Time Management Course
Chapter II
Basic Time Management Concepts

Course structure
DAY 1
Foreword
Study tips
Course schedule (proposal)
Workload Estimator
Daily Worksheet
Resources
DAY 2
Introductory notes
Module 1 – Goal setting
The importance of setting goals
Goals and objectives
Make your goals S.M.A.R.T.
Weekly goals
Practice materials
Decision matrix
How to use the decision matrix
Practice materials
DAY 3
To-do list
Calendar
Someday tasks
Practice materials
DAY 4
Time blocking
SWDH
Practice materials
DAY 5
What time should you be tracking?
Time tracking process
Invoicing your billable hours
Module 6 – Time accountability
Use the calendar to keep yourself on track
Keep track of your daily routine
Leave no task behind
Practice materials
DAY 6
Efficient versus effective
To bear in mind / follow
To avoid
Additional materials
DAY 7
A quick recap of key concepts
Self-Assessment
Additional resources
Module 7 – Tips and tricks
Efficient versus effective
In this course, we want to teach you how to perform Efficiently Effective Time Management.
Specifically, this means doing the right things, in the right way, at the right time. We want you to advance in an organized and efficient manner towards achieving your goals.
Just so you know:
- Being Effective means that you do the right things to achieve your goals. Certainly, your daily agenda includes a multitude of activities, but the ones you will pay special attention to will be the ones that support your efforts to achieve your goals. If we do not do the right things to achieve the goals we have set, Efficiency becomes an irrelevant factor, as we will not reach the expected result anyway.
- Being Efficient means that you do things the right way. In this specific situation, we are talking about the right things for your goals. It would not be very helpful to do, in the right way, things that don’t get you where you want to go. The stated purpose of this course is to teach you to work effectively in an efficient manner – that is, to do the right things in the right way.
Therefore, up to now, in the Modules of Chapter II, we have explained time management from the point of view of effectiveness. That means we have shown you everything you need to know to do the right things when it comes to time management.
Next, we will show you how to make the process more efficient – that is, how to do things the right way so as to maximize the results.
To bear in mind / follow
When you want to get the best results from time management, you must take into account some elements that will remarkably improve the way things go, even if at first glance they have nothing to do with time or its management.
One definition of time management is: The process of applying a series of procedures to our actions and activities so that we accomplish as much as possible per unit of time.
Therefore, although we say “time management,” we do not intervene in any way with regard to time. Instead, we focus on how we organize and carry out our activities so as to make the most of the time at our disposal.
1. Activities versus your energy level
Your chronotype and circadian rhythm
Let’s analyze the following two situations:
- How correctly and efficiently would a “morning person” write IT code at 11 pm?
- How much would a “night owl” enjoy a run at 6 am?
Both situations would be excruciating for both people, and the results would likely be far from satisfactory.
But if we change things a little so that the “morning person” runs at 6 am and the “night owl” writes IT code at 11 pm, that sounds better, doesn’t it?
We are different. Some people have overflowing energy in the morning. Maybe they are more creative in the second part of the day, and they definitely need to go to sleep quite early in the evening. Others fall asleep late precisely because, in the evening, they are still very energetic, while in the mornings…they prefer to start their day at around 10 am. 🙂
There is nothing wrong with either of these types of people. However, for increased productivity, it is important to take into account the peculiarities that characterize us.
Therefore, when you make your daily schedule, take into account the level of energy you have at different times of the day (morning-lunch-evening). Plan the most critical and mind-demanding tasks in that interval in which you feel more energetic, to avoid contradicting your own rhythm.
Proper rest
The way we perform after a sleepless night doesn’t even compare to the way we can focus and work after a good night’s sleep. But in this respect, too, we are different. Some need nine hours of sleep, while others are ok with six.
Therefore, it is important to discover the hours of sleep with which you function best and, as much as possible, respect them every night. You might consider taking an afternoon nap if your activity allows you such a break. Get proper rest and you’ll notice remarkable improvements in everything you do.
If you have any doubts about your chorotype and circadian rhythm or the appropriate sleeping hours for you, at the end of this module we will leave you a link to a sleep calculator that takes all these details into account.
2. Prior planning
Planning must be thought out, so you need a few minutes to focus on it to make sure you take into account all the parameters. For short-term planning, we recommend that you apply the basic rules listed below.
Plan your week on the previous weekend
You will definitely find a few minutes at the end of the week in which to distribute the tasks from your weekly to-do list by days and hours depending on their importance and urgency. Why do this at the end of the week? First of all, because in this way you create the opportunity to “start the week off right.” You won’t have to think on Monday morning about what to do or what to start with. You will know exactly what you have to do, so you will be able to get straight to work.
In addition, most of the time, you will have to conduct a short evaluation of the activities of the last week, so that you know if something has been left behind and needs to be re-planned. The end of the week is more suitable for this activity.
Plan your day the night before
Most likely, at the end of the week when you plan for the following week, you will distribute the tasks by days and hours. However, it is recommended that every evening you take a look at the activities of the completed day so that you know exactly how you are doing. In addition, you should review the planning for the next day so that you can adjust it according to any needs that have arisen in the meantime.
The key benefit: start your day energized and focused. You’ll know exactly what to do and when, setting you up for a productive and positive day.
Here’s another secret: It’s possible that, overnight, your subconscious mind will offer you more optimal solutions for the activities you’ll be carrying out the following day. Take it as a bonus and enjoy it!
3. Buffer time
Never plan your large categories of activities without leaving free time between them. We are talking about situations in which you have to completely change what you do, not just tasks in the same category of activities.
Let’s suppose that you have to prepare a presentation for new clients. Then you have to present to them what you have prepared. Try to plan things so that between the two activities, you have a time interval for unforeseen situations.
If nothing appears, then you will have the opportunity to review the presentation one more time, as well as take advantage of a few minutes to breathe and get a drink of water. If all this is not necessary, you can use that time interval to answer emails, phone calls, or messages. You will definitely find something useful to do.
Use buffer time to work calmly and with increased attention. This will reveal itself in the results of your work.
4. Daily routine
We humans react well to daily routines. They give us a feeling of well-being and a sense of order that appears in the structure of our thoughts. Therefore, set your routines exactly as they suit you best and stick to them.
Here are some examples:
- Morning & evening routine
- Lunch – same hour every day
- Gym – certain days/hours
- Groceries – certain days
- Laundry day
- Time of checking emails
Keep your routine as simple as possible and don’t overcomplicate things. The idea is to help you create a structured, orderly base on which you can build a daily schedule that will help you in everything you do.
To avoid
1. Planning without prioritization
If you don’t prioritize, you risk losing sight of those tasks that are relevant to the goals you have set. Or you might focus your energy on less important activities and end up taking care of the ones that really matter only when you are too tired to do a good job.
The outcome will not be a desirable one. It is as if you are putting yourself in the way.
Therefore, pay attention to prioritization and take care of the important things first – the ones that have the greatest relevance when you weigh them with your goals.
2. Unnecessary interruptions and multitasking
Neither interruptions nor multitasking will help you. When you’re working on something, focus on what you’re doing, and don’t take care of several things at once.
Otherwise, you risk losing twice as much time checking what you already did once or, even worse, correcting what you did.
You will get better results by working on one activity at a time. Plus, overall, the time allocated will not be longer because you will finish the activity quickly and well. That means you can move on to the next task without having to go back to any of the previous ones.
3. Procrastination and precrastination
Procrastination is a gap between intentions and actions. We have the best intentions, but we voluntarily and unnecessarily delay the moment when we act.
Precrastination means that although we have the necessary time, we:
- start doing the activity much earlier than necessary
- do it in a hurry to get rid of it
- get it done as soon as possible (sooner rather than later)
- try to finish it well before the deadline
Neither of these extremes is desirable. It would be preferable to find a middle way, especially because in neither of the two situations do we emphasize the quality of our work, nor do we take into account the stress it causes us.
Interestingly, the same factors that cause some people to procrastinate can be triggers for precastination. However, while the former will prefer to postpone things, if possible indefinitely, the latter will tend to act in haste just to get rid of the pressure of the problem faster.
The simple fact that we are aware that we have one of these problems is a step forward. We can now apply a number of measures to help us return to a middle ground and avoid either of these extremes in the future.
4. Overloading your schedule
Definitely to be avoided!
You have a lot of things to do, but if you try to cram as many activities as possible into a very short time interval, you will not achieve anything good. Stress will have its say, as will the inattention caused by stress, and in the end you will discover that you have to work even more to restore what you ruined by overloading your schedule.
The desirable option is to plan and work as much as you can within optimal parameters, calmly and lovingly. That’s the only way you’ll be able to maintain the balance you need so that you, in turn, operate at the optimal parameters to perform as well as possible.