Time management: what it is and how to apply it at work

What is time management in simple terms

Time management (from the English time management), or time management, is a systematic approach to organising one’s work and personal schedule. It helps to plan tasks, set priorities and allocate resources effectively so as to achieve set goals without burning out and whilst maintaining a balance between work and leisure.

There is no official term for ‘time management’ in legislation — it is a practical tool from the field of management. The Ukrainian Wikipedia defines it as a set of time-organisation techniques, whilst specialist sources define it as a system of conscious control over how time is spent. The essence is the same: you are in charge of your own day, rather than trying to work out in the evening where your working hours have gone.

This guide is universal and suitable for any field of activity: office work, sales, the service sector or education.

Five key rules of time management

Despite the variety of approaches, most productivity experts highlight five basic principles:

1. Setting priorities. Tackle the tasks that yield the greatest results first, and only then move on to secondary tasks.

2. Three-level planning. Plan on three levels: day, week, month. Your daily to-do list should be based on your weekly plan, and your weekly plan on your strategic monthly goals.

3. Breaking tasks down and delegating. Break large and complex tasks down into steps that you can start working on today. Pass on tasks that someone else can do.

4. Single-tasking. Focus on just one task at a time. Turn off notifications on your phone and computer, and set aside specific blocks of time to work without external distractions.

5. Regular review. Take stock every week: analyse where your time has actually gone, and adjust your plan for the next period.

Start by tracking where your time goes

Without accurate tracking, any planning relies on subjective feelings rather than real data. An effective way to track your time is to keep a timesheet throughout the week.

The table consists of 7 columns (days of the week) and 16–17 rows (waking hours, assuming 7–8 hours of sleep). The empty cells at the end of the week will clearly show your actual free time.

Daily time-tracking template

Fill in the table every hour, rather than in the evening from memory.

Break each large block down into individual hours to create 16–17 detailed lines. At the end of the week, colour-code them as follows:

• Green — tasks that bring you closer to your goals;

• Yellow — tasks that could have been delegated;

• Red — ‘time wasters’ that should be eliminated.

This same table will help you identify your ‘golden hour’ — the time of day when your concentration and productivity are at their highest. Identify these peak hours and schedule your most challenging tasks for them.

Time management methods: how to apply each one

The Eisenhower Matrix

All tasks are categorised according to two criteria — importance and urgency:

How to apply: Each morning, sort your tasks into the quadrants. The quadrant ‘Important but not urgent’ requires the most attention: if you do not add these tasks to your calendar, they will inevitably move into the ‘Important and urgent’ category, causing stress.

The Pareto 80/20 principle

This is a rule of thumb: 20 per cent of your efforts yield 80 per cent of the results, whilst the remaining 80 per cent of your actions account for only 20 per cent of your success.

How to apply it: Based on your time-tracking data, identify the 20 per cent of tasks that yielded the greatest benefit over the past week. In the coming week, schedule them for the first few hours of your working day.

Getting Things Done (GTD)

David Allen’s method involves 5 sequential steps:

1. Capture — record all thoughts, ideas and tasks in one place (a notebook or app).

2. Clarify — determine whether an item requires action, and if so, what the first specific step is.

3. Organise — sort tasks into categories (calendar, project lists, archive).

4. Reflect (Analyse) — review your lists regularly to keep them up to date.

5. Engage (Take action) — carry out tasks according to the lists.

GTD is ideal when a stream of tasks comes in from multiple channels simultaneously (email, messaging apps, meetings). Writing a task down frees up the brain’s working memory for current tasks.

ALPEN

Lothar Seifert’s German method for daily planning:

• A (Aufgaben) — write down all tasks for the day.

• L (Länge schätzen) — estimate the duration of each task.

• P (Pufferzeiten einplanen) — allow for buffer time to cover unforeseen events (around 20–40 per cent of the time).

• E (Entscheidungen treffen) — set priorities.

• N (Follow-up) — check progress and carry over any uncompleted tasks.

The Pomodoro Technique

Francesco Cirillo’s method for combating procrastination:

1. Choose a task.

2. Set a timer for 25 minutes and work without distractions.

3. Take a short break of 5 minutes.

4. After 4 such intervals, take a long break of 20–30 minutes.

Time-blocking, SMART and the ‘1-3-5’ rule

• Time-blocking: your daily schedule is divided into clear time blocks for specific tasks. A scheduled block in your calendar is a non-negotiable appointment with yourself.

• SMART: every goal must be specific (Specific), measurable (Measurable), achievable (Achievable), relevant (Relevant) and time-bound (Time-bound).

• The ‘1-3-5’ rule: draw up a plan for the day comprising 9 tasks: 1 most important, 3 medium, 5 minor. Carry them out strictly in this order.

RT and the ‘1-3-5’ rule

• Time-blocking — the day is divided into blocks assigned to specific tasks. A block in the calendar is an appointment with yourself that isn’t rescheduled without good reason.
• SMART — a goal must be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. Check each monthly goal against these five criteria.
• ‘1-3-5’ — choose 9 tasks for the day: 1 most important, 3 medium, 5 minor — and complete them in that order.

The history of the matrix: the role of Dwight Eisenhower

The widespread claim that the 34th President of the United States personally devised the 2×2 matrix is a myth. On 19 August 1954, during a speech to the World Council of Churches, Eisenhower merely quoted a former college principal:

‘I have two types of problems: urgent and important. Urgent matters are not important, and important matters are never urgent.”

The matrix itself was developed and popularised by later researchers. However, the idea remains one of the most effective prioritisation tools.

The four functions of management and your personal plan

In classical management, four main functions are identified: planning, organising, motivating and controlling. In time management, you apply these to yourself.

Legal limits on working hours

Personal planning must align closely with labour law regulations:

• Duration. The normal working hours for employees must not exceed 40 hours per week (Article 50 of the Labour Code of Ukraine). If your tasks consistently exceed this limit, the problem lies in an excessive workload, not in personal inefficiency.

• Break. A break for rest and meals is granted for a duration of no more than 2 hours (usually 4 hours after the start of work) and is not included in working hours (Article 66 of the Labour Code).

• Flexible working hours. By agreement with the employer, flexible working hours may be arranged (Article 60 of the Labour Code) to tailor the schedule to your own ‘prime time’.

Time management when job hunting: vacancies on Injobe

There are 38 active vacancies on Injobe, 16 of which are for remote work. Time management skills are particularly important in roles where you plan your own day: remote work, sales and customer support. 

All current vacancies can be found in the list of vacancies.

What to choose based on your job type