Flexible time management

How to plan time if standard time management methods are not suitable? Who are irrational people, and what methods are suitable for spontaneous people? Answers in this article. But first, subscribe to our Telegram channel. We often publish such valuable articles!

This article lists recommendations for organizing flexible time management.

Learn your natural rhythms

Not everyone can work effectively for eight hours in a row. There are always peaks and dips throughout the day.

Observe yourself for a week and determine at what time of the day you have an increase in energy, which tasks cause a surge of energy, and which ones cause a decline. Organize your life in such a way as to consider natural rhythms. During productive periods, solve complex and vital tasks that move you forward, and during periods of recession, switch, relax and gain strength for a new round or take care of your routine.

Scan the situation and the opportunities hidden in it

There are times when everything is difficult. And there are good moments when the result is excellent. Use the current situation, not a rigid plan.

Trust yourself: act if you feel that right now is the time for a business, a call, a meeting, or an acquaintance — follow the impulse, and do not wait for the scheduled hour.

Highlight the three most important things for the day

It will help to be effective and move towards the goal. In the morning, write down on a piece of paper and put in front of you the main things for the day. Complete them in any order, but by the end of the day, check yourself: you must complete all three tasks. This way, you don't lose focus, and at the end of the month, check how far you've come.

Synchronize the programs you want on your phone and computer

We wrote down the case in the diary, but it is not at hand, and you cannot say if you are free to meet.

Use technology for good: record any meetings or time-bound events in the calendar and not in notes or reminders. You immediately see your plan for the week, month, and year, and it is easier for you to plan and negotiate with others.

Access your calendar on your computer and phone. The schedule will be at your fingertips, and automatic notifications will allow you to prepare for everything in advance and not be late.

Remember: you are not planning for someone else but yourself

To-do lists can be kept on the phone, in a diary, computer, or even in your head. It all depends on your field of work.

Love to write in a notebook — buy a small notebook and carry it with you.

Define a set of convenient tools for your needs, and don't bother with uncomfortable ones. There are no standards in planning. Your task organization system should be convenient for you.

Visualize

A pleasant creative method makes it possible to see the whole project picture and structure your thoughts, highlighting the main and important.

Draw a mind map.

Write “I” in the center of a piece of paper and circle it. Now write and circle all areas of life and interests that are important to you, for example, work, health, family, sports, finances, personal affairs, and education. Write down 2-3 intentions in each of the paragraphs.

Establish relationships. Sports are related to health, and finances are related to work and education (read How to choose a workout for your personality type).

In 5-10 minutes, you will have a visual map of your interests and direction of movement. Use the mind map technique to structure processes and tasks. Draw freehand or create maps with apps like Google, Xmind, or MindMeister.

Do a lot of things

Do you have many interests but do not have time to do them all? Try Max Foster's Autofocus System. It is suitable for spontaneous people because it considers personal characteristics: dislike for rigid plans, the ability to work effectively when you like it, the presence of many interests, and various tasks.

Take a notebook or notebook with a ruler. Pages with 25-30 lines are more convenient.

Write all the things you want to do: in one line. It would be best if you wrote down everything on your mind. Write them down on the last line when new ideas and tasks arise.

Now that all the cases are in one notebook, start working on the tasks. Scan your to-do list line by line. When you feel interested, you want to complete the task. It is called “Autofocus” — focusing the mind on what matters at the moment.

If you started and completed a task, cross it off the list. If you started, but did not finish, cross out in the same place and write it in the last empty line.

If you refuse to do something, highlight it with a marker.

When all the tasks on the page are completed, put a cross on top. Try it. It's a fantastic method!

Move towards big goals step by step

To achieve large and distant goals or work on complex projects, imagine what, when and how much you have to do in advance. Without preparation, achieving something meaningful, such as buying an apartment, changing professions, organizing a conference, or writing a book, is difficult. But it’s worth breaking down a big goal into tasks and subtasks, and the goal seems doable.

Visualizing the target as a timeline works well for those who like to draw. You put point A (this is your current position) and point B with a goal and a deadline. On the line, you mark the main stages of the project and dates. It motivates me to meet the deadline. Things will go according to plan.

Go in for sports

Efficiency gurus say that sports allow them to stay in shape and vitality to achieve goals.

Sport teaches us to overcome obstacles and grow above ourselves, physical activity increases endurance, and willpower develops through regular exercise. Sporting successes give us strength and cheerfulness.

Enjoy!

It is most important. It works best in high spirits. If things are not going well, do something nice, recharge, and finish the job in the best condition.

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