Overview
A newly graduated doctor shares five top time management strategies, presenting them as “Time Management Oscars” awarded for their effectiveness in balancing work, business, and healthy habits.
Sneakiest Time Management Secret: Rate Limiting Steps
- Identify tasks that take the longest and organize other activities around them to maximize productivity.
- Examples include studying during commutes, responding to emails while walking, or cleaning while waiting for beauty routines.
- Pairing tasks helps form habits and utilizes otherwise wasted time.
- Tools like Unriddle can simplify, summarize, and help process large documents, further saving time.
Lowest Maintenance Secret: Habits
- Building strong, consistent habits reduces decision fatigue and streamlines daily routines.
- A fixed routine provides awareness of time needed for each task and prevents time overruns.
- Although building habits initially requires effort, they eventually save time and mental energy.
Best Kept Secret: Outsourcing
- Outsourcing tasks, such as finding outfits or calendar management, frees personal time for higher-value activities.
- Delegation is often more affordable than expected and can yield better results.
- Utilizing others for research or admin work maximizes time spent on essential personal or professional goals.
Worst Kept Secret: Calendar Systems
- Using a digital or paper calendar is essential for effective time management.
- Immediate entry of commitments, maximum visibility (e.g., widgets), and ample notifications ensure nothing is missed.
- Color-coded calendars and alerts help with organization and prevent time blindness.
Overall Winner: Love What You Do
- Enjoying your activities and finding fulfillment makes working toward goals feel less burdensome.
- Applying the concept of "ikigai" (purpose and joy in work) reduces procrastination and boosts motivation.
- Time management systems are less effective without underlying passion or satisfaction in your pursuits.
Recommendations / Advice
- Identify and utilize rate limiting steps to optimize the use of small time pockets.
- Build and maintain habits for sustainable time management.
- Delegate non-essential tasks when possible to focus on priorities.
- Maintain a highly visible, well-organized calendar system with notifications.
- Reflect on your personal fulfillment and adjust commitments to align with your interests for sustained motivation.