There’s no big trick to managing time when the instructions are, “Show up at 9, stay until 5 and do what I say in between.” It’s a different matter when you’re running the show.
The first book I ever read on the subject was Alan Lakein’s How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. My favorite idea in his book was to assign an A, B or C to every item on your To Do List and organize your work by starting on the A items, and so forth. If you’re doing it right, Lakein suggests, you’ll never get around to the C items.
Other books on time management seemed to assume that the reader was a corporate employee. Somewhere along the way, I realized that the self-employed don’t think about managing time, but are more inclined to think about it as investing time—their time.
I asked my Facebook friends to share their favorite time tools and they were kind enough to let me pass them along here. See if there’s a new tip or two you can borrow.
Lisa Allen I’d have to say it’s my watch. Honestly.
Sandra Lee Schubert My brain, next my Dayrunner
Nelson Freytes Google calendar in sync with my iPhone
LeeAnn Gibbs a kitchen aid timer
Pam Donald MS Outlook, followed by my planner. Though I confess that I’m always setting reminders and then hitting ‘Remind Me Later’ over and over. Sort of a time-management snooze button.
Kimberly Stewart my internal clock; but keeping my work schedule full helps a lot because then I don’t get too much opportunity to be lazy. In other words, a full schedule keeps me efficient.
Vicky Jo Varner kitchen timers! Especially my Ecko, which gives a ten and five minute chirp warning before the final alert.
Jen Vondenbrink My weekly calendar with my Levenger notebook.
Annie Woodall I find to-do lists to be extremely helpful — just having the visual of what needs to be accomplished within a given amount of time is motivating (plus, I love crossing things off). I also regularly use Google calendar (with emailed reminders), the kitchen timer, accountability to others and breaking tasks into small components to keep me on track.
Rebecca Quinn Most important: Outlook (calendar, tasks, reminders) synced with my phone. And having everything on phone – Email, text messaging, twitter. Extras: A cool little cube timer with different sides for 5-15-30-60 minutes – great for focusing on tasks for a set time (from TameTheChaos.com). Dave Lakhani calls it “fearsome focus”. Plus a Franklin Covey paper planner with lots of room for annual, monthly & two-pages a day. And to-do lists. Everything in writing whether paper or digital!
Janit Calvo My conscience. I also use an online stopwatch to get myself moving if I want to get through a boring chore fast – like inventory!! (I got that from you, Barbara – to do the mundane chores quickly to have more time for the fun things!)
Loletta Lloyd I use my Outlook calendar and good old fashioned to-do lists. Writing things down helps me focus on the specific task and visualize how much time I will need to delegate to it and what other little steps I need to do to finish the big picture.
Sandy Dempsey My to-do lists and idea notebook – both help me manage what projects I need to and want to work on, books I want to read, topics I want to write about and fun things I want to do.
Lisa Cotter Metwaly I love the kitchen timer to keep me on task. 30 minutes gives me enough time to make a dent in most things and I usually keep going once I start. If I feel like quitting after the timer goes off I know I can be happy about accomplishing my goal of 30 minutes.
Linda Locke Mine is setting deadlines. As a former newspaper reporter I respect the power of the deadline and the adrenaline rush it gives me. If I absolutely, positively have to get something done, this is my go to method!
Paul Browning The software OneNote by Microsoft Office. I can put what I want in it, it gives complete unadulterated freedom in how I design my goals and note taking.
Maureen Thomson Short Keys
Sue West accountability partner == whether it’s business coach, a partner I’m collaborating with, or my once-a-month “kick butt on deadlines” colleague meeting. I finally learned I don’t have to do it all. It’s better not to be “SO” self-managed.
Jane Beaver Lists, computer pop-up calendar items, and flexibility.
Susan Wolters Sketchbooks/notebooks, post it notes/scrap paper, and a paper wall calendar. The rest is in my head, or about to be imagined.
Naps are a good time management tool too. If you keep working while you’re tired, you’ll get a lot less done than if you lay down for 15 – 30 minutes to get revved up again. I’m going to lie down now 🙂