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Article written by: Elaine Ryan, Elaine Ryan & Associates

Having trained hundreds of professionals in time management, I have often been asked: “What is the one key factor for managing time efficiently?” While time management is not just about a single secret, one fundamental principle that stands out is the Sense of Accountability.

Imagine this: your company provides you with €1,440 daily during a business trip, with the condition that any unspent amount is forfeited by the end of the day. Would you carefully plan your spending, ensuring every euro is spent appropriately and accounted for? Now, think of the 1440 minutes we receive daily. If we adopt the same accountability mindset toward our time, we lay a strong foundation for effective time management. After all, as the saying goes, “Well begun is half done.”

Here are a few steps that will help you improve your time management skills:

Step 1: Planning 
Effective time management starts with making a clear plan because planning provides clarity on what needs to be done, how and when. Be it professional or personal planning allows you to structure your day, prioritise tasks, and anticipate potential challenges and create provision for buffer time. Start by outlining your goals, whether for the day, week, or month and break them into actionable steps. A well-prepared to-do list, coupled with timelines can reduce stress and increase productivity.

Step 2: Cultivating the Right Attitude
The journey to effective time management starts with acknowledging that time is a precious resource. Viewing time as valuable—if not more valuable—than money helps build a disciplined and responsible approach. With this mindset, you are better positioned to tackle tasks mindfully and strategically.

Step 3: Self-Management
Time management is ultimately about self-management. Self-management paves way for effective time management by helping you maintain discipline, avoiding distractions, honouring your plans and respecting priorities. Additionally, as a part of self-management, start with self-awareness activities to identify those habits and mindsets that hinders your productivity and progress. With strong self-management, you take better control of your time rather than letting external factors dictate it.

Step 4: Prioritising Urgency vs Importance
One critical skill in time management is the ability to distinguish between urgent and important tasks. At first glance, everything might seem equally pressing, but a deeper analysis reveals distinct differences:
Urgent tasks demand immediate attention but may not always contribute to long-term goals and may not be that important too. While Important tasks at times may not appear with urgency but certainly, they are the ones that align with your goals and add significant value, even if they don’t require immediate action.

A systematic categorisation of activities into these two dimensions allows you to focus on high value tasks while reducing time spent on distractions or less critical activities. This prioritisation helps eliminate time killers and maximises productivity.

Step 5: Overcoming Procrastination
It is common for everyone to put things off occasionally, but procrastination as a habit is a more serious issue. It is the continuous act of unnecessarily delaying or postponing something despite having the time and knowing the potential negative consequences.

Procrastination reflects a lack of self-management, and addressing it is crucial. People struggling with procrastination often say: “I can handle this later”, “I’m not interested now”, “I don’t feel like doing it now”. These excuses push important tasks aside and create unnecessary stress. If you have a doubt if you procrastinate or not, check for these signs of procrastination: Constantly postponing tasks, engaging in low-priority activities to avoid difficult ones, Feeling overwhelmed or anxious about taking on significant tasks.
To overcome procrastination, try breaking bigger goals into smaller tasks, setting deadlines, and holding yourself accountable. Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique to maintain focus and enhance productivity.

Step 6: Conduct Time Audit
Have you ever felt there’s never enough time in the day to complete tasks, spend with family, work-out, or relax? Yet, everyone gets the same 24 hours. How you manage your time determines how much of it you can dedicate to your desired goals.

A time audit involves monitoring, documenting, and analysing how you spend your time over a specific period. This process helps you identify inefficiencies and make intentional choices to rearrange your schedule. The results often reveal how to optimise your day, giving you more time to focus on what truly matters to you and your business or profession.

Step 7: Addressing Idle Time
In time management, idle time refers to periods when an individual is unproductive despite having tasks to complete and the capacity to do them. For example, an article on time management noted that many business owners and executives spend more than 30% of their work week on low-value activities like checking social media, casual chatting, and watching videos. This idle time, if unmanaged, can accumulate and delay key tasks, creating stress later.
Recognising and addressing idle time is essential. Simple steps like creating a schedule, setting daily goals, preventing others from stealing your planned time, and minimising distractions can help reclaim this lost time and increase productivity.

Step 8: Allocating Time for Learning
An essential yet often overlooked aspect of time management is allocating time for learning, also known as sharpening the saw. Inspired by Stephen Covey’s metaphor, this principle highlights the importance of continuous self-improvement.

Learning is a lifelong process. Ask yourself: How many hours have I spent this year learning something new or enhancing my current skills? If the answer is low, it’s time to rethink your priorities. Allocating even a small portion of your day to personal or professional development through reading, attending training programs, or pursuing online courses can yield significant long-term benefits.
Additionally, you can utilise time reclaimed from idle activities for learning. By dedicating time to learning, you not only grow as an individual but also enhance your ability to manage challenges effectively, making you more productive and resourceful in all areas of life.

A Productive New Year 2025
Time is one of the most precious resources we have. As we approach the end of 2024, the arrival of the new year, 2025, presents a great opportunity to cultivate a sense of accountability toward our time, ensuring it is well-planned and self-managed. Treat the time ahead with the same mindfulness as any valuable resource, because once it’s gone, it cannot be regained. Start adopting these methods today, and witness how effectively you can transform your future with meaningful results!

To find out more about Elaine Ryan & Associates you can contact:-

Elaine Ryan, [email protected] 086 2381555 or
Leo Bernard [email protected] 087 0328805