5 time management tips

Once my friend told me that if I want to be hyper-successful—I need to figure out the best time management tips. This advice was good, but… somehow I believed that time management skills are not necessary. Dash it all, how stupid I was! It took me a while to understand the wisdom behind Franklin Benjamin in his legendary phrase: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.”

How do you think Benjamin Franklin managed to accomplish so much meaningful work? Maybe because he was SUPERhuman? No, he was human like me and you, dear reader. There’s only one difference: Benjamin Franklin loved to plan. He was always on a schedule. As a result, he left behind a list of good works, as well as excellent examples of time management and productivity. Prepare yourself to take an example from him and other wise and successful people! Let me share their best secrets! To give you the best I have tried many different methods. Some tools were productive, some were not. So I will share only the best tips for time management! Oh yes, are you ready to delve into techniques, work methods, and task sorting styles?

1. Use a To-Do List

“What? Are you offering me such a super banal tip? I expected to receive the best advice for time management!” someone will say. Yes, this tip is simple. You and I have heard it many times. But I only started using it at the age of 26. Before that, my life was completely messy. 

In the past, I’ve spent a lot of my brain energy trying to remember all the work I had to do. As time passed, I realized how wonderful it was not to think about it. That’s why I started to write everything on the Trello program (this is not a promotion, because the program is 100% free). And you, do you write down your thoughts and tasks? Do you have a to-do list? If you don’t like Trello, use an Asana, or simple paper! 

Each morning when I come to the office, I not only write down the tasks I have to do, but also my personal life goals! As it’s crucial among the best time management tips in the workplace. I do this EVERY day, even on Sunday and Saturday!

The to-do list has many advantages! I will share a few!

Three reasons you should use a to-do list.

a. It helps to save time for rest.

The sooner you get the job done, the more time you will be able to spend with your children, on sports or recreation! Get me right, you need to save time not only to work more but also not to oversleep your whole life at your goddam desk! After all, it’s important, right? So work wisely and have more time for your personal life. Conversely, if you do your usual homework quickly, you’ll have more time for a hobby that will make your life more enjoyable!

b. A to-do list decreases stress.

I met a lot of guys who didn’t write down their plans for the workday. They were a mess. They felt a lot of tension because they were always trying to remember what they had forgotten. It’s not wise to keep all your plans in your head, my friend!

c. A to-do list motivates and gives more fulfillment!

I fucking love when I put checkmarks near my completed work. At the end of the day, you feel better if you mark your completed steps/works. Because if all the work is done, you will feel like real Rocky Balboa. It gives you pleasure, happiness and prepares you for the next day!  

So, now you understand why I suggest creating a to-do list each morning. Try it! Create a good time management plan, and write down every task, goal, or action! And remember, it’s wise to break your work down into clever little steps. I always write down enough work to be able to complete it in three hours. If, between today’s work you type, “I want to earn $ 100,000 for a car,” this plan may fail. Such a plan is like waiting for miracles. And I am a realist. That’s why I have lists of daily, monthly, annual, and five-year plans. Believe me, five years is a short time frame. I found out about it when my first daughter was born. It looks like it was yesterday, but she had her third birthday a few months ago!

2. Reduce Interruptions

One of the best pieces of advice I have heard regarding time management tips for work is: “Reduce the number of interruptions.”

I know it’s hard to do, as there are always various disturbances. Sometimes it seems like you are ready to conquer the world, and have a plan, but someone calls you by phone or runs through the door. What to do in such cases? In that case, my suggestion would be to act like my project manager.

He sends everyone to fuck of if they try to ruin his plans. He does not pick up his phone, does not answer emails until he has completed the scheduled work. And I love him for it. He’s the best project manager I’ve ever met. But it must be understood that he as a person is not cold. Because after finishing work, he willingly communicates with everyone. But he cares about productivity, so he works so sincerely for at least three hours a day that even the fu*king greatest villain (Darth Vader) couldn’t distract him. Because he cares. Because HE CARES! 

So, if you are doing something meaningful and someone comes through the doors you can say, “Sorry, let’s speak in 15 minutes when I finish my job, and then we’ll take care of it. And I will make you a coffee!”

However, guests and phone calls are not such a big problem; many other obstacles exist. For example, you may be disturbed by various thoughts, unfinished business, lousy internet, or notifications (be sure to turn them off). Therefore, you should prepare yourself to work; create an adequate workspace.

How to create the perfect workplace? Here are some time management tips for work. First, identify all possible distracting factors. You can do it today. Write down everything that is disrupting you. Do the same thing another day. Just watch yourself from the side. Put all your destruction in one place and show them your middle finger!

And, of course, you have to visit your email and Facebook less often. Richard Branson does it only in those hours when he has scheduled time for it! So don’t check your emails and messages every 10 minutes! Switch of all notification sounds. I did it. Believe me, it’s possible. I even switch off sound on my phone. 

Manage your time, and you will rule your life!

3. Eat Healthy, Exercise for Energy! When You Have a Lot of Energy, the Work Is Done Twice As Fast! 

I know you weren’t expecting to see this point in this article about tips on time management, but sports + health has a massive impact on results. Imagine how much you would do if you felt good instead of feeling tired.

I used to think that health was not related to productivity and time management, but at 29 I was struck by absolute fatigue. Fatigue began to destroy my productivity more and more. After examining myself from aside, I noticed the sources of fatigue; continuous computer sitting, fries, and McDonald’s burgers. So my stomach started to cry, “Alex, don’t be an asshole, save me from stupid junk food!”

I tried to solve it with healthy food. I tried to practise sports. It was all boring so I quit quickly. Time passed and I felt like a piece of shit. My life depended on bad habits that took root in my subconscious! I only moved from this dead-end in 2013, when I found myself in the deepest emotional bottom. I even had thoughts of death. I don’t know how it would have ended, but a mentor-teacher helped me! He helped me solve problems with old habits! It took a month and a half! First, I started walking more and changed my nutrition (I started with the keto diet (beef, etc.)). Then I started exercising; it worked because the teacher checked what I eat and motivated me. Of course, at first, I felt very tired for a few weeks, but then I became very energetic. It was wonderful. I felt a surge of energy as Jason Statham from the movie “Crank.”

Indeed, I almost forgot the vitamins. Do you know the ones that fizz when thrown into the water? I used to drink beer and now I drink vitamins! I drank B and others every day. One of my friends offered me CBD. CBD oil doesn’t make you dizzy—it helps you sleep well, so I felt fresher in the morning. I don’t know if that would help you, but you can try. For example, in the United States, you can find CBD oil in many online stores. Here is my first pick: the Herbs Depot, or the Natural Releaf—find a shop yourself! You can also view a vast list of other online CBD oil stores. CBD oil is not legal in every corner of the world, so I may be contacted by law enforcement but I am telling you what I experienced. It’s honest, it’s true.

Take care of your health with natural supplements and you will do TWICE as much as you used to in one day! Staying healthy is one of the best time management tips because when you’re feeling well, your head works wiser! And when your head works better, you can come up with smarter solutions, ideas. When you’re tired, you don’t even want to fill out your to-do list for the day, damn it!!!

4. Use the Grenade Method!

The Grenade method is a unique time management tool. I created it because all techniques I checked per my long life were too weak for me. I wanted to get more results! The main idea was to develop a tool that committed me to work faster. There was one more problem. You see, I had a huge problem with perfectionism.

Perfectionism was a big barrier for me. I always tried to be perfect, so sometimes I was working on one article for more than a month. It was crazy. So I experimented a lot and found a solution. Using my solution, I was able to finish the article in a few hours, even if it was very long—longer than the giraffes. Did you see an animal that has the longest tail(2.4 meters) in the world? Oh yes, even this character from “The Flash” series would be jealous of my speed because he couldn’t write such an honest article faster than me! So I called my method the Grenade method.

To understand how the Grenade method work, I will give you an example. Imagine you need to write an article. You only have an hour. As if you know what to write, but some questions remain. You don’t know where to start. You don’t know what you want to highlight in the article. So you write a sentence or two, but start wanting coffee or tea. You make it… Suddenly your phone rings… Messenger squawk “raaaaa”—someone shared some impressive travel photos! 10 minutes pass and a piece of paper is empty as the sky. All of this is because of distractions and other shitty staff. Now imagine something like this—suddenly the door opens! Cameramen run into the area you are currently in. He reports, “In 5 minutes you will have to present the idea of an article to the world. It will happen in 5 minutes, so have your article title ready and say the main idea. Think about the beginning of the article (let’s say today is such and such a date), then present the main idea. That’s it! You only have 5 minutes. Time is ticking!”

They put a large clock in front of you. You only see 4:55 seconds in it.

What do you think, could you present the work in 5 minutes? I think you could. Because everyone is on time, even those who work on TV. They know an ether will start soon, so they focus ONLY on the ESSENCE! In other words, my method may be called the live broadcast method, but I called it the Grenade method! Why did I call it the Grenade method?

1. Grenades used by soldiers will explode after 5 seconds as soon as you take the ring off.

And the grenade I made explodes in 5 minutes. On the other hand, when you pursue your goals and something bothers you, it becomes a kind of war. So in the office, you are a soldier fighting laziness, perfectionism, thoughts that come to your mind. That’s why you also need a grenade to blow up all the distractions. ATTENTION: I’M TALKING ABOUT INTELLIGENT GRENADE! I don’t encourage people to use real grenades, dear readers!!!

2. The word “Grenade” is a great time management tool that I created because it can smash the problems of perfectionism.

I will share with you the best time management tips at my workplace. First, my articles were taking up too much of my time. I was too demanding, for example, I tried to write right away without grammatical errors even though the article was not finished yet! And after correcting my mistakes, each time I realized that everything had to be rewritten—how unfortunate! And the idea of a grenade helped me focus only on the essence—to give up everything that is not needed, besides, the work has to be done in 5 minutes, right? After all, when you know you will need to present your project to yourself or your team members in 5 minutes, you can get more work done! Oh yeah, you can’t even imagine how cool it was to work in teams and present your projects to each other in the morning! Thanks to this, my company has completed many projects!

So give this time management tip a try! It’s easy to use; try it! Let the grenade be ticking! It helps create the best and most creative solution for your article, project, presentation, or any other creative work you need to accomplish TODAY. Oh yes, I dare to call this text (which you are reading right now) the best time management tips for professionals in the world, so if you’re serious, be sure to try this technique!

Set the timer on your phone for 5 minutes and then get prepared to present your idea to someone online, mom, brother or business partner, or Alex Monaco.

So what are you gonna do? Are you going to use this unique tip for time management?

The Grenade method is one of the best organization and time management tips.

5. Constantly Try Different Time Management Methods—Combine Them!

There exists a wide variety of time management tools. I have written about them frequently. For example, you can use the Pomodoro technique, Pareto analysis, Get Things Done (GTD), or other techniques I mentioned in an article I wrote for “Life purpose.” Read it here: “This is How to Manage Your Time And Get More Things Done.”

So spend more time finding new time management ideas. In the online space, you can choose from plenty of free time management tips. Experiment—try them! Since one tool fits one, the other fits another. For example, I used to use Pomodoro, but now I’m using the Grenade method. Because tools depend on needs and values. Don’t forget that productivity isn’t just about work. I’m talking about your home, your free time. Imagine how much you could do if you knew the best tips on time management skills that would help you find more time for yourself?

FAQ

I love productivity and often talk about it, so sometimes I receive questions. Today I will share my answers. I hope it will help you, dear friend!