Crazy simple time management hacks that will save your day

Updated on 23/02/2021.

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Good morning, lovely dreamers, and welcome to another life hacks blog post! We kick off this article with a much-needed boost on time management. 

Today's list is inspired by our very own need to solve as many tasks as we can in one day, and optimize our time, so that we can be as efficient as possible.

You know how it is.

Juggling a job, a life partner, keeping the house clean, studying... it can be a lot. And if you're locked inside because of Covid-19 or any other reason, it can get even harder because of distractions like pets, and life partners, and Netflix.

To make sure you're efficient and can handle your daily tasks without wanting to burn Mondays (and any other days) off the calendar, you need a good system in place.

Related:

25 important life skills you need to learn by your 25th birthday

Yes, it's going to be hard at first.

And yes, it will take some "exercising" and patience until you have it all set. Just make sure to be patient with yourself, breathe.

But enough with the chit-chatting! Let's get to it!

The time management system that will change your day

To make it easier to understand, and to put it in practice, I've divided our system into 3 big sections: morning, day and evenings.

1. Mornings:

What habits do all those successful people have in common that make them so good at what they do?

Well, for starters, they all start early in the morning. That is why this is the first thing that you have to learn how to change, while you are in your 20's.

Now is the perfect time to do that. You're learning how to be an independent adult, to be responsible for yourself and others. Creating good habits should start early.

How you can do it:

Wake up earlier on workdays. I know this might sound crazy but bear with me on this one.

Set up your alarm 5 minutes earlier than you normally do, and don't snooze it. Use those 5 minutes to get yourself out of the bed, make the bed and start stretching.

This way you wake up your body and your mind.

I wouldn't recommend you using a very loud alarm, which can cause more damage than good. If it's too soft, again, you might not even hear it. Find that one thing you like to hear that energizes you.

Everyone has a song for that.

Mine, for instance, is Queen's one and only "Bohemian Rhapsody". When I hear Freddy say: "Is this the real-life... is this just fantasy?" I immediately start singing.

Find that tune that gets you going, set it as your alarm and use it to wake and energize you for the morning.

Try to stretch your way out of bed, and start moving your bones and muscles slowly.

Then, it's time for breakfast. Unless you are skipping it.

If you want to be a smart time-saver, prepare your breakfast the night before, or at least 90% of it.

For example, if you want scrambled eggs, prepare your ingredients and scramble the eggs and leave them in the fridge all prepped for the morning. Saves you time, and you avoid skipping the most important meal of the day.

2. Throughout the day:

Daily plan (Take notes - make lists)

Even if now I'm more focused on weekly "projects" and I plan them in advance, I still have to break them into smaller daily tasks, to be able to stay on top of the situation.

While eating breakfast I often like to take out my notepad and make lists of what I have to do during the day. I write down the most important problems that need to be solved and then I take care of the rest.

Try to plan your day by prioritizing your tasks.

If you're working from home, like me, then you might be able to also fit in some chores while you work, like laundry, cleaning the dust, doing the dishes.

Time tracking

Know your time. Set up Google Tasks, and create a schedule on Google Calendar.

To help you keep track of your time throughout the day, always have a clock somewhere in your eyesight. It's important to know how much time you spend on one task and to find out how you can improve it if needed.

I personally take one day every couple of weeks to set up my alarms, because I have so much to do, and the distractions are many, especially when working from home.

This brings me to my next important point...

Breaks and Distractions

It's ok to take a break once in a while. Especially when you sit a lot, you need to keep your body moving. But make sure you don't get distracted by the "freedom" for too long.

Do you know how in school we always had 10-minute breaks after each class? Well, scheduling your tasks is one thing, but do the same with your breaks as well.

Learn how to say "No"

Sometimes, you have to say "No". When you make your daily plan be objective, and focus on the important tasks that must be fulfilled. Saying "No" to binge-watching your favourite show when you should be studying or working, to your friend that always wants to hang out and chat about boys and other meaningless things, and so on.

You need to keep in mind that you need to stay on track. If you don't solve one problem now, it can become bigger if you postpone it.

3. In the evening:

Now that your long day is almost over, think a little about how much you accomplished.

If there are some problems that need your immediate attention and couldn't fix for some reason, list them as your no. 1 priority for the next day.

Prep yourself for the next day

One last thing of major importance. Preparing yourself for the next day. Your clothing, your tools of the trade, your schedule for the next day, and if you want, your breakfast.

This is one of the biggest time savers in every busy adult's life. Prepping.

Aaaaand that's all for today, lovely dreamers! If you liked our time management tips, please make sure to share it, pin it, tweet it!

My question for you is: What other daily habits do you have to manage your time?