The emphasis in today’s workplace has always been on productivity and the same is usually true in the personal sphere of most people. We want to boost our productivity in virtually everything we do. A key to achieving this is being able to master time management. That is why we’re here with the 5 top online tools for effective time management to help you avoid burnout and improve satisfaction levels at work and in life.
What is Time Management?
Time management is a practice that involves planning, organising, and executing your daily tasks in an effective and efficient manner. We may have so many things to do, but the reality is that we have so little time to complete all of them. It is, therefore, more productive to plan and properly utilise the limited time in tasks that yield the best results.
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5 Top Online Tools for Effective Time Management
If you’re looking for great online tools to help improve time management, you can consider the following:
1. Todoist
Todoist is more than just a time management app; it is also a great task management app. With it, you can conveniently manage tasks, projects, and to-do lists. For instance, you can set up tasks and assign due dates to them, sort tasks into individual projects, set up reminders, assign responsibilities, and collaborate with your teammates.
Moreover, you can access the app across your devices, and it can display workflows in a Kanban board for better task visualisation. These features make the app appropriate for individuals and teams.
In terms of pricing, you can make do with the basic features in the free Beginner plan. Otherwise, you can opt for the Pro plan or the Business plan depending on your needs.
2. RescueTime
If you need an app that tracks the time you spend on your digital devices and provides you with detailed insights, then you can go for RescueTime. You can even receive alerts when your screen time is becoming excessive. It can also highlight potential distractions, and you can take steps such as blocking distracting websites. The app can go further and suggest aspects of activities that can be improved.
RescueTime provides Cross-device compatibility, so you can be able to use it on your desktop and mobile devices.
The pricing structure of RescueTime includes a free Lite plan with basic time-tracking features and a Premium plan. The Premium plan features more insights and tools for improved productivity.
3. Time Doctor
Remote workers will tend to appreciate the features of Time Doctor. The app can track time and monitor the productivity of remote teams. Businesses can also use Time Doctor to improve employee productivity as it can record the time spent on tasks and projects in real-time. It can monitor websites and apps, capture screenshots, and integrate payrolls.
Examples of productivity reports that Time Doctor can generate include the web and app usage report, timeline report, hours tracked report, and projects & tasks report. These features make Time Doctor a great tool for increased productivity and accountability.
You can start with a free 14-day trial before you commit to a subscription plan.
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4. Trello
Trello is a well-known task and project management software that visually tracks the progress of tasks using a Kanban board technique. It is therefore an excellent option for project managers and team members. You can easily collaborate on it, and it has third-party integrations that make agile project management easy. Moreover, you can easily automate tasks and workflows and set up advanced checklists.
Trello has a free limited plan and optional paid upgrades for more advanced capabilities.
5. Evernote
Talking about time wasted because you have so many things to do, and you forgot some of them. Evernote can help you sort your ideas, set up lists, and organize your tasks and projects. This digital note-taking app can store things such as articles, receipts, documents, and daily tasks for later reference both on your mobile or laptop. Thus, you can save some time since you can easily switch between devices. The platform can even nudge you with a reminder to complete tasks.
Evernote offers a free basic plan plus premium options for expanded features.
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Top 5 Time Management Strategies
It is possible to get more done if you combine the use of the above time management tools with relevant time management strategies. Here are 5 effective time management strategies:
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Time Blocking
In the time-blocking technique, you map out the hours of your day and assign definite blocks of time for your tasks. Remember, you are not ‘boxing’ time by limiting the amount of time spent on each activity. Rather, you give room for reserve time for each task.
- First, map out the hours of your day as blocks of time (30-minute or 1-hour segments).
- Then, enter the name of each task in their blocks that represent their estimated completion times.
- Remember to include buffer times between certain time blocks that will account for emergencies and emergency delays.
Assigning important tasks to your most productive or energetic times of day is useful.
Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
You can use the Rapid Planning Method to start with the big picture and narrow your focus to specific tasks.
- Write Down Tasks: Begin by writing down tasks that need completing.
- Group Tasks: Your next step is to group the tasks according to shared characteristics such as career or business.
- Chunk Tasks: Then “chunk” and group your tasks together based on commonalities- for example, group items that are personal, group career-related tasks, etc.
- Brainstorm: You can then take further steps such as brainstorming and listing out measures to accomplish each group of tasks.
- Execute Tasks: Finally, you can begin executing the tasks.
Pomodoro Technique
Francesco Cirillo created the Pomodoro time management technique and it involves dividing tasks into 25-minute intervals (Pomodoro). This technique can motivate you to set goals for your tasks and complete them more quickly.
- Choose Tasks: Your first step should be to decide on what task you wish to perform.
- Start Timer and Begin: Set your timer for 25 minutes and then start doing one task for the duration.
- Enjoy a Short Break: Take a short break after the timer rings. You may go for a relaxing 5-minute walk.
- Repeat The Process: You can then set the timer for another 25 minutes and start working on another task if you’re done with the first.
- Take Longer Breaks After the Fifth Cycle: You can extend the breaks to between 20 to 30 minutes after 4 repeats.
Eisenhower Matrix
Time management can hardly be effective if you do not properly prioritise your tasks. The Eisenhower Matrix is one strategy that can help you clarify your priorities. The Matrix was created by Dwight Eisenhower (U. S. former president) and ranks tasks according to importance and urgency.
- Create Four Quadrants: Urgent and Important, Not Urgent and Important, Urgent and Unimportant and Not Urgent and Unimportant.
- Do: Complete the urgent and important tasks first.
- Schedule: Schedule not urgent and important tasks for later.
- Delegate: Delegate and leave the urgent and unimportant tasks for someone else to do.
- Delete: You may delete the non-urgent and unimportant tasks.
Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)
Here, you can prioritize your tasks based on the expected impact or results. The underlying philosophy of this time management technique as created by Vilfredo Pareto is based on the proposition that only 20% of actions yield up to 80% of outcomes.
- List Tasks: First, itemise the tasks you need to perform.
- Rank Tasks and Assign Scores: Consider the importance of the tasks, assign scores and rank them by order of importance.
- Group By Root Causes: Identify the root causes of each task or issue and group tasks with identical or similar root causes together.
- Add Up Scores: Total the scores for each group of tasks.
- Tackle The First: Start with the group of tasks with the highest score.
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Leverage Online Tools for Effective Time Management
Adopting time management strategies like time blocking, RPM, or the Pomodoro technique is easier when you use specialized online tools that track progress, remind you of deadlines, and keep all your tasks organized in one place. By pairing the right techniques with the right tools, you set yourself up for enhanced productivity, reduced stress, and a better work-life balance.
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