Time management techniques help you increase your productivity, make better use of your time, focus on the things that really matter and get more done in less time.

If you feel that you have too much to do and not enough time, incorporating these time management techniques into your work routine can make a significant difference in your productivity and achievement.

While there are many different time management approaches and systems out there, the basic techniques and principles are well understood and accepted.

Here are a few key time management techniques that will give you the most benefit:

1. Work From A List

Getting todo's out of your head and into some other medium (like a to-do list or planner) sounds simple, but it really works.

Most time management experts agree that working from a list (whether it's pen/paper based or electronic) is one of the keys for effective time management.

2. Plan Your Day

This is another time management technique that sounds obvious but surprisingly few people actually do it.

You don't have to micromanage or account for every minute of the day, but having a general idea of what you want to accomplish each day, and more importantly, making time in your schedule to actually do it will increase your productivity.



3. Work on important things first

The truth is that there is more stuff for you to do than you'll ever be able to accomplish, so it's critical that you prioritize and consciously decide what you ARE going to do and what you are NOT going to do.

One of the best ways to do this is to use prioritization to consciously decide which projects and tasks deserve your time and focus on those projects/tasks first, before you invest time in other less important things.

4. Schedule your "big rocks" and let the other stuff fill the gaps

This is a great time management technique to help you make time for the important things. The idea is to schedule these "big rocks" (the things that really matter) as appointments in your calendar and MAKE time for them, and let all the other stuff fill the gaps around them.

This technique is particularly helpful during the first two hours of the day, where most of us get distracted with trivial stuff, because they can set the foundation for the entire day.

Instead of checking email or wasting your time, focus your first two hours on your most important "big rocks" for the day.

5. Use a productivity system

Using a productivity or time management system is very powerful because it integrates and combines all the other techniques into a unified whole that allows them to work together.

Put these time management techniques into practice and you'll see some dramatic improvements in your productivity and effectiveness.