You’re in the right place if you struggle to manage your time. Whether it's scheduling, focusing, getting started, or managing your mind.
Maybe you have time blindness (hi, my ADHD friends) or find it difficult to keep track of time. Or perhaps you aren't always feeling motivated to get your work done but you know you need to just waste less time.
If you relate to anything I just listed, well, you’re in the right place! We’ve rounded up the best ways to trick your brain into getting past each of these problems. Just see the “best for” beneath each trick to see which ones are best for you.
Mindset Hacks
Before we break down the tricks you can use to manage your time, motivate yourself, and find your focus, I want to share two mindset hacks that might help you overcome some of your time hangups. because, more often than not, it’s all in your mind.
Progress vs. Perfection
If you're a perfectionist, you've probably heard this one before. There's no such thing as perfection. Throughout life, you’re going to feel like you have no idea what you’re doing – probably more often than you’d like.
Here's the thing: your perfectionism is a waste of time. It probably makes you procrastinate because you feel the conditions need to be optimal for you to do your "best." In reality, anything you do is probably good enough, and you’re up against a deadline most of the time anyway.
Remember: Next time you procrastinate because you don't know the "right" way to do something or you find yourself editing three or four times, remind yourself that any work is better than no work at all.
Process vs. Product
It's easy to make a mountain out of a molehill. Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in the final product that we forget to just take it one step at a time and enjoy the process.
We often get wrapped up in how big a project is. But if you can break it up into smaller pieces, the project will actually feel very doable. You can do one small piece at a time, imperfectly, and then edit at the end for a great final product.
But if you spend weeks procrastinating because you're worried about how big and important the final product you're seeking will be, you'll come up empty-handed. Seriously, go one section at a time. One section of a blog post, one section of a chapter of a bigger e-book, one sentence of a homepage, or one adjective of a product description. You'll get there.
You might enjoy: One of my favourite books is Bird by Bird. It's by Anne Lamott. It's lessons on life and writing. The main theme is, essentially, taking it one step at a time, a.k.a. Bird by Bird.
8 Time Management Hacks for Learners
In this list you’ll find ways to trick your brain and little hacks to combat:
- Low motivation
- Overwhelm
- Intimidation
- Imposter syndrome
- Focus
- Writer’s block
- Fear of failure
- ADHD
- Body doubling
- Anxiety
- Changing seasons
- Burn out
Check out “best for” beneath each hack to see whether it’s what you need
1. The 20-minute rule
Best for: Low motivation, overwhelm, intimidation, imposter syndrome
Convince yourself to try “just for 20 minutes.” Put on a timer for 20 minutes, open your laptop wherever you are (maybe your couch, the kitchen table, wherever!), and try. You don’t even have to try hard! Just show up for 20 minutes. You’ll probably end up going for two hours without even realizing it.
2. Pomodoro
Best for: Low motivation, focus, overwhelm
Break your study sessions into intervals of focused work (typically 25 minutes) followed by short breaks. This helps maintain concentration and prevents burnout.
3. Skip the hardest or most intimidating part
Best for: overwhelm, writer’s block, fear of failure
Sometimes if we struggle with something, we avoid it. Try skipping the part that intimidates you and come back to it last. If nothing else, you’ll get the rest of it done.
4. Find an accountability buddy
Best for: ADHD, body doubling, motivation
An accountability buddy could be…
- a friend
- an online co-working or co-studying community
- a family member
- your significant other
5. Be flexible
Best for: anxiety, changing seasons
Understand that some days it’ll take longer to get your stuff done than others. Seasons come and go and your preferences for time management will change within that. Don’t forget to allow yourself the ability to change your schedule, try different tools, and experiment with how you manage your time. This is your life. Do what feels good to you.
6. Allow yourself to take breaks
Best for: burnout, anxiety, overwhelm
You will burn out if you don’t take breaks. You’ll also probably dislike your day if you don’t put breaks in your schedule. Allow yourself to take breaks guilt-free. You won’t recover if you spend the whole break beating yourself up for not being productive. Understand that doom-scrolling might not be enough of a break! Take a walk and look away from screens for a bit.
7. Prioritization Matrix
Best for: ADHD
If you have a to-do list but you’re not sure how to prioritize it, try a priority matrix. The one I like creates a grid that pits tasks against each other (like a March Madness bracket) to make it easy for you to see how to order your tasks. This is my favorite prioritization matrix template.
8. Reward yourself
Best for: Motivation
Create a system of rewards for completing tasks or reaching milestones. Treat yourself to something enjoyable after completing a challenging assignment or studying for a set amount of time.
Which time management hack will you try?
About the author
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rmeltzer
Website: meltzerseltzer.com