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This supercomputer will perform 1,000,000,000,000,000,000 operations per second
A government laboratory in Illinois will receive the fastest supercomputer in the United States in 2021, and it will be the first to hit what’s called exascale-level processing. The mammoth machine, called Aurora, will live at Argonne National Laboratory, and will be able to accomplish tasks like simulating complex systems, running artificial intelligence, and conducting materials-science research.
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transits :
It has never been safer to fly on commercial airlines, according to a new study by an MIT professor that tracks the continued decrease in passenger fatalities around the globe.
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he eastern United States and Canada are well-known for gorgeous autumn colors.
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The word "health" refers to a state of complete emotional and physical well-being. Healthcare exists to help people maintain this optimal state of health.
In 2015, the population of the United States (U.S.) spent an estimated $3.2 trillionTrusted Source on healthcare costs.
However, despite this expenditure, a study by the U.S. National Research Council, published in 2013, showed that Americans die at a younger age and experience more illness and injury than people in other developed countries.
Good health is central to handling stress and living a long and active life.
Fast facts on health
In 2015, the population of the United States (U.S.) spent an estimated $3.2 trillionTrusted Source on healthcare costs.
However, despite this expenditure, a study by the U.S. National Research Council, published in 2013, showed that Americans die at a younger age and experience more illness and injury than people in other developed countries.
Good health is central to handling stress and living a long and active life.
Fast facts on health
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Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Article with large text in description
Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Authored by: Vijaya
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Article with Large text, table in description
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.Table:
Name
Department
Vijayalaxmi
QA
Rohit
Developer
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.Table:
Name
Department
Vijayalaxmi
QA
Rohit
Developer
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Article with Large text + table + URL in it's description
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.Table:
Name
Role
Rohit
Developer
Chathuri
Manager
Vijaya
QA
URL: https://www.usa.edu/blog/time-management-techniques/https://youtu.be/iONDebHX9qk?si=Pevl6sZNfq0i3x9y
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.Table:
Name
Role
Rohit
Developer
Chathuri
Manager
Vijaya
QA
URL: https://www.usa.edu/blog/time-management-techniques/https://youtu.be/iONDebHX9qk?si=Pevl6sZNfq0i3x9y
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Why are my cholesterol numbers important? -- Additionally added and edited
Your cholesterol numbers are important because they help you know your risk for heart disease. Cholesterol is a type of lipid (fat) that helps your body perform many important functions. But too much cholesterol in your blood is bad for you. It can enter your artery wall, damage its integrity and lead to the formation of atherosclerotic plaque (hardened deposits).
This process of plaque buildup is called atherosclerosis. It can lead to serious problems like:
Coronary artery disease: Blocked blood flow to your heart.
Peripheral artery disease: Blocked blood flow to your legs and arms.
Carotid artery disease: Blocked blood flow to your brain.
Cholesterol travels through your blood silently. And it turns into plaque silently. Plaque buildup is like someone tip-toeing on carpet. You might not see or notice its presence for a long time. You may have no symptoms until you have a heart attack or stroke. At that point, the plaque is like high heels on a hardwood floor. And it’s already caused serious damage to your body.
You can live for many years with high cholesterol and not even know it. That’s why it’s essential to get your cholesterol numbers checked on a regular basis. If your cholesterol numbers are too high (hyperlipidemia), that’s a red flag for you and your healthcare provider. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. But catching it early gives you a chance to make changes and get your cholesterol to a healthy level.
This process of plaque buildup is called atherosclerosis. It can lead to serious problems like:
Coronary artery disease: Blocked blood flow to your heart.
Peripheral artery disease: Blocked blood flow to your legs and arms.
Carotid artery disease: Blocked blood flow to your brain.
Cholesterol travels through your blood silently. And it turns into plaque silently. Plaque buildup is like someone tip-toeing on carpet. You might not see or notice its presence for a long time. You may have no symptoms until you have a heart attack or stroke. At that point, the plaque is like high heels on a hardwood floor. And it’s already caused serious damage to your body.
You can live for many years with high cholesterol and not even know it. That’s why it’s essential to get your cholesterol numbers checked on a regular basis. If your cholesterol numbers are too high (hyperlipidemia), that’s a red flag for you and your healthcare provider. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. But catching it early gives you a chance to make changes and get your cholesterol to a healthy level.
Authored by: Vijaya
Navigating Context
Posted on: Smoke test group : ...
The IoT-Based Smart Farming Cycle
The core of IoT is the data you can draw from things and transmit over the internet. To optimize the farming process, IoT devices installed on a farm should collect and process data in a repetitive cycle that enables farmers to react quickly to emerging issues and changes in ambient conditions. Smart farming follows a cycle similar to this one:
1. Observation . Sensors record observational data from the crops, livestock, soil, or atmosphere.
2. Diagnostics. The sensor values are fed to a cloud-hosted IoT platform with predefined decision rules and models—also called "business logic"—that ascertain the condition of the examined object and identify any deficiencies or needs.
3. Decisions . The user and/or the machine learning-driven components of the IoT platform assess the revealed issues to decide if location-specific treatment is necessary.
4. Action . After end-user evaluation and action, the cycle repeats from the beginning.
1. Observation . Sensors record observational data from the crops, livestock, soil, or atmosphere.
2. Diagnostics. The sensor values are fed to a cloud-hosted IoT platform with predefined decision rules and models—also called "business logic"—that ascertain the condition of the examined object and identify any deficiencies or needs.
3. Decisions . The user and/or the machine learning-driven components of the IoT platform assess the revealed issues to decide if location-specific treatment is necessary.
4. Action . After end-user evaluation and action, the cycle repeats from the beginning.
Posted by: Swara mhetre
Navigating Context
Posted on: Edited -- Time Mana...
Organizational Supports for ADHD Students
Primer text from the College of William & Mary.https://education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/documents/packets/adhd.pdf
Many students with ADHD have significant difficulties with organization. They are more likely to respond positively when teachers establish class routines and set procedures and maintain a well-organized learning environment.
Clear rules and advanced planning are keys to success for teachers of students with ADHD.The following organizational supports are particularly useful. Students should be taught to use these tools through teacher modeling and guided practice with feedback before being expected to use them more independently.Assignment Notebook: Provide the student with an assignment notebook to help organize homework and seatwork. Color-Coded Folders: Provide the student with color-coded fold
Many students with ADHD have significant difficulties with organization. They are more likely to respond positively when teachers establish class routines and set procedures and maintain a well-organized learning environment.
Clear rules and advanced planning are keys to success for teachers of students with ADHD.The following organizational supports are particularly useful. Students should be taught to use these tools through teacher modeling and guided practice with feedback before being expected to use them more independently.Assignment Notebook: Provide the student with an assignment notebook to help organize homework and seatwork. Color-Coded Folders: Provide the student with color-coded fold
Authored by: Chathu
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Article
Text:Time management—how we choose to use and organize our time—is something many of us struggle with. Effective time management allows us to make the most of our day, accomplishing tasks more quickly and prioritizing those that will make the most impact.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Different people need different effective time management strategies. If you’re a graduate student, you may choose to manage your time in a different way than someone who is a working mother. If you’re a visual person, you may prefer a color-coded calendar over a written to do list.
Figuring out a process that works for you, whatever that may be, is key to creating your most efficient life. To help you improve poor time management, we’ve explored nine popular techniques, from the 80/20 rule to the “eat that frog” method. We’ve outlined what they are, how to implement them, and the types of people who most benefit from them. And, check out our infographic below that includes a flowchart to help you decide which time management process will work the best for you.
9 Types of Time Management Techniques
Achieving work life balance is possible with effective time management. Learning time management tips will not only help you manage your time better but also boost personal productivity. With that said, here are some time management strategies you can try:
1. Pareto Analysis (a.k.a., the 80/20 rule)
The 80/20 rule is a technique created by the Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. It’s the idea that 20% of actions are responsible for 80% of outcomes. The goal of Pareto analysis is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective at solving problems.
How it works:
List some of the problems you are facing. For example, maybe your grades are slipping.
Identify the root cause of each problem. Maybe your grades are slipping because you spend too much time on social media or any other sort of distraction.
Assign a score to each problem: Assign higher numbers to more important problems
Group problems together by cause: Group together all the problems caused by spending too much time on social media.
Add up the score of each group: The group with the highest score is the issue you should work on first.
Take action.
Types of people who will benefit from Pareto Analysis:
Problem solvers
Analytical thinkers
2. Pomodoro Technique
The Pomodoro Technique was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to break down your work into intervals. Each interval is known as a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped timer that Cirillo created.
How it works:
Choose a task you need to get done.
Set a timer (e.g., for 25 mins).
Focus on the task at hand.
When the timer rings, put a checkmark on a piece of paper.
Take a short break: Take a break for about three to five minutes. Go for a walk, grab a cup of coffee, do something non-work-related to give your brain a break.
Repeat steps two to five: Once you have completed this process four times, you can begin to take longer breaks (20–30 mins).
Types of people that will benefit from the Pomodoro Technique:
Creative thinkers
Those who feel burnt out from work/school
The Pomodoro technique doesn’t just teach your time management; it also teaches you in setting goals and how to achieve them. You’ll be able to better stick to your daily schedule and weekly schedule.
3. Eisenhower Matrix
Before Dwight Eisenhower became president in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army as an Allied Forces Commander during World War II. He was faced with difficult decisions every day that led him to invent what is now called the Eisenhower matrix, or the urgent-important matrix.
How it works:
Organize your task list into four separate quadrants, sorting them by important vs. unimportant and urgent vs. not urgent, as shown in the graphic below. Urgent tasks are those we feel need to get done immediately. Important tasks are those that contribute to your long term goals or values. Ideally, you should only work on tasks in the top two quadrants—the other tasks, you should delegate or delete.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eisenhower Matrix:
People in leadership positions
Critical thinkers
4. Parkinson’s Law
British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for the phrase “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” In other words, the amount of time you give yourself to complete a specific task is the amount of time it will take you to complete that task.
How it works:
This is not a time management technique per se. It’s a law that, when understood, can be applied as one of the most beneficial time management methods out there—but you will have to put in the work. That means working more efficiently in shorter bursts of time. Here are some time management tips:
Try working without a computer charger. This will force you to finish a project before your computer dies.
Get it done early. Instead of finishing an essay by midnight, try to get it done by noon.
Set a deadline. Give yourself a set time to do something—and then cut it in half.
Limit time for tasks. Give yourself only 20 minutes in the morning to answer emails.
Types of people this works for:
Procrastinators
People who work well under pressure
5. Time Blocking Method
Inventor Elon Musk is known for being productive. He manages his time so efficiently that he can work over 80 hours a week and still make time for himself. What’s his secret? Time blocking.
How it works:
From the moment you wake up, assign each time block in your day to a task. These tasks can be anything from eating breakfast to studying for a test. Below are the steps Elon Musk uses to block his time:
Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On the left, write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time such as half-hour or hour chunks.
Estimate the time it’s going to take to complete each of your tasks and fit them into your time blocks.
Add buffer times in between each time block to allow for adjustments during the day.
Types of people this works for:
Working students or parents
Analytical thinkers
6. Getting Things Done (GTD) Method
Created by author David Allen, this process helps you get things done by recording tasks on paper and then breaking them down into actionable work items.
How it works:
Capture the actions that have your attention: These actions are tasks that can relate to anything from work to school to your personal life.
Clarify what they mean: Decide whether the tasks that have your attention are actionable or not. If an item is not actionable, ignore it for now. If the item is actionable, do it, delegate it, or set it aside.
Organize your actions: Prioritize your to do list according to what you need to get done when.
Reflect: Review your list of actions frequently to determine your next priority. Cross off tasks you have accomplished and update your list.
Engage: Take the actions or smaller tasks you can complete right now.
Types of people who will benefit from the GTD method:
People who struggle to focus on one thing at a time
People who feel overwhelmed in their daily lives
7. Rapid Planning Method (RPM)
“RPM” stands for “rapid planning method” or “result, purpose, and massive action plan.” It was developed by motivational speaker Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a vision of what you want so you can make it real.
How it works:
Capturing: Write down all the tasks you need to accomplish this week.
Chunking: “Chunk” your tasks together by commonalities. Which items are personal? School-related? Career-focused?
Create your own RPM blocks: On the top of a new sheet of paper, make three columns: the task, the result you want from completing that task, and your purpose for completing it. Next, list the actions you can take to get there.
Create an empowering role for yourself: If you’re a student, you might call yourself the “Study Queen.” Anything that will get you jazzed about completing your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the RPM:
Working students or parents
People who have long-term goals
8. Pickle Jar Theory
This theory helps you figure out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan tasks with time to spare and set priorities for your day.
How it works:
Imagine a pickle jar full of sand, pebbles, and rocks. The sand is at the bottom and the rocks sit at the top.
The sand: This represents disrupting elements of your day, such as phone calls, text messages, emails, social media, etc.
The pebbles: This represents tasks that need to be completed, but can be done on another day or by someone else.
The rocks: These are the most important tasks that need to get done today.
Begin by thinking about how your tasks for the day would fit into the above categories. Then make a task list starting with the rocks and ending with sand (if time permits). Include an honest time estimate next to each. Try not to plan more than six hours of an eight-hour working day. This will leave buffer time for the pebbles and sand.
Types of people who will benefit from the Pickle Jar theory:
Visual people
Concrete thinkers
9. Eat That Frog Technique
This technique is named after a Mark Twain quote: “Eat a live frog the first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most onerous tasks first and getting them out of the way.
How it works:
Get clear on a goal. What do you want to achieve most?
Write it down.
Set a deadline.
Compile a list of things you need to do to achieve your goal.
Organize this list in order of priority. The most important items are probably the most difficult. These are your “frogs.”
Take action. If you have more than one frog on your plate, eat the nastiest one first.
Repeat this cycle every day so that you’re always doing something that will push you toward your goal.
Types of people who will benefit from the Eat That Frog technique:
Abstract thinkers
People with long-term goals
Choosing a Time Management Technique That Works for You
Whether you’re a full-time student, a working student or a parent going back to school, better time management skills are vital to living a balanced life. If you have a habit of leaving things until the last minute, try using Parkinson’s Law or the eat that frog method. If you have a hard time focusing on the task at hand, try the Pomodoro technique of working more intensely in short intervals.
Mastering time management will set you up for success in all areas of your life and will help you avoid test anxiety when finals roll around. At USAHS, we emphasize supporting our students in their personal and professional lives. We help you develop the tools and additional resources you need to succeed in our graduate degree programs.
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: #iteachmsu
rimer text from The College of William & Mary
ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions of children (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2015).
In a 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, scientists found that 6.1 million children aged 2-17 years living in the U.S. had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is similar to previous en
Ages 6-11: Approximately 2.4 million children
Ages 12-17: Approximately 3.3 million children
ADHD is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions of children (Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, 2015).
In a 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, scientists found that 6.1 million children aged 2-17 years living in the U.S. had been diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is similar to previous en
Ages 6-11: Approximately 2.4 million children
Ages 12-17: Approximately 3.3 million children
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Edited The government has so far introduced schemes whereby the Aadhar can be linked to a bank account and LPG connection so individuals can receive their LPG subsidy directly into their bank accounts. This also negates the possibility of the funds being misappropriated or of individuals making fraudulent claims in order to claim benefits.
Ease of Availability
The Aadhaar card is the only government-issued ID that can be used anywhere in the country. An online application for an Aadhaar card is available. This digital version of the physical copy of Aadhaar is known as an e-Aadhaar and may be viewed anywhere, at any time. .
Individuals can always have a duplicate copy of the card as a result of this. Because the Aadhaar can be downloaded onto any device and presented when needed, the chance of an original document being stolen or misplaced is reduced.
Benefits of Aadhaar Card for Government Process
An Aadhaar Card is an essential document when it comes to KYC, verification, and identification purposes. Following are the benefits of Aadhaar Card which can be used to speed up government and bureaucratic processes:
https://www.bankbazaar.com/aadhar-card/benefits-of-aadhar-card-govt.html#:~:text=Importance%20of%20Aadhaar%20Card&text=For%20example%2C%20an%20Aadhaar%20card,government%20related%20services%20and%20programme.
Ease of Availability
The Aadhaar card is the only government-issued ID that can be used anywhere in the country. An online application for an Aadhaar card is available. This digital version of the physical copy of Aadhaar is known as an e-Aadhaar and may be viewed anywhere, at any time. .
Individuals can always have a duplicate copy of the card as a result of this. Because the Aadhaar can be downloaded onto any device and presented when needed, the chance of an original document being stolen or misplaced is reduced.
Benefits of Aadhaar Card for Government Process
An Aadhaar Card is an essential document when it comes to KYC, verification, and identification purposes. Following are the benefits of Aadhaar Card which can be used to speed up government and bureaucratic processes:
https://www.bankbazaar.com/aadhar-card/benefits-of-aadhar-card-govt.html#:~:text=Importance%20of%20Aadhaar%20Card&text=For%20example%2C%20an%20Aadhaar%20card,government%20related%20services%20and%20programme.
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Disciplinary Content
Posted on: New Marketting and ...
Culture of Collaboration
Number of Directions: Give a minimal number of directions or steps at a time.
If necessary, have students repeat the directions to the teacher or a peer partner.
Form of Directions: Provide written directions or steps, or a visual model of a
completed project. Teach students how to refer to these items as reminders of
process steps to complete tasks. This strategy is particularly helpful for long-term
projects.
Written Assignments
Many students with ADHD have particular challenges with written work due to finemotor
skills difficulties, motor planning issues, and difficulty alternating their attention
from a book to their written responses.
Students with ADHD may also need assistance breaking a larger task or project into smaller, more workable units.
Number of Directions: Give a minimal number of directions or steps at a time.
If necessary, have students repeat the directions to the teacher or a peer partner.
Form of Directions: Provide written directions or steps, or a visual model of a
completed project. Teach students how to refer to these items as reminders of
process steps to complete tasks. This strategy is particularly helpful for long-term
projects.
Written Assignments
Many students with ADHD have particular challenges with written work due to finemotor
skills difficulties, motor planning issues, and difficulty alternating their attention
from a book to their written responses.
Students with ADHD may also need assistance breaking a larger task or project into smaller, more workable units.
Posted by: Scarlet Ethan Edien
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Triglycerides
Triglycerides are fats and oils
Fatty acid and glycerol molecules are the components that make up triglycerides
Fats and oils have a number of important functions in organisms: energy storage, insulation, buoyancy, and protection
Energy storage
The long hydrocarbon chains in triglycerides contain many carbon-hydrogen bonds with little oxygen (triglycerides are highly reduced)
So when triglycerides are oxidised during cellular respiration this causes these bonds to break releasing energy used to produce ATP
Triglycerides, therefore, store more energy per gram than carbohydrates and proteins (37kJ compared to 17kJ)
As triglycerides are hydrophobic they do not cause osmotic water uptake in cells so more can be stored
Plants store triglycerides, in the form of oils, in their seeds and fruits. If extracted from seeds and fruits these are generally liquid at room temperature due to the presence of double bonds which add kinks to the fatty acid chains altering their properties
Mammals store triglycerides as oil droplets in adipose tissue to help them survive when food is scarce (e.g. hibernating bears)
The oxidation of the carbon-hydrogen bonds releases large numbers of water molecules (metabolic water) during cellular respiration
Desert animals retain this water if there is no liquid water to drink
Bird and reptile embryos in their shells also use this water
Triglycerides are fats and oils
Fatty acid and glycerol molecules are the components that make up triglycerides
Fats and oils have a number of important functions in organisms: energy storage, insulation, buoyancy, and protection
Energy storage
The long hydrocarbon chains in triglycerides contain many carbon-hydrogen bonds with little oxygen (triglycerides are highly reduced)
So when triglycerides are oxidised during cellular respiration this causes these bonds to break releasing energy used to produce ATP
Triglycerides, therefore, store more energy per gram than carbohydrates and proteins (37kJ compared to 17kJ)
As triglycerides are hydrophobic they do not cause osmotic water uptake in cells so more can be stored
Plants store triglycerides, in the form of oils, in their seeds and fruits. If extracted from seeds and fruits these are generally liquid at room temperature due to the presence of double bonds which add kinks to the fatty acid chains altering their properties
Mammals store triglycerides as oil droplets in adipose tissue to help them survive when food is scarce (e.g. hibernating bears)
The oxidation of the carbon-hydrogen bonds releases large numbers of water molecules (metabolic water) during cellular respiration
Desert animals retain this water if there is no liquid water to drink
Bird and reptile embryos in their shells also use this water
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
Keep Regular Doctor Appointments
No one likes going to the doctor, but it’s important to schedule regular screenings and physicals as you age. If you have a consistent pain or something just doesn’t feel right, make an appointment with your primary care physician to rule out anything serious. Your relationship with your doctor should be open and honest to ensure you get the best care possible.-- edited
Practice Gratitude
This final tip is the easiest one of all: be grateful! Try to leave negativity at the door and focus on all the good things you do have. It’s been shown that positive people live longer. Just like a healthy diet, filling your life with positive people, thoughts and things can have long-lasting positive impacts on your longevity.
No one likes going to the doctor, but it’s important to schedule regular screenings and physicals as you age. If you have a consistent pain or something just doesn’t feel right, make an appointment with your primary care physician to rule out anything serious. Your relationship with your doctor should be open and honest to ensure you get the best care possible.-- edited
Practice Gratitude
This final tip is the easiest one of all: be grateful! Try to leave negativity at the door and focus on all the good things you do have. It’s been shown that positive people live longer. Just like a healthy diet, filling your life with positive people, thoughts and things can have long-lasting positive impacts on your longevity.
Posted by: Venturit Super Admin
Navigating Context
Posted on: Smoke test group on...
Smoke test -- A management information system (MIS) is a system that collects a company's data and uses it to make more nimble, informed, and impactful business decisions. It's also an academic discipline you can study if you're interested in this type of work. If you enjoy using technology to solve business problems or answer important business questions, then a career in MIS may be a good fit.
Learn more about the benefits of a management information system, key skills you'll need to succeed, and career paths you can pursue. Afterward, if you're interested in building important business
Learn more about the benefits of a management information system, key skills you'll need to succeed, and career paths you can pursue. Afterward, if you're interested in building important business
Posted by: Scarlet Ethan Edien
Navigating Context
Posted on: #iteachmsu
By Chathu:
Rural Agriculture Small Farm Ideas
A tree nursery can be a great investment when done right. Most farmers start with 10 to 20 seedlings on a small plot and, with the right marketing strategy, have the baby trees sold out before they mature. Seedlings run from 15 cents to $1.60 per tree, a sapling of two years can sell for $20 to $100, and a fully-grown tree can get you $1,000 or more—making for a large profit, if you have the time to wait.
Spend some time researching how to organically source the trees you want to grow. Fruit tree propagation, for example, can be done by grafting or budding (joining parts from multiple plants), and this increases your chances of producing the same variety of trees as opposed to using seeds.
If you have 10 or more acres, experience growing trees, and the right climate, Christmas tree farms can be a profitable option. You need to watch the trees as they grow, pruning them to make sure they are healthy and bushy for the holidays.
Rural Agriculture Small Farm Ideas
A tree nursery can be a great investment when done right. Most farmers start with 10 to 20 seedlings on a small plot and, with the right marketing strategy, have the baby trees sold out before they mature. Seedlings run from 15 cents to $1.60 per tree, a sapling of two years can sell for $20 to $100, and a fully-grown tree can get you $1,000 or more—making for a large profit, if you have the time to wait.
Spend some time researching how to organically source the trees you want to grow. Fruit tree propagation, for example, can be done by grafting or budding (joining parts from multiple plants), and this increases your chances of producing the same variety of trees as opposed to using seeds.
If you have 10 or more acres, experience growing trees, and the right climate, Christmas tree farms can be a profitable option. You need to watch the trees as they grow, pruning them to make sure they are healthy and bushy for the holidays.
Posted by: Chathuri Hewapathirana 1
Navigating Context
Posted on: Wireframes-- edited
Edited--Wireframes are basic blueprints that help teams align on requirements, keeping UX design conversations focused and constructive. Think of your wireframe as the skeleton of your app, website, or other final product. Your wireframe shows the design team and stakeholders the bare-bones outlines of essential webpages, components, and features, including:
Screen layouts
Navigation bars
Components of UX and UI design
Interactive elements
At the early stages of design, low-fidelity wireframes rely on lorem ipsum text and simple boxes as placeholders for images and videos. This helps the design team, copywriters, and other team members to focus on basic functionality to align around the right direction.
Starting with a clean, spare wireframe design also gives UI/UX designers room to iterate. They can collect early feedback from user testing on core UX/UI elements, without distracting users with visual design details. Design teams try out different concepts, user flows, and templates as they work toward the ultimate user experience.
Screen layouts
Navigation bars
Components of UX and UI design
Interactive elements
At the early stages of design, low-fidelity wireframes rely on lorem ipsum text and simple boxes as placeholders for images and videos. This helps the design team, copywriters, and other team members to focus on basic functionality to align around the right direction.
Starting with a clean, spare wireframe design also gives UI/UX designers room to iterate. They can collect early feedback from user testing on core UX/UI elements, without distracting users with visual design details. Design teams try out different concepts, user flows, and templates as they work toward the ultimate user experience.
Posted by: Derek Matin 935
Justice and Belonging
Host: MSU Libraries
MSU Family Weekend: Game Labs Open House
For MSU Family Weekend, stop by the Libraries' game labs for some down-time fun. The Gerald M Kline Digital and Multimedia Center (Main Library 4 West) is home to game labs for study and recreation alike! Console games from our collection or yours may be played by individuals or groups in our fully equipped video game labs.
For parking information visit http://maps.msu.edu/interactive.
If you have questions about accessibility or need to request accommodations, please email lib.dl.accessibility@msu.edu.
Navigating Context
Host: CTLI
To Be Read: Educator Edition
If you're anything like us, you probably have a long list of "to be read" books. We know that engaging in book discussions fosters a culture of curiosity and intellectual growth, reinforcing the idea that learning is a lifelong journey enriched by the exchange of ideas and insights with others. It is our hope that through thoughtful dialogue and shared reflections on relevant literature, educators not only enhance their own practices but also contribute to a dynamic community that benefits both their students and MSU broadly.
Goals for this program:
Cultivate a curiosity for continuous learning by engaging discussions of relevant teaching & learning publications
Enhance instructional practices and professional growth through the exchange of ideas and insights gained from shared reflections
Contribute to a collaborative community of educators that supports mutual development necessary to provide high-quality, evidence-based learning experiences across all modes of instruction.
Navigating Context
Host: MSU Libraries
Research Facilitation Network Lightning talks: Research Support Services at MSU
Join us for insightful talks about research support services available at Michigan State. This session will highlight units assisting researchers throughout their research life cycle. Bring your questions and support needs to contribute to the discussion.
Meeting information: Zoom, September 16 from 3-4PM
Register here!
Navigating Context
Host: MSU Libraries
Intro to Modeling for 3D Printing: TinkerCad Zipper Pull
Get creative with 3D printing in this hands-on beginner workshop at the MSU Libraries Hollander Makerspace—a space where all students can explore, design, and make.
You’ll learn how 3D printing works, design your own custom zipper pull using simple modeling tools in Tinkercad, and watch it print before your eyes. No experience needed—we’ll guide you step by step as you combine shapes to bring your design to life. Your custom zipper pull is yours to keep—use it to fix a broken zipper, personalize your gear, or show off your new tech skills!
Attendees will need to arrive with or be willing to make a free Tinkercad account with a valid email address.
Navigating Context
Host: MSU Libraries
Intro to 360 Room @ DSL: Drop-in Session
The 360 Room at the DSL is your gateway to collaborative learning, teaching and shared experiences. Look at work created by other MSU faculty, staff and students and start thinking about how you can take that next step to better present and engage, here and remotely across a range of disciplines.
Navigating Context