Time is the one resource you can never replenish.
Every day that passes is a moment you will never get back, a chance to take action that is now gone.
Yet so many of us fall into the trap of thinking there is always tomorrow – another day to start that project, make that call, or take that next step in our careers.
The truth is, tomorrow is not guaranteed. And the longer you wait, the more you give away the one asset you cannot afford to lose: your time.
Peak performers understand this urgency.
They do not just plan for the future—they take action today.
We all have the same amount of time in a given day. So what makes someone exceptional instead of average in their time management skills to achieve more with that time?
They focus on getting more results (outputs) from each effort (input) they put in.
Here's how.
Mistakes hurting your time management
Even with the best intentions, you may unknowingly fall into common traps that drain your time and energy. These mistakes can seem small, but over time, they add up, holding you back from making real progress.
With that in mind, here are 5 mistakes to avoid:
→ Failing to prioritize effectively: This often happens when you focus on tasks that are urgent but not truly important towards your development priorities or what will move the needle. Putting out fires constantly at work is one of the biggest distractions when it comes to prioritization. This results in spending too much time on low-impact activities while high-impact tasks neglect the needed attention.
→ Not saying 'no' enough: This is where you struggle with declining requests or opportunities, leading to an overloaded schedule. Saying yes to everything will dilute focus and spread yourself too thin. Not to mention, it runs the risk of keeping you in your roles longer because you become so invaluable by taking on everything.
→ Underestimating task duration: A common pitfall is the misjudgment of how long tasks will take, known as the planning fallacy. This is when you underestimate the time required for a task, leading to overpacked schedules and missed deadlines. This mistake stems from optimism bias and a failure to account for potential interruptions or complications that arise.
→ Neglecting breaks and personal time: In the pursuit of productivity, you may frequently skip breaks and encroach on your personal time. Or, perhaps your to-do list is so long that it never feels like there is enough time in the day to get it done, so you push through without the needed pauses your body and mental health require often resulting in burnout.
→ Ineffective delegation: Whether due to a lack of trust in others' abilities or your desire to maintain control, failure to delegate will set you back. It also negatively impacts your ability to focus your time on more strategic areas of your work which, in turn, slows down your progression.
3 strategies to improve your time management
1/ Prioritize ruthlessly
Ruthless prioritization ensures that your energy and efforts yield the maximum impact. In other words, you must work smarter, not longer.
Specifically, this involves distinguishing between what is urgent and what is important at any given time, a concept popularized by Dwight D. Eisenhower's decision matrix. Here are 3 steps to get started:
→ Implement the Eisenhower box: Each week, categorize your tasks into 4 boxes - important and urgent, important but not urgent, not important but urgent, and not important and not urgent. Focus primarily on the first 2 categories.
→ Set your daily top 3: Each morning, identify the top 3 tasks that will have the most significant impact on your goals and the objectives you are being evaluated against in your role (or whatever your primary focus may be right now). Make these tasks your primary focus for the day.
→ Review and audit weekly: At the end of each week, review your overall task completion and adjust your priorities for the next week. This regular reflection ensures alignment with your long-term objectives.
Pro tip: Create yourself a Google sheet that includes the following 3 columns: Task, Time, %.
In the first column, indicate the task you performed. In the second column, indicate the amount of time in the week that you dedicated to that task. The % column will then calculate the weighting of that task amongst your other weekly tasks out of 100%.
Once completed, colour code your tasks based on the 4 categories outlined in the Eisenhower matrix. You will then have a visual representation of how you allocated your time that week and determine if the weightings need to be adjusted to better align with your goals and development priorities.
You can even use this as a tool with your boss when discussing workload adjustments and propose your ideal breakdown to push back where necessary. This is exactly what my client Michelle did and she continues to leverage these strategies to prioritize her time on the right things.
2/ Intentional time blocking
This is an extremely powerful technique to leverage, transforming your calendar into a tool for deliberate and focused work.
By allocating specific blocks of time to different tasks or activities, you create a structure that fosters deep concentration and minimizes distractions. This method turns your intentions into a tangible schedule, helping you to manage your time more effectively.
It also helps you manage expectations amongst colleagues, your boss and other stakeholders you collaborate with in your day-to-day.
Here are 4 tactics to support you in implementing time blocking effectively:
→ Allocate dedicated blocks for deep work: Schedule uninterrupted blocks of time for high-priority tasks or those that require more brain power. These blocks should be free from meetings, calls, and emails. You will also want to communicate these time blocks to your team and boss so they respect that instead of impeding on those critical moments in the day.
→ Incorporate buffer blocks: Include short blocks between scheduled tasks to allow for breaks, unforeseen delays, or task overrun. It is ideal to manage your time in a way that works towards worst-case time allotment versus best-case.
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For example, if you believe a task will realistically take you 2 hours to complete, stick with 2 hours in your time blocking. Do not try to shortcut this to 1 hour. If you end up finishing sooner, this will serve as bonus time you get back in your day. Otherwise, you run the risk of disappointing yourself and your boss by being overly ambitious in your time blocking.
→ Assign time for emails and meetings: Rather than constantly checking emails or having impromptu meetings, allocate specific times for these activities to avoid disrupting your focus during deep work blocks. Do not be shy on pushing back on meetings that interfere with the priorities you have established for the week. As well, set and manage expectations with others around your email response time to avoid conflict or frustration.
Example template: "I understand the timeliness required in my responses to your questions and the needed frequency of our communications. That said, I also want to ensure I have the right information to come back to you with and would recommend a 24 hour window for me to respond back. Moving forward, I will aim to respond sooner where possible and simply wanted to set the expectation between us so there's no confusion. Does this work well for you?"
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→ Review and adjust: At the end of each day, review your time blocks and adjust them for the next day based on your productivity and any unfinished tasks. You can also pre-plan for your upcoming week in a similar way to better anticipate what's to come.
3/ Delegate more
Although it might feel easier to take on more because you believe that you can do it better yourself, this is only going to hurt you in the long run.
You must remember that delegation is not just about offloading work. It is about maximizing team efficiency and focusing your efforts where they are most needed (and most strategic!).
Here are 4 steps you can take to facilitate more frequent delegation:
→ Identify which tasks to delegate: Regularly review your task list and ask yourself "which tasks can only I perform?". These are the ones that you should ideally maintain and those that do not fit into that bucket will start your list of tasks to delegate out. This is where you will consider tasks that do not require your specific expertise or that can serve as development opportunities for others in their respective roles.
→ Choose the right person: Delegate tasks to team members whose skills, motivations and career goals align with the task's requirements. This ensures a higher likelihood of successful completion and support. This may be an area in which you need to involve your boss to get their approval for your delegation plan.
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→ Provide clear instructions and feedback: When delegating to others, give clear instructions and define expectations. Be available for guidance and provide constructive feedback to encourage learning and growth. This will help those individuals to feel supported by you while you can focus your time on more strategic focuses of your work.
→ Empower others through autonomy: Allow team members autonomy in how they complete delegated tasks. Do not delegate only to then micro-manage as it defeats the purpose of delegation. The trust you demonstrate in others will build their confidence and skills in doing what needs to be done.
Pro tip: In order to delegate most effectively and free up more of your time, make the benefit for the other person crystal clear in why you require them to take on this task. Explain how it ties into their strengths, core areas of expertise or the bigger picture of company initiatives. This will help gain the needed buy-in and face less resistance.
[Check out my free LinkedIn Learning nano-course on Nano Tips for Handling Difficult Work Situations]
How will you stop wasting time on the wrong things?
Mastering your time is not an overnight shift. Give yourself grace and patience as you implement these improvements to remain in control of your time and how you choose to optimize it towards your goals. Remember, it is not about how much time you have in a day but rather, how you choose to allocate that time most strategically.
You've got this!
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This week's mission is aimed at improving your time management. The below reflections are designed for you to become more protective of your time and move you towards targeted action so you get the most out of each and every day.
1/ Implement a priority matrix of your own:
- This week, create your own Eisenhower box and categorize your work tasks into 4 quadrants: important & urgent, important & not urgent, not important & urgent, and not important & not urgent.
- Focus on completing at least 2 tasks from the important & urgent quadrant by midweek.
- From here, create a Google sheet to track and review how your time was allocated throughout the week based on your priorities. Adjust where needed moving forward.
2/ Practice time blocking:
- Schedule time blocks for your most important tasks. Dedicate specific hours each day for deep, focused work without interruptions.
- Include at least 1 buffer block daily for unexpected tasks or overruns, ensuring your schedule remains flexible and adaptable.
3/ Delegate better:
- Identify 1 task that you can delegate to a team member. Choose a task that aligns with their skills and offers them a growth opportunity.
- Provide clear instructions and set expectations for the delegated task. Offer support, but allow autonomy for the individual to complete the task in their own way.
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