Time Management
Top Tips:
1. 8 hrs of sleep at the same time every night starting between 10 PM & 11 PM & use a sleep app to track yourself (I use "Sleep Cycle").
2. Rely heavily on a working digital calendar available across platforms like your phone & computer, including planning ahead, goal setting for tasks, a regular schedule of recurring tasks (daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.), tracking of what time you spend where, & adjusting the calendar when needed.
3. Use alarms & timers, both digitally (i.e. an app on your phone) & physically; for your primary place of work & home, I particularly recommend using visual analog timers like this one. For digital timers I like "Visual Timer" on Android.
4. Use digital means of tracking your time & prohibiting certain things digitally on your laptop/desktop computer.
I use the Google Chrome (browser) extension "Stay Focused" to prohibit me from going on certain websites (i.e. Facebook & Youtube) for too long or during certain times. If I really need to go on them for work or something truly urgent, I can use a different browser that purposefully doesn't have the extension installed.
I use the Google Chrome (browser) extension WebTime Tracker to track how long I'm spending on websites, providing me the total time each day I've spent on them as the day progresses.
5. Use digital means of tracking your time & prohibiting certain things digitally on your phone/tablet.
I use "Stay Free" which tracks the time I've spent on certain apps and prohibits my use of certain apps at certain times or for limited amounts of time in a day (i.e. Facebook & Youtube). App Usage is another good app for tracking where you are spending your time.
6. Read or listen to the following books:
Celebration of Discipline: By Richard J. Foster
Boundaries: Henry Cloud
The Purpose Driven Life: Rick Warren
7. In managing your time, focus on goals like the following:
A. Physical Health (i.e. diet, exercise, sleep, etc.) For instance, I spend time daily doing stretching & exercises for my bad back. I also spend time doing other exercises as well via a fast-paced powerwalk (a jogging/running pace, but with intentionally lower impact), a pull-up bar, pushups, & lifting hand weights.
B. Mental Health (physical health directly impacts it; educational health also is important & directly impacts other areas like spiritual health & financial health)
C. Spiritual Health (impacts all areas of life) For instance, I spend time in prayer, worship, reading, watching (Matthew -Acts are all on film), or listening to (i.e. the Bible app with 1-2 year plans) the Bible, in a Bible study group, watching Bible-related film like The Chosen, & in additional biblical studies (i.e. Old Testament & New Testament).
D. Relational Health (i.e. time with my wife, family, & friends planned out is very important)
E. Financial Health (i.e. time for generating income, generating income growth, expense tracking, credit building, credit usage, & taxes are all important)
F. Emotional Health
8. Get organized digitally & physically so that your time is more effective & you spend less time searching for things
9. Develop a system of accountability for how you spend your time and your goals.
If you don't have an individual that you can keep accountable with on a daily basis, Habitica, available on computer & phone, which gamifies good and bad habits and daily goals, is an option.
10. Acquire other tools/gadgets etc. that can help you be efficient & healthy.
For instance, I've invested in Herman Miller chairs for my home office & Newport News office desks so that I spend less time out of commission from a bad back. I also have acquired an excellent laptop (Lenovo P17) with excellent speed and a triple screen setup at my home office, at my Newport News office, and in remote locations to maximize efficiency. I also have various options for BlueTooth that are best for different situations, like earbuds, a headset on one ear, and noise-canceling large headphones. At my home office & Newport News office, I use vertical mice & ergonomic keyboards to reduce the impact of carpal tunnel.
I also invested in a vehicle that includes excellent built-in blue tooth and Android Auto so that I can maximize efficiency when I'm going from place to place. When driving alone, I often spend the time getting educated via audio or engaging in spiritual disciplines.
11. Consider a "life coach", business coach, or therapist.
If you have a mental disorder impacting time management, like Attention Deficit Disorder, look into how insurance can help fund weekly coaching of your time management.