23 Time Management Techniques
of Insanely Busy People

#1 Organize Work Around
Energy Levels
Plan your work around your energy levels,
scheduling critical work for peak productivity
times.

#2 Plan Your Day the
Night Before
Spend a few minutes each evening before going to
bed to write down everything you need to get
done tomorrow.

#3 Start the Day with
Critical Work
Each day, identify the most crucial tasks to
complete and tackle it first. Once you’re done, the
day has already been a success!

#4 Prioritize Tasks
Prioritize “true tasks”: urgent and important to-dos
that have a direct impact on your goals.

#5 Delegate or Outsource Tasks
Delegate or outsource urgent but not important
tasks to multiply yourself and keep you focused on
the most important work.

#6 Automate Repetitive Tasks
Use technology to automate daily repetitive tasks
and use the newfound time to perform Deep Work
or rest.

#7 Set Time Constraints
Set deadlines even when you don’t need to.
Scheduling less time to complete tasks and force
your brain to focus.

#8 Eliminate Distractions
Half an hour completely focused on a task is more
productive than 2 hours switching between tasks.
Eliminate distractions from your work to avoid task
switching costs.

#9 Make Quick Decisions on Things
That Don’t Matter
Invest your focus on big decisions and make quick
calls on medium and small decisions.

#10 Track Your Time
Track your time to have real data on your work and
uncover insights on how you can improve your
productivity.

#11 Beat Procrastination with the
2-Minute Rule
Use the 2-Minute rule to beat procrastination: if a
task can be done in two minutes, just do it; if it
takes more than two minutes, start it.

#12 Say No More Often Than Yes
Say “no” by default to anything that doesn’t
contribute to your top 5 career goals.

#13 Take Advantage of Gap Time
Use “gap time” effectively to develop new skills,
strategic planning, and personal growth.

#14 80/20 Your Time
Use the 80/20 rule in your life and work to
prioritize the input that brings the
majority of the output.

#15 Automate Decisions
To avoid mental exhaustion, automate decisions to
free yourself from cognitive burden and not rely
solely on your self-discipline. Let decisions happen
automatically and smart decisions will
happen by themselves.

#16 Single Task
Force your brain to single task in order to do Deep
Work and avoid task switching costs.

#17 Break Down Big Tasks
Break down big tasks into smaller ones to avoid
procrastinating and help you stay on track to
achieve your final goal.

#18 Work From the Calendar
Plan and schedule your calendar ahead of time to
avoid distractions and be in charge of your time.

#19 Take Fewer (But Better) Meetings
Only take meetings that have a clear agenda and a
decision needs to be made. To run better meetings,
have an end time and keep the number
of participants small.

#20 Let Go Off Perfectionism
Aiming for perfection is a surefire way to delay or
never complete a project. Choose to chase “good
enough” instead.

#21 Have a To-Don’t List
Create a To-Don’t list with all the habits you want to
remove from your life. Use it as a guideline of what
you don't allow in your life.

#22 Batch Similar Tasks
Batch similar tasks and complete them at one time.
Batching reduces the start-up and slow-down time,
daily clutter, and improves focus.

#23 Take Time Off to Recharge
Schedule breaks throughout your day to help you
recharge and take regular vacations throughout
the year. Rest is the best medicine for
sustainable long-term productivity.

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