Time Management Resources for Work
I work in an industry with never-ending deadlines and quotas. Here are a few things I've tried that help keep me on track.
Painting above: The Central Spiritual Sun (c. 1930s) by Olga Fröbe-Kapteyn
Personally, I use the tomato timer the most for work (has been especially helpful in my transition to WFH!), though I find the batch work method works best for my personal interests (like this blog and my video series)!
Time
- Tomato Timer: https://tomato-timer.com/
- Tomato Timers collection: http://www.tomatotimers.com/
- Batch your work: https://witanddelight.com/2021/02/how-to-batch-your-work-be-more-successful-and-liberate-your-leisure-mind/
- I haven't read this but I trust the person who did - Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
- Scattered Squirrel blog, "your scatter-brained approach to every day living" with over 800 free printable to-do lists and organizational charts (thanks to EW for bringing this great resources to my attention!)
Focus
- 4 Common Reasons You Can’t Focus On Your Work (And How To Destroy Each One) https://blog.trello.com/why-you-cant-focus-on-anything-plus-how-to-fix-it
- Scatterfocus vs. hyperfocus and a lot of the stuff above! https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2020/12/08/hyperfocus-versus-scatterfocus-how-to-boost-your-productivity/
- Uncommon To-Do List Templates to Improve Your Productivity: https://www.careercontessa.com/advice/productive-to-do-lists/
- From the Ivy Lee to the 1-3-5 method, you will instantly learn more about making to do lists than you ever thought possible!
- How to Find Your Focus when you're Feeling Scattered by Scattered Squirrel
Energy
- Work via "following your energy": https://witanddelight.com/2019/10/my-secret-to-productivity-follow-your-energy-it-works/
- 4 Ways To Manage Your Energy And Have A Balanced, Productive Workday at Trello
- I really like their suggestion "Set Daily Minimums And Maximums For Yourself" in particular!
- 13 Productivity Apps For When You Need to Get in the Zone over at Bustle
This post was updated November 25 2021 (originally published November 8 2021)
This post was updated again February 1 2022 to add a link to the Energy section