1.

  Be intentional: keep a to-do list

Drawing up a to-do list might not seem like a groundbreaking technique, but it’s one of
the most powerful ways to become more productive. The best to-do lists include a variety
of tasks: quick and urgent jobs that might be completed in 10 minutes and bigger,
operational tasks that are a work in progress.

Having a set list of tasks helps keep you intentional about what you work on. It effectively
lays out what you must complete – all tasks that pop up outside of it are secondary – and
if your mind does wander, a quick glance at your list reminds you of what you should be
doing. And of course, keeping a to-do list allows you to enjoy one of life’s unique
pleasures: visualizing what you want to achieve, and then striking your way through it.
 There are a ton of to-do list apps out there:  Todoist  is one of the most
popular due to its flexibility and simplicity. Apple users might also want
to check out  Things , a complex yet minimalist app – easy to organize
but with no shortage of features.

2.   Be prioritized: rank your tasks

If writing a to-do list is the first step towards better time management, prioritising your
tasks is the next. It guides you through the day’s activities in order of importance,
ensuring that the tasks that matter most are dealt with first. When ranking your tasks, you
should always prioritize what’s most important to you. Figure out which tasks and
activities are high-value, which will have the most positive effect on you, your work, and
your team.

The usefulness of prioritization can’t be overstated – without it, we often end up focusing
on work that’s pressing but not actually that important, simply because a deadline is
looming. Prioritization is your most effective defence against the lure of urgent-yet-
inconsequential tasks.
 Apps like  MyLifeOrganized  are to-do lists that factor in things like
deadlines and your own prioritizations to help you calculate what should
be top of your list.  nTask  is another helpful app that allows you to
organize, prioritize and monitor tasks as you go along.

3.   Be focused: manage distractions

Despite our best intentions, we all get distracted. From social notifications to talkative
colleagues – and the very human problem of procrastination – actually sitting down and
getting things done is almost always harder than it should be. Given that it takes about 23
minutes to refocus after an interruption, the productive cost of our daily distractions
quickly adds up. So you need to effectively manage your distractions in order to protect
your flow and focus.

While some distractions easy to identify, many people aren’t aware of numerous
pressures that fracture their days. One you have identified the source, you can set
controls in place so you decide when to let notifications in. Common culprits like email,
meetings and Slack can be effectively managed with the help of a clear communication
framework.
For identifying and quantifying distractions, an activity tracking app
like  Timely  is your best bet – it can automatically record the time you
spend in every work tool and website. If you just need more discipline
when your concentration is waning, apps
like  StayFocusd  and  Mindful Browsing  can put access restrictions
on time-wasting websites.
4.   Be structured: time block your work
A structured schedule is crucial for actually delivering what you set yourself. It helps you
protect space for your work and sets a healthy pressure to actually complete it. Time
blocking is one of the most productive ways of doing this, as it prevents one task from
overtaking your entire day and stops you from multi-tasking.

Many of us juggle multiple jobs at the same time, believing we’ll get more done, but in
fact the opposite is true; we are most productive when we focus on one thing at a time.
Time blocking is essentially a thoughtful approach to dividing attention across all your
work. Set aside small periods of time for admin-style tasks like email, scheduling and
returning calls, and larger periods for more detailed, in-depth or analytical work.
You just need a simple calendar tool like  Week Plan  to time block your week in

advance. 1.   Be intentional: keep a to-do list

Drawing up a to-do list might not seem like a groundbreaking technique, but it’s one of
the most powerful ways to become more productive. The best to-do lists include a variety
of tasks: quick and urgent jobs that might be completed in 10 minutes and bigger,
operational tasks that are a work in progress.

Having a set list of tasks helps keep you intentional about what you work on. It effectively
lays out what you must complete – all tasks that pop up outside of it are secondary – and
if your mind does wander, a quick glance at your list reminds you of what you should be
doing. And of course, keeping a to-do list allows you to enjoy one of life’s unique
pleasures: visualizing what you want to achieve, and then striking your way through it.
 There are a ton of to-do list apps out there:  Todoist  is one of the most
popular due to its flexibility and simplicity. Apple users might also want
to check out  Things , a complex yet minimalist app – easy to organize
but with no shortage of features.

2.   Be prioritized: rank your tasks

If writing a to-do list is the first step towards better time management, prioritising your
tasks is the next. It guides you through the day’s activities in order of importance,
ensuring that the tasks that matter most are dealt with first. When ranking your tasks, you
should always prioritize what’s most important to you. Figure out which tasks and
activities are high-value, which will have the most positive effect on you, your work, and
your team.

The usefulness of prioritization can’t be overstated – without it, we often end up focusing
on work that’s pressing but not actually that important, simply because a deadline is
looming. Prioritization is your most effective defence against the lure of urgent-yet-
inconsequential tasks.
 Apps like  MyLifeOrganized  are to-do lists that factor in things like
deadlines and your own prioritizations to help you calculate what should
be top of your list.  nTask  is another helpful app that allows you to
organize, prioritize and monitor tasks as you go along.

3.   Be focused: manage distractions

Despite our best intentions, we all get distracted. From social notifications to talkative
colleagues – and the very human problem of procrastination – actually sitting down and
getting things done is almost always harder than it should be. Given that it takes about 23
minutes to refocus after an interruption, the productive cost of our daily distractions
quickly adds up. So you need to effectively manage your distractions in order to protect
your flow and focus.

While some distractions easy to identify, many people aren’t aware of numerous
pressures that fracture their days. One you have identified the source, you can set
controls in place so you decide when to let notifications in. Common culprits like email,
meetings and Slack can be effectively managed with the help of a clear communication
framework.
For identifying and quantifying distractions, an activity tracking app
like  Timely  is your best bet – it can automatically record the time you
spend in every work tool and website. If you just need more discipline
when your concentration is waning, apps
like  StayFocusd  and  Mindful Browsing  can put access restrictions
on time-wasting websites.
4.   Be structured: time block your work
A structured schedule is crucial for actually delivering what you set yourself. It helps you
protect space for your work and sets a healthy pressure to actually complete it. Time
blocking is one of the most productive ways of doing this, as it prevents one task from
overtaking your entire day and stops you from multi-tasking.

Many of us juggle multiple jobs at the same time, believing we’ll get more done, but in
fact the opposite is true; we are most productive when we focus on one thing at a time.
Time blocking is essentially a thoughtful approach to dividing attention across all your
work. Set aside small periods of time for admin-style tasks like email, scheduling and
returning calls, and larger periods for more detailed, in-depth or analytical work.
You just need a simple calendar tool like  Week Plan  to time block your
week in advance. Alternatively, consider using a calendar app that
also  tracks what you actually end up achieving , so you can optimize
future schedules.
5.   Be self-aware: track your time
Ultimately, you can’t improve how you use your time, without understanding how you
actually use it in the first place. Tracking your time is elementary here – it provides the
insight and self-awareness to make effective changes, surfacing hidden time drains,
highlighting inefficient processes and laying out your productive patterns.
Thankfully you no longer have to expend time in order to understand time. Automatic
tracking apps can now do the heavy work for you, recording how you spend your time in
a private timeline. There are no timers to stop and start, and you don’t have to write
anything down – every detail is captured in the background while you get on with your
day.

Alternatively, consider using a calendar app that also  tracks what you
actually end up achieving , so you can optimize future schedules.

5.   Be self-aware: track your time

Ultimately, you can’t improve how you use your time, without understanding how you
actually use it in the first place. Tracking your time is elementary here – it provides the
insight and self-awareness to make effective changes, surfacing hidden time drains,
highlighting inefficient processes and laying out your productive patterns.
Thankfully you no longer have to expend time in order to understand time. Automatic
tracking apps can now do the heavy work for you, recording how you spend your time in
a private timeline. There are no timers to stop and start, and you don’t have to write
anything down – every detail is captured in the background while you get on with your
day.