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Time.<\/strong> It\u2019s our most valuable and perhaps most poorly utilized resource. Many of us feel stressed out and overburdened by obligations, and yet still feel we don\u2019t have enough: enough time or enough money. We\u2019re great at stacking our schedules full, less great at managing our own time.<\/p>\n And with entrepreneurs like Tim Ferriss claiming that it\u2019s possible to make a great income by working only 4 hours a day – and science backing that up (one study of working scientists in the 50\u2019s<\/a> revealed that a person\u2019s productivity peaked between 10-20 hours a week) – we\u2019re left scratching our heads. With our 60-hour workweeks and constant feeling of overwhelm, are we really that terrible at time management?<\/p>\n The answer is, maybe.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s the good news: Whether you\u2019re a freelancer, a full-time employee, or a business owner, it\u2019s possible to improve your time management skills with a few simple strategies.<\/p>\n In the following article, we\u2019ll take a look at:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to Harvard Business Review<\/a>, there are three core time management skills<\/strong>:<\/p>\n In just a bit, we\u2019ll talk more about how you can improve these skills. But first let\u2019s take a look at why you\u2019ll want to improve these skills in the first place.<\/p>\n When you learn to use your time better and more efficiently, your earning capacity increases.<\/p>\n First – and most obviously – you\u2019re able to accomplish more in a given day, and theoretically, bring in more income.<\/p>\n Second, you\u2019re able to set aside time to reach bigger picture goals – such as starting a side-hustle – that can make you a higher earner.<\/p>\n Third, you become a more valuable professional overall. So, whether you\u2019re a freelancer or a FT employee, you become more invaluable to your clients or company.<\/p>\n Stress has become a global problem that affects people of all ages, ethnicities, and demographic backgrounds. And stress isn\u2019t only a mental health issue<\/a>; it can result in physical illnesses such as cardiovascular problems, headaches, and gastrointestinal issues.<\/p>\n Learning to manage our time better will ultimately help us to reduce stress. By helping us to achieve a better work-life balance and helping us to more efficiently accomplish tasks and obligations, time management can help us to feel less overwhelmed and underproductive.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re trying to reach a goal – whether that\u2019s to start a new business initiative or lose 10 pounds – better time management can help you to reach that goal faster and more efficiently.<\/p>\nLearning how to block out your time strategically to meet your obligations and reach new goals is a large part of effective time management. <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n The result? Goals accomplished, a greater sense of fulfillment, and maybe even an improved quality of life.<\/p>\n By now, you\u2019ve learned why time management can be so wonderfully beneficial to you, your income, even your body.<\/p>\n If that\u2019s the case, then why aren\u2019t you experiencing the joys of excellent time management?<\/p>\n Well, the reality is that most of us lack time management skills. We aren\u2019t great at managing our own time usage\u2026.and we don\u2019t even know it.<\/p>\n Poor time management can be the result of one or more of the following three pitfalls:<\/p>\n The bottom line? You might not even know you\u2019re poor at time management…and as a result, you\u2019re missing out on increased productivity, a better work-life balance, and a capacity to become a more valuable and accomplished professional.<\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re a \u201cworker bee\u201d full-time employee, a free-thinking freelancer, or a hyper-driven business owner, there\u2019s always room for improvement in your time management skills.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s how to use Timing to assess and improve your time management:<\/p>\n One of the great things about Timing is that it automatically tracks your hours and minutes, but it also takes into account gaps in your activity. So, it won\u2019t include even a few minutes of inactivity into its total tally.<\/p>\n When you open Timing\u2019s Overview tab, the first thing you\u2019ll most likely take a look at is how much time you\u2019ve worked that day. Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve worked 6 hours and 30 minutes. Does that surprise you? If you sat down at your computer at 8 AM and it\u2019s now 4 PM, you may wonder where that extra hour and 30 minutes went.<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s time to open your Review tab. Across the top, you\u2019ll see blocks of time throughout the day that are highlighted according to app or category. In between those blocks, you may see gray spaces.<\/p>\n Unless you took a lunch break, these gaps most likely signify moments where you got distracted. Maybe you started scrolling through your Instagram feed. Or decided to empty your dishwasher. Or took a phone call from an old friend.<\/p>\n In any case, this timeline shows a realistic assessment of how well you\u2019re staying on task, and why you might not be accomplishing as much as you think you should be.<\/p>\n Now that you have a good idea of the frequency of your offline distractions, make sure you\u2019re tackling your online distractions.<\/p>\n Again, go to your Review tab in Timing. Under Websites, you\u2019ll see an accurate tally of how much time you\u2019re spending in your email inbox, on news sites, or other sites that may be sucking time away from valuable work.<\/p>\n For example, if you see that you\u2019ve spent 56 minutes in your email inbox – and it\u2019s only 10 AM – then you might want to red flag your email as a potent online distraction (unless, of course, your job consists primarily of answering and sending emails). To do this, you can either a) become extra conscientious about checking your email, or b) get vigilant and use a website blocker such as HeyFocus<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the Overview tab of Timing, you\u2019ll see a bar chart that displays your most active hours of work. These are the hours that were the \u201cfullest\u201d; in other words, you worked the most minutes per hour.<\/p>\n If you note that your most active hours are between 9 AM and 11 AM, consider the working conditions and frame of mind you\u2019re in during those hours. Is your work space especially quiet? Are you feeling fueled from your morning coffee and workout? Are you excited about what you\u2019re doing, and not distracted by phone calls and coworkers?<\/p>\n In any case, think through your most active hours and try and replicate those conditions during other portions of the day. Take breaks when you\u2019re not going to be as productive, and be disciplined about making sure you get your most pressing, demanding work done during those hours.<\/p>\n Now, for the big-picture review.<\/p>\n Go to Timing\u2019s Overview tab, and adjust the time frame across the top to \u201cmonth\u201d rather than \u201ctoday.\u201d Now, flip through the last 6-12 months. If you\u2019re a freelancer or entrepreneur, chances are that your income and your time usage have ebbed and flowed. But do they match up?<\/p>\n For example, you may notice that you worked longer hours in the beginning of the year than you did over the summer. Did you make a higher income as a result?<\/p>\n If not, then you\u2019ll want to consider why: Perhaps you worked on a few higher-value projects that weren\u2019t incredibly time-consuming but did deliver high payoff. Or perhaps you got sucked into working with a client that consumed a lot of time and energy with very little return.<\/p>\n\n
Why Time Management is the \u201cMissing Key\u201d to More Money, Lower Stress & Faster Progress<\/h2>\n
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Improved time management \u2192 higher income.<\/h3>\n
Improved time management \u2192 less stress.<\/h3>\n
Improved time management \u2192 faster progress.<\/h3>\n
The Pitfalls of Poor Time Management<\/h2>\n
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Strategies for Assessing & Improving Your Time Management Skills<\/h2>\n
1.\u00a0 Identify gaps in your focus.<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n2.\u00a0 \u201cRed flag\u201d time-sucking apps and URLs.<\/h3>\n
3.\u00a0 Consider your most active hours.<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\n4.\u00a0 Compare your working hours to your income.<\/h3>\n