THIS Unique Time Management Tool I Designed Is A Game-Changer!

 

What To Expect In This Post

  • Intro
  • What is Time Management?
  • Celebrities Known For Their Time Management Skills
  • 11 Benefits of Time Management
  • My Unique Time Management Tool For You
  • How Did I Develop The Hourly Journal
  • Time Management Statistics 2024
  • Final Word

Did you know 82% of us DO NOT use any time management system? In other words, only 18% are optimizing their life with an efficient time management system. If you are interested in statistics, you will find more information at the end of this post. 

Finding yourself in the 88% pool does not feel good. It's time you made an important change - Deploying a time management system according to our lifestyle and more importantly, works! 


There are PLENTY of time management tools (or, systems) available. For example, Timeboxing, the Eisenhower Matrix, the POMODORO method, the Pareto technique (or, 80/20 rule), Mark Twain's Eat The Frog FirstBatch Processing, etc.

Adding to that, here is ONE time management tool I recommend to my clients if their goal involves getting more productive at work and/or in their personal lives. This tool I created in 2023 (last year) and used it myself. It worked! How did I create it? The story will follow later.

First things first. Let's understand what is Time Management, why we need to be skilled at it, and the unique tool that I am so gushing about. 

WHAT IS TIME MANAGEMENT

According to Wikipediatime management is the process of planning and exercising conscious control of time spent on specific activities - especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity.

In simple terms, time management is an acquired skill that helps us do more in less time!

And who doesn't want to unlock more goals in less time? 

CELEBRITIES KNOWN FOR THEIR TIME MANAGEMENT SKILLS

  • Priyanka Chopra is an actor, producer, singer, businesswoman, and much more... Easily, she is one of the busiest of the busiest people around the globe. The Global Indian has a formidable work schedule so she doesn't waste a second of it. She prioritizes her tasks, shows up for work, stays completely focused, and multitasks when it's required.
  • Jack Dorsey is the current CEO of Block and the ex-CEO and co-founder of X (formerly known as Twitter and now owned by Elon Musk). In an interview, Dorsey endorsed his favorite time management system which is Day-Theming. Every day has a theme. You can read the interview here.
  • Elon Musk manages his time effectively with Time Blocking. He divides his day into 5 blocks. The Tesla founder avoids multitasking and believes in focusing on one task at a time.
  • Steve Jobs - The Apple founder believed that innovation is the result of denying a thousand things
  • Lady Gaga uses the classic tactic to manage time and stress - saying No to whatever doesn't serve her. She is focused on her time and how can she be more productive. She chooses which event to attend and what causes to stand for. 

11 BENEFITS OF TIME MANAGEMENT SKILL

  1. Quality work 
  2. Efficient and powerful use of time
  3. More time for more projects/reports
  4. Lesser chances of procrastination
  5. Boost in self-esteem and confidence
  6. Enhanced deadline management
  7. Skilled in prioritizing tasks
  8. Effective workload management 
  9. More free time to focus on the self
  10. More breaks during work
  11. Get more done in less time

My Unique Time Management Tool For You

Now that we have discussed what is time management, its importance, and how it contributes in busy peoples' lives to bring more success, it's time I reveal my favorite time management tool: The Hourly Journal

The Hourly Journal is a logbook/record that divides your precious 24 hours into 24 single hours. This journal keeps a record of the first thing you do in the morning to the last thing you do before falling asleep at night. 

And the BEST part? Anyone can use it to manage their time effectively! 

Let me show an example. 
 
Here is what Radha's (a corporate employee) hourly journal on a working day normally looks like:

7 AM - Woke up
7 - 8 AM - Freshened up + Coffee
8 - 9:30 AM - Had breakfast, got ready, and left for the office
10:30 - 11:30 - Reached office. Had a cup of tea with colleagues
11:30 to 1:30 - Attended the weekly meeting. Responded to emails. Signed up for a new project. 
1:30 - 2:15 - Lunch break. Went out to buy a birthday gift for my nephew.
2:15 - 4:30 - Work
4:30 - 5 - Tea break 
5 - 6 - Meeting with the manager
6 - 7 - Left for home. Picked up groceries. Reached home.
7 - 9 - TV. Talked with parents. Went out for a walk.
9 - 10 - Worked on the new project
10 - 11 - Read and slept 

Radha can clearly see how she is spending her day. Based on the week-long observation, she can effectively decide on where she can work to become a better employee as well as design some time for herself.

The Hourly Journal can be divided into different time slots such as one hour, two hours, or more, depending on the type of work. Radha has all three slots. She also has 30 minutes and 45 minutes slots. Using this hourly journal, she can clearly see where her time is flowing as well as what's blocking it. 

You can create this journal on your laptop or on paper. 

The benefits of the Hourly Journal are many. For example,
  • A clear idea of the day
  • Easy to adjust time as needed
  • Keeps you accountable 
  • Better stress management
  • Helps in meeting deadlines 
  • Shows where and whether you can take up more work
  • Free time for yourself
  • Easy to follow and track time
  • Boosts productivity 
  • Better work-life balance
  • Discipline in personal and professional spaces

How Did I Develop The Hourly Journal

You come up with a solution only because you are facing a problem. That's what happened to me one day last year, in 2023.

Without going into too many details, let's say I was growing into an unproductive person. I was not able to see where my time was flying off to! Because I lacked proper time management, I struggled every single day to manage my time and cross tasks off my to-do lists. 

That's when the idea of an Hourly Journal flickered. I wanted to see in what nooks and crannies my time was hiding so I began recording each hour for the next few days. Within a week it was evident where I was lacking and where I could do better.

Today, I recommend the Hourly Journal to my clients who have time management as the goal or one of the goals. Using the Hourly Journal, tracking your time during the day becomes so easy! It's a visual representation of how your day was spent and what changes you can bring in to maximize the benefits of the 'limited edition 24 hours' per day. 

Time Management Statistics 2024

  1. According to Zapier, 35% of employees admitted time management is the biggest challenge to their productivity
  2. According to WorkFront, 58% of American employees are so busy that they can only manage their to-do list of the day
  3. According to Voucher Cloud, an employee can only be productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes every day
  4. According to Hive, women are reported to be more effective at managing work. They receive 54.9% of the work at their workplace, but end up being 10% more productive than men.
  5. According to PR Newswire, Gen Z generation is more effective at time management
  6. 50% of employees report chatty coworkers as top distraction 
  7. 81% of employees check their work emails outside work hours
  8. Investing 12 minutes to plan your day removes 2 hours of wasted time. it results in 25% boost in productivity.
  9. Work-from-home employees count 1.5 weeks (62 hours) worth of work per year because of fewer distractions 
  10. 64% of people complain about not having enough time and energy to finish their tasks

Final Word

It's apt to say that time is money. The more time you waste, the more you fall behind. In other words, you need an effective time management system in place to squeeze maximum benefits from each day. 

If you need clarification about your time and how well (or, poorly) you manage it, the Hourly Journal can be your savior! Using this journal daily can benefit you greatly. From seeing the hour-flow throughout the day to finding loopholes in between, the Hourly Journal covers it all.

Give it a try. Let me know what you think of the light bulb moment of my life. See you in the next post!

                                                            ----------------------------------------

Hi, 

I'm Priyanka Baranwal. I'm the Founder and CEO of my coaching company Daring'N Driven. 

I'm a Certified Motivation Coach and Personal Performance Coach for Businesswomen and Single Mothers. I help you raise your MRP with my proven TRPS - Tested, Relevant, Polished, and Systematic - approach! 


Thank you. I hope to get an opportunity to work with you on the journey of your dream life.

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