How to Make a Time Plan?

Even with the transition to remote work, the urgency of tasks, necessary documents, and urgent meetings have not diminished, and we continue to exist within the urgency world. Every task in our lives has become urgent, and we can get lost in this urgency. We assume everyone is ready at all times, feeling like we are constantly missing something, and that we have no time for anything, as if everything needs to be done right away. Even rearranging feels like a waste of time.

Planning Our Day in Advance

Whether it's a day, a week, or months in advance, planning ahead is crucial for time efficiency. Being in control of everything we need to do during the day helps us stay focused. This can be in the form of a to-do list, detailed journals on how we spend our time, or using time management applications.

Positioning Our Time for Productivity and Efficiency

Identifying the most effective time of our day and structuring our day around that time is a proper positioning strategy. It's worth mentioning the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, which states that 80% of success comes from 20% of the effort. Discussing the importance of determining the most productive 20% of our day and using that time efficiently, this economic principle highlights the significance of productive hours.

Prioritizing and Organizing Tasks Based on Importance

In terms of planning our time, we should find ways to prioritize our tasks. Effective techniques for this include the Pomodoro Technique, Eisenhower Matrix, and Kanban Technique. For instance, if we apply the Eisenhower Matrix, we can separate our tasks based on urgency and importance, gaining insights into when we should do each task.

 - Urgent and Important 
 - Not Urgent but Important 
 - Urgent but Not Important 
 - Not Urgent and Not Important  

Starting with Difficult Tasks

Conquering the most challenging task will give us the momentum to continue.

If your job is to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first.

Avoiding Multitasking

• Although logically doing two things at the same time may seem the most reasonable for time savings, it is not correct in terms of time management due to the decrease in efficiency. Time management should not be looked at solely from the perspective of time savings.

Knowing How Much Time We Spend

• Speaking of time efficiency according to Pomodoro, which is a time management technique, let's say that it is based on using a timer to effectively use time. One Pomodoro is defined as taking a 5-minute break after 25 minutes of intense work. Depending on the intensity of the task, up to 4 Pomodoros can be performed consecutively, followed by a break of 25-30 minutes. This way, we can focus on our tasks intensively and take regular breaks tailored to our work.

Avoiding Perfectionism

• When we cannot achieve perfection, instead of feeling down and doing worse or not doing it at all, we should be flexible in our goals and face setbacks.

Setting Boundaries

• By separating home and work both spatially and temporally, we can get more productivity from both. When you leave work and go home, you don't have to find solutions or respond to every work-related issue that occupies your mind. Personal issues should not affect work life.
• Time, which is even less economical than money, cannot be compensated or reversed in any way, but there are ways to use our time more efficiently with a proper time plan. While these plans may vary from person to person, certain time plans can offer common benefits for all of us to use our time wisely.