TL;DR

Our modus operandi is all about challenging and helping One-Person Businesses like yours to follow the lane lines, keep your head down, and your eyes forward. 

Moderating your breathing helps too and that's where Time Management plays a crucial role.

As you consider when and how to add new program learnings to your system, we strongly encourage the discipline of Time Management. In this guide, you'll discover:

• The Eisenhower Matrix - important v. urgent 
• Concepts of Parkinson’s Law - doing more in less time
• Fun with Pomodoro Techniques - structuring work in short bursts

Full Text

[Time Management Techniques]

Time and Money. The two strongest opponents of success for One-Person Businesses – never enough of either! While we can’t add more time in a day, we can seek to use our time more intentionally. The ability to allocate time effectively and efficiently can make the difference between productivity and chaos, especially when distractions seem to be around every corner.

Having worked for international companies and household names like Microsoft, IBM, and NCR, I know a few time management techniques that hold water. They’re tested, tried-and-true, and practiced by top executives and OPBs to achieve better results with the same, unchanging time constraints – 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week.

Let’s begin with prioritization.

Eisenhower Matrix - Urgent v Important

The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Urgent-Important Matrix, helps you as an OPB decide what to do, when. Named after former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who famously stated, "What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important," this matrix offers a strategic approach to task management. 

The matrix consists of four quadrants:

a. Quadrant 1: Urgent and Important - Do

These tasks require immediate attention. They are tasks you should do now. They often relate to critical deadlines, pressing issues, or crises. These are your top priority

b. Quadrant 2: Not Urgent but Important - Schedule

Tasks in this quadrant are important but not urgent, contributing to long-term goals and success.

Because they are not urgent, you don’t jump on them now, but they do require planning and  strategic thinking. You’ll want to devote considerable time to Quadrant 2 activities.

c. Quadrant 3: Urgent but Not Important - Delegate

Tasks in this quadrant are urgent but lack long-term significance. They are often distractions or interruptions that divert focus from important goals. Minimizing time spent on Quadrant 3 tasks is essential for productivity. If you can’t delegate, try outsourcing. Establishing clear processes also helps reduce urgency.

d. Quadrant 4: Not Urgent and Not Important - Delete

Tasks in this quadrant are neither urgent nor important and should be minimized or eliminated.

They often involve time-wasting activities and distractions.

Let’s look at some examples of common activities OPBs have during a week:

• Sales calls
• Respond to emails
• Launch marketing campaigns
• Invoice clients
• Update financials
• Set quarterly goals
• Check personal Facebook

How might you categorize these? Not everything is Urgent and Important.

Now that we have our priorities settled, let’s talk about how best to use the time we have.

Time Blocking

Time blocking is a time management technique that involves scheduling specific blocks of time for different tasks or activities throughout the day. This method ensures that individuals allocate dedicated periods to their most important priorities, reduce distractions, and optimize productivity.

Much of the idea for time blocking comes from Parkinson’s Law. It was developed by British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson, and asserts that "work expands to fill the time available for its completion." In other words, when people have a set amount of time to complete a task, they tend to use all that time, regardless of the task's actual complexity.

Key takeaway: don’t set aside more time than you need to complete a task. Or conversely, see how much of a task you can complete within a scheduled block of time.

How Time Blocking Works:

1. Identify Priorities: Begin by identifying the most critical tasks or activities that need to be accomplished during the day. These should align with your goals and objectives.
   
   
2. Allocate Time Blocks: Assign specific time blocks to each priority, ensuring that you set aside adequate time to complete the task. This is both a start and end time. Most people are good with the start time, but a time to end is also important.
   
   
3. Protect Your Time Blocks: Guard these allocated time blocks from distractions and interruptions. Stay off email and your phone during these focused work periods.

We highly recommend setting aside 1-2 hours early in the day for Deep Focus, a time to work on your most challenging items. If possible, don’t check your email until after this period. It’s so easy to get distracted by a single email.

Additionally, creating a structured day, a series of different time blocks, helps ensure that essential responsibilities receive the attention they deserve. And have a time block for yourself and your life is equally important.

Within these time blocks, you’ll be more effective (and less stressed) if you learn how to take breaks appropriately. One technique that allows for high focus/intensity but also refresh is the Pomodoro technique.

Pomodoro Technique - Sprint then Rest

The Pomodoro Technique is a time management method that emphasizes short, focused work intervals followed by brief breaks. Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, this technique has gained popularity among top executives for its ability to boost productivity and concentration.

Here's how the Pomodoro Technique works:

1. Choose a task you want to work on.
2. Set a timer for a fixed interval, typically 25 minutes (known as one "Pomodoro" in honor of the tomato-shaped timer Cirillo used to track his 25-minute intervals).
3. Work on the task with full concentration until the timer rings.
4. When the timer goes off, take a short break of 5 minutes.
5. After completing four Pomodoros, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes.

This technique helps break down big, daunting tasks into manageable segments. The time limits create a sense of urgency and prevent procrastination, while frequent breaks keep their minds fresh and prevent burnout.

Here’s a link to an online Pomodoro timer that you can use for your 25 minute sprints.

I hope you take these time management techniques to heart. It’s especially important as a OPB, as you don’t have anyone to bounce things off of. You can be your own best enemy, or savior. The choice is yours.

Our online course helps OPBs manage themselves and their business. If you want to create productive routines that improve your efficiency – and stress – you could benefit from our Online Course, where we set routines, structure your day, and help you focus on what matters most to your business.

We look forward to serving you and your business through our Online Courses or in our 1:1 Coaching Program. Thanks for reading! 

Peachtree Labs