Five Unusual Time-Management Techniques – Could One of These Be Right for You? - DailyBlogTips |
| Five Unusual Time-Management Techniques – Could One of These Be Right for You? Posted: 24 Mar 2014 07:00 AM PDT Do you have all the time you want to blog? And are you using your time well? If you can answer "yes" to both – congratulations! You're in a great position to succeed. For the vast majority of bloggers, though, time is in short supply … and when we do have time, it can be all too easy to spend it hanging out on Twitter or Facebook. In fact, these techniques aren't just about managing your time – they're about managing your attention, and staying focused. Could one of them be just the trick you need to be hugely more productive? Method #1: Work on Tasks in RotationI came across this method in Mark Forster's book Get Everything Done (And Still Have Time to Play). To start with, make a list of tasks, like this:
Then work on each one for 5 minutes in rotation – so spend five minutes clearing emails, five minutes writing your blog post, and five minutes creating tweets. Start from the top again, but this time work on each task for ten minutes. If you finish something, cross it off. This way, you can get a lot done in a short space of time. To begin with, it's easy to work for 5 minutes on something (even if it feels like a really big daunting task) – and gradually, you work in longer and longer bursts, allowing you to achieve greater focus. Method #2: Productive ProcrastinationProcrastination – putting off the things you know you should be doing – is the opposite of good time management, right? Well, not necessarily. You can actually get a lot done while you're procrastinating. For instance, if you're reluctant to write that blog post you really should be working on, you might find that you're able to get through a lot of emails or research while putting it off. (Alternatively, you might find you're inspired to get to work! If I'm reluctant to write, I tell myself it's either writing or housework. The writing invariably wins…) Method #3: Getting Things Done (GTD)If you're spent much time in productivity-geek circles, you'll have heard of Getting Things Done, David Allen's time-management system (popularised by the book of the same name). I'm classing it as "unusual" though, because I don't think it's so widely known generally! GTD is overkill for some, but as Allen points out in the book, if you just get a few good tricks from it, it's well worth your time. There's a great article on getting started with it here (by Merlin Mann, on 43 Folders). I've considered a GTD approach before and have found it overkill … but now I have so many projects on the go, I'm planning to switch over to using it as a methodology. I'll keep you posted on how it goes! If you're already using GTD or plan to, let me know in the comments: I love to hear your tips. Method #4: Take More BreaksThis might seem counter-intuitive … but it actually works. One time-management problem that bloggers often face is that it's really tough to focus on tasks like writing and research for long stretches of time. If you find that your attention often wanders, and you open up Facebook or your email without even consciously thinking about it, you might be trying to work for too long without a break. Next time you sit down to blog, try working in focused bursts, followed by a short break – e.g. 25 minutes then a 5 minute break (a pomodoro), or 45 minutes then a 15 minute break. Method #5: Keep a Time Log for a WeekA time log is simply a list of everything you do during the course of a day. You might use this for your work day (if you're a full time blogger) or your blogging time, or you might literally record everything. This is a really powerful way to find out exactly what you're spending your time on. You could keep a time log in a spreadsheet or even on paper, but if you do want to make the process a little smoother, RescueTime is great and has both free and premium options. Which of these techniques will you try out this week? Drop a comment below and tell us what you'll be doing.
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