What Is Good Time Management? 7 Ways to Boost Productivity

Achieve your goals in a realistic and personalized way with these mindset-shifting time management techniques and exercises

What do you think of when someone says time management: endless to-do lists, post-it notes, and a busy diary? When she found herself stressed and short on time, investor, speaker, executive, and author Hanoi Morillo (@hanoimorillo) uncovered a huge myth about time management.

The truth is that it is not just about time; effective time management is about energy, and managing distractions. Prioritizing your energy will boost your productivity. This is because you’ll work within your unique habits and needs.

Below, Hanoi shares seven skills and techniques for productive energy and time management, from understanding your energy and cutting out multitasking, to recognizing your drains and distractions.

The basics of energy and time management

Hanoi has worked for international brands like KPMG and Google, and is currently a Shark in the TV series Shark Tank Colombia. But she also has a partner, a dog, creative pursuits, and other priorities, as so many of us do. That’s a lot on one plate!

To effectively manage your time, Hanoi explains the importance of a personalized formula for success (which she helps students build in her Domestika course). All this means is building your plan based on how long you can focus. How much energy does it take you to write an email, or run a meeting? Everyone has different thresholds.

If you’re ready to optimize your time using energy, let’s dive into the seven skills and techniques that you can develop to find your formula.

7 top time management techniques and exercises

1. Study your energy levels

You can probably recognize when you feel energized, and when you feel tired. “Energy and focus go hand in hand”, Hanoi explains, so you need to start by measuring your energy levels.

Start testing how long you can focus. How do you feel afterward? Are you more energized by the work, or exhausted by it? The effect will likely be different depending on the type of task, e.g. a meeting, an essay, an email. And it’s not about enjoyment; you might love a task but it still wears you out.

While studying this, you will find a new measurement of time for yourself. Perhaps your focus blocks are twenty minutes long, forty, or even an hour. This will help you block out time when planning.

2. Understand your current benchmark of productivity

For this exercise, Hanoi offers three statements to consider and score on a scale of one to five (one being the lowest/least efficient).

- I am laser focused and know exactly what to do with my time.
- I have habits and routines that allow me to be effective and productive.
- I don’t let distractions get in the way throughout the day.

There’s no shame in being easily distracted and only able to work for short periods of time: we are all different, and need to implement different strategies into our time management. However, over time you’ll find your answers to these statements improve, if you find your perfect formula.

3. Don’t multitask!

Multitasking is doing or processing multiple things at the same time. Lots of people believe humans can multitask, but Hanoi explains that what you actually do is switch back and forth between the tasks.

Science shows that focus takes about eight mins to set in. So, if you switch tasks every eight minutes or more, you’re very rarely going to be focused.

Your goal with effective time and energy management is to do one thing at a time, meaningfully and purposefully.

4. Understand what distracts you

As well as knowing how you focus, you need to understand what makes you lose focus. Getting distracted means that your important tasks take longer to complete and can be less satisfying.

Everyone is different: your distractions might be social media, email, or chatting. None of these are bad things—in fact they’re important—but they shouldn’t show up in your focus time.

Don’t punish yourself for distractions, but treat them like a hobby, making time for them when they’ll energize you, rather than upsetting your focus.

5. List tasks for the next two week period

This is how you should start planning your time. Write out all of your desired goals, personal or professional, for the next two weeks.

Then, ask yourself if they align with your overall goals in the long term—your career, or your personal life? Remember, you have limited energy, so make sure the energy you expend is dedicated to important things that will leave you feeling healthy and excited.

6. Champion your wellbeing

Speaking of health, Hanoi notes that your scheduling includes your self-care. It doesn’t matter how effectively you work, lead, or manage your time if your health is suffering. Time to walk the dog, do some stretching, or take a fitness class is absolutely key. If anything Hanoi recommends planning this time first, allowing other tasks to slot around it.

7. Use time management tools to find balance

It’s time to throw the long, disorganized to-do list away! When you build a plan based on your energy levels, you can see exactly where tasks will fit into your day and what you can achieve. The calendar on your phone or laptop (like Google Calendar) works fine, but you might also get A3 paper or a large planner to clearly plan out your days.

Even more important is the ability to glance at your plan to see if you have balanced your meaningful tasks. Do you have enough family time? Enough time to make phone calls? Hanoi uses colored sticky tabs and highlighter pens to code your different activities.

Time management that works for you

Equipped with this paradigm-shifting method of time management, you can create a life tailored to your energy flow.

If you want step-by-step guidance through your time management “playbook” and two week plan, check out Hanoi’s full course, Agenda Organization for Energy and Time Management. Or, explore these further resources to help streamline your life so your creativity can flow.

1. What is a business mindset? Dive into this explainer article to unblock your thinking and your career.

2. There are many different approaches to productivity, and these six books will help you find the right strategy for you.

3. Check out an additional six time management and productivity courses for more tips!