35 Powerful Time Management Tips that Work

Last Updated on – Feb 21, 2022 @ 8:27 pm

“The first thing you do each morning is to eat a live frog.” – Mark Twain

Before you get any weird ideas on what palaksilog (palaka-itlog-sinangag) tastes like, the “frog” that the famous author mentioned above is but a symbol.

So please, put poor Kermit down.

Twain meant to point out that by doing something ridiculously difficult in the morning, nothing should faze us for the rest of the day.

World-renowned productivity and time-management expert Brian Tracy put his own twist on it:

“The “frog” is the single most important task that you have to do in the day. So what should you do? Eat that frog.”

Fun fact: He made “Eat that Frog” the title of his book

It’s usually the most difficult task, that thing that we procrastinate on the most.

What are they?

Maybe it’s that presentation that your boss asked you to finish last week. That in-person meeting with a difficult client. A trip to the gym. Renewing your driver’s license. Fixing the leak in your faucet. Taking your car out for repairs. Finishing an article on a deadline (true story).

So when Mr. Tracy said that we should “eat that frog”, his point was this:

Do the most important and urgent task you have for the day.

So that no matter how the day ends, you know you put in the effort and moved the project forward (if you can’t finish it in one go). You worked on that thing which required the highest priority.

This and 34 more time management tips await below to help you reach peak productivity—so that when your boss asks how that report is going you can confidently say:

“Wala na, finish na”.

Ready to eat that frog?

Contents

What is Time Management?

The term itself is pretty self-explanatory so we’ll skip to the most important thing about it:

Learn to spend your time effectively and efficiently.

Proper time management is essentially a skill. A tool that you use to make the most out of your hours and days. A method to make sure you’re clearing your most important to-do’s and moving towards your long-term goals.

It’s not about spending tons of hours working and giving up on the “chill” time. It’s quite the opposite, actually.

Done right, time management will actually give you more time to spend doing things you love outside of work.

It’s about working smarter, not harder.

Remember, busy is not the same as effective. You can have two employees work separately on the same project but get completely different results.

The efficient employee can complete the entire project at half the time (and better quality) it took the “busy” employee to finish.

How did he do it?

Well, it’s all laid out for you on our Time Management tips below. But before you skip ahead, let’s take a quick look at it’s crucial in both work and personal life.

Importance of time management and benefits

Here’s the TL;DR version:

To help you get the most out of your hours and days
Helps lay down your priorities for the day
Helps you schedule things you’ve been wanting to do
Helps you accomplish more in less time
Gives your day a structure that’s set for maximum effectiveness

I’ve been working from home as a full-time content writer for almost a year now. It’s been awesome.

But any freelancer will tell you that while it sounds amazing to have all the perks and freedom to work from home, the reality is that it’s quite hard to manage our working hours effectively.

I mean c’mon, there’s the TV. Netflix awaits. I’ve just re-watched Dave Chappelle’s stand-up for the nth time instead of finishing an article for my personal blog.

The other day, I got sucked into YouTube’s rabbit hole, listening to all sorts of tunes from decades ago. “Quick soundtrip muna”, I said to myself.

An hour later, I’m still staring at a blank page in Google Docs. As if on queue, I received an email from my client, “Hey, just wanted to check how that piece is going.”

Oops.

Bottom line?

Time management is a commitment.

It’s easy to fall off the saddle. Every morning is still a struggle for me to sit down and do the work.

Setting up a quick to-do list the night before helps me find my way as I chug along like an old steam locomotive with caffeine as coal. And it’s just one of the many hacks you’ll see later to help you “win the day”.

I remember months ago when I was still trying to figure out an effective way to manage my workload. I had to.

It was a brave new world working full time from home. I had no idea how it works. It was hard.

So I decided to read books and articles about it (an excuse to slack off again, ironically)

Check out some of the recommendations we have here – 10 Best Business Books

Tens and thousands of words later, I’ve tested and applied some of the tips that appealed to me the most. And it’s been a game-changer.

So even if I still “waste” an hour reading books or watching an episode of Black Mirror, I know I can quickly get back on track and finish whatever task I’ve set for myself that day.

Looking back, I realized that I’ve been using some of these tips even when I was working at a corporate job.

Things like planning ahead, task-batching, and setting daily targets, were some of the “hacks” I’ve been doing for years.

Remember, it’s about being effective and efficient with your use of time.

Forget those people who “humble-brag” about being their busyness.

Sound like someone you know?

“Sobrang busy ko kahapon grabe di ako nakakain ng lunch”.

“O.T ako araw-araw grabe tambak ako ng client tasks”

Hey man, I get it. It happens. There are days when you really have to dig deep and hustle like a maniac.

For example: The occasional ASAP task from the boss. A panicked client calls begging you to finish a report within the day. Or maybe you got back from a quick vacation leave and now have to power through the work that piled up.

But to have to do it every day?

Nah. There’s something wrong with their process.

It’s not impressing anyone, really.

It actually reveals a lot about how they make (poor) decisions and disregard (or complete lack of awareness) for the importance of prioritizing your time and energy.

If you think about it, being busy sucked them into an endless void of work. It robbed them of the chance to take a step back and ask themselves this important question:

“Is this the best and most effective way of doing this?”

Most of the time, we think there’s only one way of doing things.

Maybe it’s what we’re used to or feel most comfortable with. Maybe it’s been the way things got handled even before you came into the picture.

Or maybe there’s in fact another way to do it but we find changing our methods too much of a hassle. Or too lazy to get up and get the right tool for the job.

If it ain’t broke, why fix it—right?

Well, your methods on how you manage your time might not be necessarily broken.

But there’s a high chance that there’s still some room for improvement.

With the right mindset and diligence—plus the tips below—you might just be able to see a significant boost in your productivity and time for yourself and family.

Abraham Lincoln once famously said:

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe”.

The lesson?

A sharpened axe (effective time management) will cut through tasks like a hot knife through butter.

The woodcutter who bags the most number of chopped timber is not the one who has the most time, strength, or willpower to swing at the tree’s trunk.

It’s the one who sharpens the blade of his axe first till it becomes so sharp it can cut a fly in half.

So that each swing brings a deep cut to an otherwise “tough” tree bark. An imaginary tree bark representing your day’s work.

Done right, these tips will help you improve the way you work and manage your time.

So stop asking yourself why that damn tree (your tasks and goals) never seem to crack.

35 Effective Time Management Hacks, Tools, & Techniques

Here are 35 ways to sharpen your axe and cut down that bastard faster than you can say “Timbeeeeeeeer!!”

Part 1: Block out distractions

#1. Turn off the internet

Whaaat?! You’re kidding, right? I need it for my work! Before you hurl your laptop at my general direction, time for some context first.

By “turning off the internet” I mean to say that you should schedule the minutes/hours that you’ll need it.

See, the internet is one heck of a rabbit hole that sucks people in and spits them into a Shaider-esque time-space warp where minutes and hours magically disappear.

Without setting limits, “research” will look like work for the first few minutes. But…

..that is until Google throws in a juicy link you simply can’t click. And on and on you go, deeper into the rabbit hole.

Until hours later you realize you ended up not in Alice’s Wonderland but on the same place where you started: A blank page. Hurray!

Seven-time New York Times bestselling author Neil Strauss was once quoted to turn off the internet when he’s writing drafts.

If he bumps across something that he needs to fact check, he simply marks it with some weird character that he can easily search for later when he’s done drafting.

For example, say he’s not sure when the exact year was for a specific historical moment. Instead of firing up Google to look it up (and potentially get sucked down into its rabbit hole), he simply writes, “November 13, #tbsj” (Note: I just made up that character combo, as I can’t remember exactly what he used).

By doing this, he can proceed with his writing and not break his train of thought. That way, his “flow” won’t get interrupted and he can put in more words.

As someone who writes for a living (not to compare myself with someone as great as him), I find this tip super useful. It prevents “self-editing” too early in the writing phase which is a no-no if you want to finish anything at all.

Back to Neil:

Later, during the editing phase, he can simply hit CTRL+F on his word processor and type in #tbsj to look for the stuff he needs to modify. Cool trick, huh?

And I use it for marking other sections in an article I’m drafting that would otherwise require some bit of research (tables, quotes, figures, etc.,). It helped speed up my writing significantly.

But it’s not just in writing that scheduling “web” time helps.

Whether it’s for studying for an exam, playing intently with your kid, finishing an Excel spreadsheet on a deadline, composing an urgent email to a client, watching a movie (yes, you do check your phone when watching TV, don’t you?), or simply working through the day’s tasks, scheduling internet use lets us focus on the task at hand.

Remember, you don’t have to turn off the internet literally, every time.

The lesson here is to be aware that it has the potential to derail your workflow (or whatever it is your supposed to do) if you don’t set limits. Which brings me to the next (related) tip:

#2. Use apps and browser extensions to block off certain sites during work hours

You know which sites I’m talking about: Facebook, Reddit, YouTube—the usual suspects. Along with whichever site you usually spend a lot of time on.

The idea is simple: If you can’t access it then you won’t be tempted to visit it.

Now, this of course depends on your actual discipline to stick to this rule. It all boils down to how serious you are in improving your productivity. But if you’re up to it, try this one out, I urge you.

You’ll be surprised by the results. Apps like Freedom, StayFocusd, and Cold Turkey are some of the most popular ones out there.

#3. Put your phone somewhere else while working

“My preciouuuus”. Just like how Golum lovingly touches the “Ring” in LoTR, our phones become precious little objects we just can’t live without. It’s always with us. A few minutes or hours without it can make some people lose their minds with anxiety.

It has almost become like a drug, it’s constant ping of notifications akin to a dopamine drip nudging our brains to check it constantly.

Always makes me wonder how people nowadays seem to eat together on the same table but are in fact sucked into their own little worlds in social media.

No one’s talking. Everybody’s too busy scrolling. Sheesh.

But I digress. In terms of productivity, putting your phone somewhere else while you work is one of the simplest hacks you can apply to boost your productivity.

Without the temptation in sight, you’ll be protected from its pings and notifs.

If you’re worried about missing an important call or text, just turn off the data/wifi connection, put it on another room, then set it on loud so you’ll hear it ring for actual calls and texts.

The point is to minimize distractions and temptation to use it by putting it away from sight.

#4. Remove all potential time-sucks from your desk

Aside from your phone, clear all other items on your workspace that you won’t need.

This helps your mind focus on the task at hand. And yes, fidget spinners are allowed.

At least in my case. It helps me think when I get blocked for words.

#5. Use the Pomodoro technique

A former colleague of mine once asked why I had a timer running on a small window in my computer. I just came back from a long weekend and was swamped with a boatload of work.

I told her it was a trick for increasing my output for that day. She asked how it worked. Below is my explanation.

What is the Pomodoro technique, exactly?

The steps are simple. You set a timer for 25 minutes (varies depending on your preference), do nothing but work on that window of time, take a short break once 25 minutes are up.

After that short break (5 minutes usually), you run the timer again and repeat the process. You are to do this until you complete the 4th cycle, after which you’re advised to take a longer 30-minute break.

On busy days, I aim to complete at least 8 cycles, which translates to a solid 3 ½ hours of actual work.

Almost always, I can clear a full day’s task in those 3.5 hours and spend the rest of the day pretending to work doing less intensive tasks.

The reason why I find it useful (along with thousands of people who swear by it) is this: Setting a 25-minute deadline on yourself creates something in your brain that’s called a “focus event”.

It pushes out all other stuff from our working memory which helps us put our full attention and energy to what we’re doing (or we have to do).

On game shows, for example, a contestant is forced to really focus and dig deep to find the answer or else she won’t get a point when the 30-second timer runs out.

I’m pretty sure she won’t be thinking of Game 2 of UP versus Ateneo in that small window of time.

Here’s another example. Say a teacher gives us a project and says we have to finish it in two days. You find yourself working on it ASAP, right?

You have to, you only have 2 days.

But what if she says you can submit it anytime within the week? Will you still find the same sense of urgency to do it right away? Nah, I didn’t think so.

If you’re like me, I’ll probably start doing it the day before the deadline. Work shrinks or expands depending on how much time is available.

This phenomenon is called Parkinson’s Law.

See, deadlines create a “have-to” mindset since you have to meet it. Otherwise, there will be consequences.

Lastly, it adds a “game” element to it. I look forward to finishing 8 Pomodoros on busy days, similar to completing 8 stages on a video game, for example.

“Gamification” has long been concluded to help in motivating people to do something.

It works best when a reward cue is linked to the tasks given. For example, I once rewarded myself with a new pair of earphones for completing 10 pomodoros in a day (that’s hard for me).

Having a clear goal (you always know how many pomodoros you have left) plus the (optional) reward makes working through an otherwise difficult and boring workload seem more pleasing.

Anyhoo, you’ve just read 500+ words about how and why Pomodoro is one handy productivity hack.

Let’s hop over to the next tip quick, as I see I only have 92 seconds left on this current Pomodoro.

#6. Set a dedicated place for work

The cover for the excellent “On Writing” by Stephen King shows the author sitting down in a tiny room with his feet raised, scrawling on a piece of paper.

The whole space appears to look even smaller since it’s stuffed with books and paper, a typewriter, a desktop computer and a printer—and a dog.

He recommends having a dedicated space for working. That way, when we’re in it, our brains will tell us that we’re there to work, not mess around.

It doesn’t really matter if the space is not fancy, as proved by King’s photo. What matters most is that it’s a place that will get you into your “flow” state the fastest so you can get productive.

#7. Time blocking

Cal Newport’s book, “Deep Work”, explains his chosen method for scheduling: Time blocking. Put simply, he allocates “blocks” of time to specific tasks throughout the day.

He starts this the night before, checking his annual/quarterly/monthly calendar to make sure the blocks of time he’ll put the next day is aligned with his long-term goals.

Too extreme? Maybe for most of us. But I believe that if done right, it will propel us towards great effectiveness and productivity in our work and goals.

To make it work, or any other type of scheduling technique for that matter, it’s imperative that you protect your time blocks from disruptions.

Maybe it means working in the coffee shop to avoid the noise at home (and occasional errands) or taking the day off to work on something highly important. Protect your blocks of time just like how a fullback defends the quarterback.

Part 2: Goal setting

#8. Make checklists

Whether it’s writing down your tasks for the day, deciding which items to buy at the grocery, making an itinerary, or even planning your steps for landing your next job, checklists are super useful.

Aside from helping us remember things, it helps us keep things in order, acting as maps to guide us if what we’re doing is aligned with what we intended when the day started.

#9. Use a calendar

Well-known copywriter Dan Kennedy uses an old-school scheduling method which reminds me of the classic budgeting technique called the “Envelope system”.

For his scheduling needs, he employs a “Tickler System”. Here’s how it works. He gets 90 file folders—30 are in red, 30 in blue, and the last 30 in white.

Each set represents a month (blue=current month, red=next month, white=month after that). If he wants to follow-up with a client, say, on the 15th of next month, he simply inserts a handwritten reminder or the whole file itself on the #15 red envelope.

Same with any other reminders and tasks that will fall on the same day.

Too much, eh? Well, it’s what works for him.

To be honest, I find his manual approach refreshing in this age of time management software and apps. Plus, I can’t argue with his results (he built million dollar businesses and authored dozens of books).

The lesson?

Highly productive individuals employ effective scheduling management systems to help them deal with a lot of stuff.

So whether it’s a simple notebook where you write down the day’s task or typing items in Wunderlist (what I use), scheduling your day sets you up for maximum efficiency and progress.

#10. Batching/Theming your days

This is the process of clumping up similar tasks within a day.

It follows the idea that working on similar tasks helps maintain flow and prevents additional cognitive load brought about by task switching. It’s when you shift to a completely different task, which almost always requires more energy and focus from our bodies.

The result? A negative impact on efficiency and effectivity.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey said in a 2011 interview that theming his days was the secret that allowed him to manage two companies at once (he’s also the CEO of Square):

“The way I found that works for me is I theme my days. On Monday, at both companies, I focus on management and running the company…Tuesday is focused on product.

Wednesday is focused on marketing and communications and growth. Thursday is focused on developers and partnerships. Friday is focused on the company and the culture and recruiting.

Saturday I take off, I hike. Sunday is reflection, feedback, strategy, and getting ready for the week.”

Even the legendary Steve Jobs used some form of day theming. On Mondays, he held executive team meetings. Advertising and marketing discussions were held on Wednesdays.

His afternoons were said to be “themed” with visits to Apple designer Jony Ive.

#11. Plan your week on Sunday

Use a few minutes of your Sunday for laying down the main goals you want to accomplish for the upcoming week.

I’m not talking about the daily to-do’s here, rather, your high-level goals that align with your monthly/quarterly/annual goals.

That way, you’re sure that your daily “grunt work” is actually something that will push your main goals forward.

#12. Be realistic with your targets

It’s too easy to fall into the trap of setting too-high of a goal. It usually happens when we have a fresh new goal and we’re raring to go and do it.

We’re motivated.

However, know that it’s the small wins that propel us towards them, which means there should always be low-hanging targets we can pick so we can build momentum and the habits necessary to reach the finish line.

#13. Be accurate with your to-dos

Setting clear, “next-step” goals is important as it lays down the actual action you need to take to move you towards your goals.

Here’s how I employ this technique: Say I have to write a new article. Instead of writing down “Start insurance article” on my to-do list, I’ll put: “Read links and create intro”.

Why do this? Because setting clear, next steps allows me to start doing what I’m supposed to do right away (thus saving time) instead of sitting down without a clear goal and plan.

As one saying goes, “You can’t hit a target if you don’t know what it is”.

#14. Build upon momentum

US 4-Star Admiral William McRaven advised that the first step towards achieving our goals is this—make your bed.

While this sounds deceptively simple, he says that by making our bed after waking up, we clear the first immediate task of our day.

It builds up momentum, pushing us to complete all succeeding goals we’ve set for ourselves.

The book that he wrote, “Make your bed”, is all about being disciplined and doing small steps towards achieving success.

#15. Keep things simple (system)

Or in other words, don’t fall into the trap of those elaborate productivity systems. Don’t use it because it’s what you read in all those CEO interviews in Inc or Forbes.

Whether it’s a simple notepad, journal, calendar, a single app on your smartphone—keeping things simple and focusing on completing the goals instead makes much more sense.

#16. Link your daily goals to your long-term goals

Ultra-successful people plan ahead and set tangible goals on a specified time frame. In the book, “Sprint”, ex-Google employee Jake Knapp shows how they come up with an idea, build a prototype, test, modify, and launch in just 5 days.

That is an example of a clear goal with specific action steps done on a strict amount of time.

Your takeaway? You’ll only make progress if your daily goals are aligned with your long-term goals.

Part 3: Focus

#17. Unitask

Research shows that people can’t actually multitask, rather, we simply do task-switching.

Humans are not like machines that are capable of actually processing several processes at once. Our mind and bodies will have a harder time if we constantly switch between tasks and thus reducing our productivity.

The answer? Focus your efforts on one thing at a time.

You’ll finish the job faster and use fewer resources. Combined with “theming your days” concept earlier, this will help you clear goals faster than trying to work on everything at once.

#18. Listen to white noise or background music if needed

Some people are “on a roll” when they’re listening to loud pumping music while others can’t stand complete silence.

I actually prefer having a tiny bit of “white noise” (background sounds like distant chatter or the sound of the AC or fan, or raindrops).

The most important thing is to identify what setting will get your productive juices flowing so you can “trigger” them when needed.

#19. Flow

“Flow” is that period of time wherein everything seems to click, we’re fully immersed in what we do and enjoying every second of it that we lose track of time.

While it’s something that is rarely captured fully by any forced means, there are methods we can employ to get to our flow state faster.

Whether it’s modifying our environment or workspaces (external) or setting psychological triggers (internal).

I recommend reading the book “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi if you want to know more about how it works.

#20. Apply the 5-second rule

I forgot how I stumbled upon this “rule” but basically the gist is this:

If your instinct tells you to act to reach a specific goal or task, you must literally move within 5 seconds otherwise your brain will talk you out of it.

When we wake up, for example, we know we should get up and get prepped for work. However, instead of standing up and getting ready, our brain tells us, “Relax, just 5 minutes more in bed”.

The next thing you know, you’re it’s 30 minutes past your wake-up time and definitely late for work.

Sounds familiar? By applying the 5-second rule, we’re basically fighting our brain’s “tricks” to procrastinate or hesitate even when we know we should do it.

#21. Done is better than perfect

Striving to achieve the most “perfect” result can lead to not finishing anything at all.

Sometimes, In our quest for getting the best possible result at all costs, we never finish anything because it’s not “perfect”.

Listen, I’m not saying you should turn in mediocre work. No, sir. We should always try to put in our best work.

The point here is that you should always strive for completing something, rather than giving it all your time and effort to make it perfect but not finish it at all.

I once asked a friend when he will put up the website that he’s been planning (he’s been thinking about it for months). “I’m still looking for the best design and theme for it”.

In trying to get it “perfect”, he never accomplished anything. Perfection is the enemy of progress.

#22. Use habit stacking

“While waiting for my coffee to brew, I’ll do a 30-second plank to wake up my body”.

That’s what I promised myself to do every morning I wake up more than a month ago. So far, I haven’t missed a day. That’s an example of habit stacking.

It’s like a cue that links/triggers one action to another.

On my previous job, I used to do this habit stack: After answering 5 emails, I’ll make a phone call to one client (for relationship building).

It’s a way of “tricking” yourself into performing tasks that would otherwise seem difficult or we’d rather not do.

The best part about it is that it makes the action automatic, thereby bypassing that moment where we talk ourselves out of doing it (see 5 second rule above).

Part 4: Prioritize

#23. Learning to say no

Our tendency to always say yes to people can be attributed to our desire to be liked.

While there’s nothing wrong with that per se—we’re social creatures after all—if we do it all the time our productivity and time for ourselves will take a hit.

That’s guaranteed.

There should be no shame in turning down a project especially if you have a full plate already.

If you do, not only will you have a hard time completing it, your other existing tasks will be negatively affected as well.

#24. Delegate

One of the top skills that effective managers have is the ability to delegate.

Without it, they will be left to their own resources trying to figure out how stuff works (if they’re not familiar with it) and do it themselves.

Companies trying to scale rely on proper delegation of tasks and roles, otherwise, it cannot outgrow itself simply because its founders and managers are tied to doing most of the stuff.

On a daily basis, learn which tasks can be delegated to more capable individuals so you can focus more on what you’re good at. The result? A more effective and efficient use of time and resources.

#25. Track your hours

By simply taking note of the number of hours you spend on a specific task, you’ll get a better idea on how you should plan your day.

For example, you may realize: “It takes me 2 hours to finish all admin tasks. However, I only spend 30 minutes doing actual work on my long-term goals.”

You can then adjust the time accordingly and allocate the time to more crucial tasks (the 80/20 rule works great here).

#26. Use the Eisenhower Matrix

Nope, it’s not a remake of your favorite “bullet-dodge” movie with the 34th President of the United States as Neo.

The Eisenhower Matrix or Eisenhower Box is a productivity tool used to determine the type of response a specific task requires. Here’s how it works:

Urgent and important = Do ASAP.
Important, but not urgent = Schedule to do later
Urgent, but not important = Delegate to someone else
Neither urgent nor important = Ignore or eliminate

#27. Eat that frog

Identify the most important task for the day (use Eisenhower box) and do it as soon as you can.

#28. Skip unimportant meetings

More often than not, meetings tend to be time-sucks if not managed well.

If it’s not that important or if you can simply ask for a brief/minutes of it, skip it altogether.

#29. The Pareto Law

Identify the imbalance in terms of allocation of effort and results.

The Pareto Principle or “80/20 Rule” states that roughly 80% of the results come from 20% of the causes.

For example, 80% of your income might come from one of your five clients (20%). Or maybe 80% of your problems come from 20% of your customers.

It works vice versa too. Perhaps 20% of all hazards in a warehouse account for 80% of all injuries. By being aware of this imbalance, you can do an audit of your own work and see if you can tweak it to provide more favorable results.

For example, if you realize that 80% of your income comes from 1 client only, why not focus on that one client and drop the rest? That way, you can focus your resources and time into the biggest provider of income and make more.

From there you can start looking for similar clients and get a dramatic boost in your earnings.

#30. Properly alternate between a Maker’s Schedule and Manager’s schedule

Y-Combinator co-founder Paul Graham popularized the idea of a Maker’s schedule and a Manager’s schedule.

In a nutshell, a manager’s schedule looks like your typical executive who fields and adjusts according to the needs of the day or his subordinates.

A “reactive” way of handling the day. If you think about it, this traditional type of scheduling method is prone to interruptions.

On the other hand, a maker’s schedule (think coder, engineer, artist) is optimized for producing and creating, more intentional, which is why it’s highly important that specific blocks of time are allocated for pure work only.

Knowing which mode you should use for the day is important and prevents a degradation in productivity.

Part 5: Taking care of yourself

#31. Get enough sleep

It’s simple—get enough sleep or else you won’t have enough energy to handle tasks throughout the day.

Also, your brain’s sharpness and decision-making abilities take a dip if you’re lacking in sleep.

#32. Schedule your downtime

Burn-out and stress is the result of driving yourself too much. Give yourself permission to chill and relax.

Let your body and mind recover.

Schedule some “me-time” to rest those frayed nerves. Recharging is an excellent way of preventing health issues and lets us recover and get back to work with renewed vigor.

#33. Move around

Most jobs today have us sitting in our chairs for the entire shift. Do yourself a favor and move that body every once in a while.

Stretch. Walk. Take a quick trip to the water cooler. Chat with your officemate. Grab a bite outside.

Occasional movement prevents sores and aches from happening when you’re sitting too much. Plus, you’re also giving your brains a chance to take a breather.

#34. Get some sunlight

Good ole’ vitamin D is good for the body. How will it help with time management, you ask? Well, it still has something to do with recovery.

Having a healthy body is crucial if you want to perform at your best. For best results, “habit stack” your breaks with a quick walk outside where there’s plenty of sunshine.

#35. Priming

World-renowned self-help coach Tony Robbins performs the following rituals in the morning: A unique breathing technique, cold-water immersion, and jumping on trampolines.

The reason?

These are his ways of getting himself into his ideal state for the day.

He calls it “priming”, which is essentially a method for conditioning our mind and body to be ready to operate at peak performance and flow.

Even if it’s just a simple ritual or routine like prayer, morning journal, jogging, stretching, reading, or others—taking steps to get into our prime states is crucial in achieving the day’s goals.

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