DEV Community

Tharun Shiv
Tharun Shiv

Posted on • Updated on

How to manage time? Time management tips for anyone.

Hey there!

Here are a few main points from the podcast.

  1. Observe what you spend your time on.
  2. Track your time usage using tools like clockify.
  3. Cut away your distractions.
  4. In case you're distracted, make sure you come back from it ASAP.

Bonus tip:

  1. The right food & sleep is crucial! ( Important )

Listen more in the podcast in 3 minutes!

Written by,

Thank you for reading, This is Tharun Shiv a.k.a Developer Tharun

Tharun Shiv

Top comments (7)

Collapse
 
krhoyt profile image
Kevin Hoyt

I ran across the “Four D’s” in Tim Allen’s book “Getting Things Done” (GTD) and they have really made a difference over the long term. In brief, they are:

  • Do It: Can you do it now, in the time available? Then do it.
  • Defer It: Not enough time? Put it on the calendar with an appropriate time block. Stick to the calendar (this is key).
  • Delegate It: Maybe somebody else should do this task? Assign it. Put time in the calendar to circle back for progress. Repeat until done.
  • Drop It: Be honest with yourself. Maybe this is not something that really needs to be done.

Long-term/larger projects require you to schedule time to plan/schedule the work. Two other tips from the book that I use:

  • “Maybe Someday” Bin: For ideas, tasks, rogue thoughts, etc. that clutter your mind.
  • Time/Place Tagging: When collecting things that need to get done, tag them by “time to complete” and/or “place to do this task” (1 hour, Home). Suddenly have free time? How much? Hit the tag for that timing and choose a task. At the grocery store? Hit that tag and never forget that one-off thing you were trying to remember to pick up.
Collapse
 
developertharun profile image
Tharun Shiv

Wow! Amazing insights.. thanks a lot for sharing your knowledge! 🥳

Collapse
 
sunilvijay profile image
Sunil Vijay

Thanks Tharun, Clockify is something really good. I would suggest for my connections too. 👏🏼💯
clockify.me/

Collapse
 
developertharun profile image
Tharun Shiv

Great! Thank you for appreciating it. 🙂

Collapse
 
jschleigher profile image
James Schleigher

Thanks for sharing! Usually, I plan out my tasks, time-block them in my calendar, and just do it exactly like what I have planned. Of course, I didn't continue working the whole day. I will also schedule my 5 - 10 mins break every hour. This helps to gain back my focus. I'm using project management software and syncing it to my calendar.

Collapse
 
pavelee profile image
Paweł Ciosek

Great advices, simple and practical.

How do you define "distraction"?

Collapse
 
developertharun profile image
Tharun Shiv

Any activity that doesn't map to your goal. In the sense, any activity that does not help you move closer to your Goal. 🙂