now, while I reluctantly drag myself out of bed (in 5 seconds) in order to prepare for my day and other morning routines, my career has been impacted the most by the 5-second rule.

6. PARKINSON’S PRINCIPLE

Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time we allocate to it.

If we give ourselves a year to write a book, it’ll likely take us a whole year. This is the idea of Parkinson’s Law which states that work expands to fill the time that we allocate to it. But what if we gave ourselves only 4 months? It turns out that with this time constraint we’d likely get it done in 4 months.

This tip is also used by Elon Musk who sets himself incredibly short deadlines so even if he doesn’t finish the whole task he’s still way ahead with the progress.

7. ABCDE PRINCIPLE

The ABCDE Principle refers to the five ways of allocating your time. As one of the simplest and most effective time management strategies, the ABCDE Method is designed to get you thinking “single-mindedly” & avoid “multitasking” about your work.

With the ABCDE Principle, you make a list of everything that you have to do before you begin. You then go through the list carefully and put one of these letters next to each item on the list:

A — very important & critical tasks that are both urgent and important or that lie on the critical path towards your long-term goals.

B — important things, but they don’t meet the “A” criteria yet.

C — is just for things that would be nice to do, but they are neither urgent nor important.

D — delegate or outsource to someone else who can do it pretty much as well as you.

E — eliminate, these are items that are such low priority that you could eliminate them completely.

8. POMODORO TECHNIQUE

According to this method, you divide the work into intervals: you work for 25 minutes, then you rest for five minutes. And after four cycles, you take a longer break for 15 minutes.

Get a to-do list and a timer.

Set your timer for 25 minutes, and focus on a single task until the timer rings.

When your session ends, mark off one Pomodoro and record what you completed.

Then enjoy a five-minute break.

After four Pomodoro, take a longer, more restorative 15–30 minute break.

This way you don’t let yourself burn out and help you cope with distractions by agreeing with yourself in advance that you will pay attention to them during the break.