The neocortex is responsible for complex brain functions related to planning and thinking. This is the part of the human cerebral cortex that makes us think something like “I'm already 30, and I've achieved so little!”, “I've been sick for a week; it's a shame,” etc. But this is the part of the brain that also allows us to set goals and achieve them, compare and evaluate our results, and manage time.
The neocortex will not let us relax by wasting our time.
The importance of time management in achieving your goals
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Have you ever wondered why it is recommended to write down goals and set deadlines for achieving them? The point is that the difference between a desire and a goal is the presence of specific deadlines for realization. We can want a lot and every day, but we go to the achievement of the goal. We take one step after another, we plan our whole life in a certain way. That's why setting goals with deadlines is so important: otherwise we relax and don't take the necessary actions.
Time management makes it possible to reach your goal faster: not only to set a deadline for achieving the result, but also to divide the whole path into stages. For each of these stages, you also set your own goal. And so smoothly you go forward all the time. Even if you have to backtrack sometimes, you will all see your progress and that will be motivating. You're not wasting time, but using it to realize your goals - and that's the great feeling time management can give you!
To explore effective strategies for navigating common challenges that hinder productivity, explore our article on How to Avoid the Time Trap.
Best time management techniques to improve your efficiency
There are several proven methods of time management, we will focus on two popular ones: the Pomodoro method and the Eisenhower matrix.
Pomodoro method
What if you break your time into small segments and control the time you work and take breaks? Without time management, distractions happen spontaneously, but recognize that they will still happen, and we need rest - and controlling distractions becomes very easy!
The Pomodoro Method boils down to this: divide your time into cycles of 30 minutes, with 25 minutes of concentrated work and 5 minutes of rest. After 4 such half-hour cycles, take a break for half an hour. And you can repeat.
What about those who spend more time out of 25 minutes concentrating than on the task itself? This question is relevant for people with ADHD (link to article) and simply for those who have problems with concentration. In this case, it is recommended to increase the working intervals to 50 minutes and the break time to 10 minutes. After two intervals - half an hour break.
Eisenhower matrix
The matrix is so named because it is believed to have been invented by Dwight Eisenhower, the US President. However, no official confirmation of his authorship has been found, although the method is certainly very useful.
To make an Eisenhower matrix, make a list of all the things you have to do. Now, looking at each one, answer just 2 questions: “Is it important?” and “Is it urgent?”.
You will have the following four groups of cases:
1. Urgent and important matters
This includes all those things that need to be done as soon as possible. The priority in Voiset is “urgent”. Often cases that fall into this category are either procrastination or health problems. Sometimes, if the things on this list are not completed on time, an important goal can be compromised.
2. Non-urgent but important to-do's
This includes all those things that you have time for, but if you overdue them, they will move to the list above. The priority in Voiset is “medium” or “high”
3. Unimportant but urgent matters
These are, for example, all those messenger messages that we immediately respond to while distracted from our workflow and the like. Priority in Voiset - “low” or “medium”
4. Non-urgent and unimportant cases
When first compiling the Eisenhower matrix, many people are surprised by the large number of things that fall into this subsection. Here we can include all those things that are not particularly useful, but for some reason are part of our lives. Far from always they are even so happy. Think about it, maybe you should remove these things from your task list altogether?
How to create a time management plan that works for you
To create a time management plan, at the start, decide on all the tasks that you have in your daily life. You can learn more about How to manage your tasks with Voiset.
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A personalized strategy should include:
1. Prioritizing things
If we don't understand which tasks need to be done soon, and which ones can wait, we get confused. So we do unimportant and non-urgent tasks, leaving those that really need our attention for later.
2. Prioritize tasks by day of the week
If you're having trouble figuring out which day to prioritize your tasks, Voiset can help. It is powered by artificial intelligence that will create a comfortable workload for each day by analyzing your schedule.
3. Coping strategies for distractions
Think through how you will resist all those distractions that affect your productivity. The main reason we fail to accomplish what we planned is spontaneous distraction by unimportant and non-urgent tasks.
4. Rationale for why you should follow the schedule
If you don't understand what it's all about, it's easy to miss a reminder from Voiset or decide that today's schedule is irrelevant. By working out your schedule with Voiset, you can achieve your goals in the least amount of time, but only if you follow your schedule unconditionally.
5. A time management plan for accomplishing essential tasks
Do you want to follow a time management method like Pomodoro or do you want to make your own customized one? You can note how much time you are most productive, how often you need a break, and even how long it takes to get back to work after a rest. Your personal observations can form the basis of a personalized time management strategy that takes into account your strengths and weaknesses.
Time management challenges and how to overcome them
Competent time management is not about a special talent with which a select few are endowed. It is a skill that develops over time. We all make mistakes, we all have roughly the same time management problems, so it is especially important to understand what exactly these problems may be?
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Distractions
A little earlier, we already mentioned distractions like unimportant and non-urgent matters. However, now let's focus on what you can do to minimize them. For example, when starting work, you can mute your phone and turn it screen down. You can temporarily log out of all messengers on your laptop. You can put white noise or background music on your headphones so you are not disturbed by extraneous sounds, etc.
As much as possible, focus on exactly what you are doing: this will increase your productivity. If you find it hard to ignore distractions and suddenly you want to look at flights to Goa, photos of the world's tallest waterfall and an ex-girlfriend's page, make time in your schedule for that. Add a 30 minute task to Voiset with a heading like “For the unimportant”. This way, you'll gradually train yourself to be less distracted, especially since distractions will also have a place in your schedule.
Procrastination
Fighting it without having a strict schedule is critically difficult. Therefore, the first step in overcoming it is to create a schedule that balances work and personal life. The second step is to trust that schedule. Once you follow the intended schedule, the problem of procrastination will solve itself.
Moreover, you won't have to make any effort to organize your life: Voiset will remind you of all the important tasks, suggest adding new ones to your schedule and prevent you from overloading your day.
Productivity problems are solved by time management, which combines very well with Voiset. You upload the necessary information about your tasks to the app, and it then organizes your schedule so that you are on track to achieve all your goals! And that's a great reason to try Voiset now!
