How to become an expert in time management and organisation

1st April 2022
by Yvonne Yates

Work & Success

Do you ever feel like you’re constantly chasing your tail, missing deadlines and forgetting important tasks? Poor time management and organisation directly impacts our productivity, job satisfaction and efficiency, sometimes leading us to working longer hours to complete the same amount of work.

Habit trackers, bullet journals, time-blocking… There are so many methods for managing your time that it can be easy to spend more time planning and preparing than actually completing the task at hand!

Whether you’re an entrepreneur, managing a team or simply looking to be more efficient, we’ll explain how you can up your time management and organisation skills with one simple technique.

The Pomodoro Technique

The pomodoro technique, devised by Francesco Cirillo, involves setting a timer for a set period of time and working solidly on the task at hand without distractions.

It aims to boost your productivity, help you to set realistic goals and minimise your distractions.

Why does it work?

Work smarter not harder by blocking out work time and defining goals for yourself
Become clear about what you can achieve in a day, leading to job satisfaction
Increased productivity without distractions getting in the way of important work

Why is managing your time so important?

We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and yet it seems like some people can do so much more and still have free time. How do they do this? Well, it’s all about how you use your time that matters.

Dividing your time into focussed work sessions can help you to sustain productivity, stay organised, meet deadlines and avoid burnout.

How to use the pomodoro technique

Choose your task

Decide which tasks you want to get completed in your focused time. Be realistic about what you want to work on – but you’ll also be surprised at how much you can get done when you put your mind to it.

Set your timer

The beauty of this technique is that you can choose a time that suits you. Need to blast through quick admin tasks? Try 15 minutes of focus. Need to make a dent into a bigger project or write a report? A one hour block might be better.

Cut out the distractions

Whilst you’re working on one task, it’s important not to get distracted by anything else that could take your attention away. A study by University of California Irvine found that it takes an average of 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back to what you were doing after being distracted.

Take your breaks

In between timers, take a 5 or 10 minute break depending on how long your pomodoro was. Make yourself a fresh cup of tea, stretch your legs or check your emails before starting another pomodoro!

Tips for staying organised

Once you become better at managing your time, it will have a domino effect on your wider organisational skills. You’ll be able to plan out when you’ll be able to complete tasks and prioritise which tasks you should complete in your morning pomodoros, and which can wait until the afternoon.

Planners or diaries that have columns for to-do lists and ones for laying out your schedule allow you to track what you need to do for that next big project.

It’s time to be more productive

Struggling with excessive energy in work can be a real problem. We have easy to implement solutions to help you be more productive and reach your ultimate potential in your career. YPS’s easy-to-follow guides on time management and organisation will help you release your unspent energy; and bring your laser-sharp focus into play.