# 10 Practical Time Management Tips for When Everything Is a Priority

![rw-book-cover](https://rebelsguidetopm.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/GGtPM-Pin-5.png)

## Metadata
- Author: [[Elizabeth Harrin]]
- Full Title: 10 Practical Time Management Tips for When Everything Is a Priority
- Category: #articles
- URL: https://rebelsguidetopm.com/time-management-tips/
- Archive: https://web-archive.alecodes.page/bookmarks?bf=1&search=&title=10%20Practical%20Time%20Management%20Tips%20for%20When%20Everything%20Is%20a%20Priority

> [!note]
> **Background:** I aim to enhance my personal organization within my projects to manage tasks more effectively and make better use of my time.
> **Top 3 Important Takeaways:**
> 🗂️ **Establish Clear Priorities:** Understand the distinction between urgent and important tasks. Use tools like the Eisenhower Matrix to identify and focus on high urgency and high importance tasks, ensuring that you also allocate time for important but less urgent tasks to avoid last-minute stress.
> 📅 **Create a Structured Schedule:** Develop a detailed weekly plan that includes your priorities, meetings, and commitments. Dedicate specific time blocks each day to work on tasks that align with your goals, helping you stay organized and productive throughout the week.
> ✉️ **Implement an Email Management Strategy:** Design a system to manage your emails effectively, reducing inbox clutter and stress. This will allow you to quickly find important messages and maintain organization, especially when dealing with multiple priorities.
> [!tldr]
> This article offers practical time management tips for increasing productivity when everything feels like a priority. The tips include scheduling your time, understanding the difference between urgent and important tasks, and knowing when you are most productive. By following these tips, you can better prioritize tasks and manage your workload effectively.

## Highlights
I am most productive and get the most out of my time when my time is planned. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j98zjaq5c6j0kah92r2s5pwf))

This is how I schedule my time:
• I work out my priorities for the week.
• I look at what meetings and other commitments I have.
• I split my priorities across the week, blocking out time each day to do something that gets me closer to having achieved my goals by Friday. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j98zkq45h9f9e2hw0afrc21y))

Not everything that is urgent is important.
And not everything that is important is urgent. ... Important means something that:
• has high significance
• other people believe is a good use of your time
• will help you or the organization reach your goals. ... Urgent tasks are things that have to happen now.

Tasks that are high urgency and high importance should take most of your time in the day.
However, ideally, you’ll also be spending time on the highly important but less urgent tasks too. Plan these in your calendar for the coming weeks so they don’t become a source of panic. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j98ztb77ncd7d5zw6v15m6s4))
> [!note]
> The Eisenhower Matrix of TickTick was usefull for this

Task priority can change over time [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j990cbt2hveke2849wjwqnst))

You can only block out time on your calendar if you know what your priorities are. Understanding what is urgent and important will help you spot priority tasks. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j990h9rp0c19yamjw766kw6j))

**the answer is never: everything is a priority.**
That’s just lazy thinking. Some things will be more priority than others. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j990jd7zq69xc6fgkeskrtxg))

A great time management tip for teams is to [delegate](https://rebelsguidetopm.com/how-to-delegate-tasks-with-more-confidence-and-less-stress/) to each other. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j99197wtqzqvx6fbsfvbppsw))

Don’t forget that “managing” also takes time. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9918rgtz371s7h6j9shv54t))

Have different To Do lists. Know what you need to achieve this year, quarter, month, week and day. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j9919h30698gxszd9733vcp1))

Learn when you are at your most productive and use that to your advantage. Schedule your frogs for the time when you are sharpest. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j991bs54wa52q66hp3kf12k8))

Remember to build some slack into your calendar as well. You can’t work every evening and still function at full capacity during the day. Have some downtime, whatever that looks like for you! [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j991e4nzd98gzr6yee0yger9))

Having a strategy for dealing with email is important because when everything is a priority you have to be able to find messages and stay organized. For me, having thousands of mails in my inbox is a source of stress. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j991gt8fq6bvjbw40zbpcdvp))

Integrating your schedules will help you see all the key milestones at once. ... At its simplest, make a milestone planner and use that to see which months are going to be your busy times.

Keep talking to your stakeholders and clients about their expectations, and keep communication channels open with your team as well. Managing expectations on all sides goes a long way to keeping the peace. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j991pdc0apq5bn06k3w9b3hs))

Try to be flexible and adapt to what’s required this week (or today). And let your positive attitude rub off on your team. [View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j991rcc7xk5rqgw10e32f3ws))

