Cultural differences in the way we conceive time can affect the way we manage it. For example, thinking about linear time is a way of thinking of time as flowing from one moment to the next in a linear fashion. This linear perception of time is predominant in America along with most northern European countries, such as Germany, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.[6] People in these cultures tend to highly value productive time management, and avoid decisions or actions that would result in wasting time. This linear view of time correlates with these cultures being more “monochronic,” that is, preferring to do only one thing at a time. In general, this cultural vision leads to a better focus on completing a single task, and from there, to more productive time management.

Another cultural view of time is multitasking. In multitasking cultures, most people are happier the more tasks they perform at once.[6]​ These cultures are “polychronic”: they prefer to do multiple tasks at once. This multitasking view of time is prevalent in southern European countries, such as Spain, Portugal or Italy. In these cultures, people often tend to spend time on things they consider more important, such as finishing social conversations. In business environments, little attention is often paid to the length of meetings, while high meeting quality is considered important. In general, these cultures focus more on synergy and creativity than on effectiveness.[7]​.

Finally there is the cyclical view. In cultures with this vision, time is considered neither linear nor related to events. As days, months, years, seasons and events occur regularly and repetitively, time is seen as cyclical. Therefore it is not considered to be wasted, since it always comes back, since there is an unlimited amount.[6] This cyclical view of time is prevalent in most Asian countries, including Japan and China. In cultures with cyclical time vision it is more important to complete tasks correctly. Therefore, most people, before acting, will spend more time thinking about their decisions and the impact they will have.[7]​ In these cultures, most people tend to understand that, in other cultures, the perception of time is different, and they are aware of this when they interact with people of different vision.

As mentioned, the time management literature considers it essential to create an environment that is conducive to effectiveness. This includes:

• - "Get Organized" - triage of paperwork and tasks.

• - "Protect your own time" through isolation and delegation.

• - "Achievement through goal management and focusing on objectives" -motivational emphasis.

• - "Abandonment of bad habits" -overcoming underlying psychological problems, e.g. e.g. procrastination.

It is also important to choose the moment in which tasks are tackled, because there are tasks that require high levels of concentration and others that are more routine. It is recommended to perform the most difficult tasks first thing in the morning, when the person is more rested.[8]​ Or take advantage of the peaks of attention that each chronotype has at certain times of the day (owl people and lark people) to place the most complex tasks, leaving the simplest ones for the valleys of attention.[9]​ The aforementioned bibliography also focuses on overcoming chronic psychological problems such as procrastination.

A person's excessive and chronic inability to manage time effectively may be a symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD).[10] Diagnostic criteria include underachievement, difficulty getting organized, trouble getting started, difficulty multitasking, and trouble keeping track of tasks at hand. Some authors suggest that pathologies in the prefrontal cortex, which is the most recently evolved part of the brain, may be behind these problems.[11] This area of ​​the brain performs the functions of attention span, impulse control, organization, learning from experience and self-control "Self-control (skill)"), among others. Some scholars argue that it is possible to change the way the prefrontal cortex works and offer a solution.[12]​.

Contenido

Las estrategias de gestión del tiempo se asocian a menudo con la recomendación de establecer objetivos personales. Se pone énfasis en cosas como:.

• - Realizar las tareas por orden de prioridad –establecer objetivos y priorizar.

• - Fijar objetivos "gravitacionales" –que atraen automáticamente las acciones[13]​.

Estos objetivos se anotan y pueden ser divididos en un proyecto, un plan de acción o una sencilla lista de tareas. Se puede establecer un grado de importancia para tareas individuales o para objetivos, y pueden ponerse fechas límite y asignarse prioridades. Este proceso da como resultado un plan con una lista de tareas, un programa o un calendario de actividades. Puede ser recomendable una planificación diaria, semanal, mensual o por otros períodos. En la misma organización pueden coexistir planificaciones de diferente intervalo temporal, por ejemplo una mensual y otra anual, pero siempre coordinadas y elaborando la de menor intervalo de acuerdo a la de mayor. Siguiendo con el ejemplo, la planificación mensual se elabora teniendo en cuenta la anual, y para detallarla.[14]​ Todo esto puede hacerse de las maneras siguientes.

Para valorar la importancia de una tarea pueden tenerse en cuenta los beneficios que aporta: inmediatos, a largo plazo o bajos.[15]​ También, dentro de un proyecto complejo con múltiples tareas gestionado con la ayuda de un programa informático específico, se puede extraer el porcentaje de tiempo durante la simulación que una tarea estaba en la ruta crítica del proyecto.[16]​ A mayor porcentaje, mayor importancia de esa tarea. La sensación de urgencia que una tarea suscita en una persona puede reflejar más la situación de esa persona que la auténtica importancia de la tarea.[17]​.

ABCD Analysis

A technique long used in business management is the categorization of numerous data into groups. These groups are often named after the first letters of the alphabet, A, B, C, and D—hence the name. The activities are ordered by these general criteria:.

• - A– Tasks that are perceived as urgent and important.

• - B – Important, but not urgent tasks.

• - C – Unimportant, but urgent tasks.

• - D – Tasks neither important nor urgent.

Each group is then ordered by priority. To further refine prioritization, some individuals force all activities initially classified as B into categories A or C. ABCD analysis of tasks can incorporate more than 4 groups.[18]​ It should not be confused with ABC analysis for inventory management. The importance of tasks can also be color coded.[19]​.

ABCD analysis is frequently combined with Pareto analysis.[20]​.

Pareto analysis

It is based on the idea that 80% of tasks can be completed in 20% of the available time, and the remaining 20% ​​of tasks will consume 80% of the time. This principle is used to divide tasks into 2 sets. It is then recommended to assign higher priority to the tasks of the first group.

The 80-20 rule, called the Pareto principle, can also be applied to increase productivity: it assumes that 80% of productivity can be achieved by doing only 20% of the tasks. Similarly, 80% of results can be attributed to only 20% of the tasks.[21]​ If the goal of time management is greater productivity, then these tasks should have a higher priority.[22]​.

Eisenhower Method

The Eisenhower method has its origins in a quote attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower: “I have two kinds of problems, urgent ones and important ones. The urgent ones are not important, and the important ones are never urgent."[23] It should be noted that Eisenhower does not claim this idea as his own, but rather attributes it to a "previous university president" whose name he does not mention.

Using the Eisenhower decision principle, tasks are evaluated using the criteria important/unimportant and urgent/non-urgent, and then placed in the corresponding quadrants of an Eisenhower matrix (also known as an "Eisenhower table", "Eisenhower box", "Eisenhower diagram" or "Eisenhower decision matrix").[25]​[26]​ So:.

1. • tasks in the Urgent/Important quadrant are done immediately and personally,[27]​ p. e.g. crises, deadlines, problems;[26]​.

2. • tasks in the Important/Non-urgent quadrant get a completion date and are done in person, e.g. e.g. relationships, planning, recreation;.

3. • tasks in the Urgent/Unimportant quadrant are delegated, e.g. e.g. interruptions, meetings, activities; and.

4. • tasks in the Unimportant/Non-urgent quadrant are discarded, e.g. e.g. time thieves,[28]​ pleasant activities, trivialities.

POSEC method

POSEC is the acronym for the words "Prioritize Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and Contributing." The method dictates a template that emphasizes the average individual's immediate senses of emotional security and monetary security. It suggests that if an individual attends to his or her personal responsibilities first, he or she is better positioned to shoulder collective responsibilities.[29]​.

Underlying the acronym is a hierarchy of self-actualization"), which reflects Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

1. • Prioritize – your time and define your life by objectives.

2. • Organize – the things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful (family and money).

3. • Streamline – what you don't like to do, but has to be done (work and household chores).

4. • Economize – the things that you should do or that you may even like to do, but that are not urgent (hobbies and socialization).

5. • Contribute – paying attention to the few remaining things that make a difference (social obligations).

Time management also covers how to eliminate tasks that do not add value to the individual or the organization.

According to Sandberg,[30] task lists "are not the key to productivity that is claimed." He estimates that "30% of those who make these lists spend more time managing them than performing the tasks listed."

Hendrickson states[31]​ that rigid adherence to to-do lists can create a "tyranny of the to-do list" that forces "time to be wasted on unimportant activities."

Authors such as M. Sánchez[32]​ consider any form of stress harmful to health and learning, even if it is possible to adapt to its harmful effects.[33]​ But stress is an inevitable part of daily life and Reinhold Niebuhr suggests to face it, "have the serenity to accept the things that one cannot change and the courage to change the things that one can." Furthermore, it is considered that there are both negative stress (distress) and positive stress (eustress or eustress). The latter encourages us to face problems, be creative and respond efficiently.[34]​.

With the establishment of priorities and goals, an emotion called "worry" can arise (it is also possible to be worried without having established any). This emotion does not take into account the present, but instead fixates on a future that never arrives, leading to fruitless expenditure of the person's time and energy. It is an unnecessary cost or a false aspect that can interfere with plans due to the human factor (the unpredictability of any situation in which people intervene).[35]​ The Eisenhower method is a strategy used to combat worry and imperative, but boring tasks.[36]​ Worry, like stress, is a reaction to a set of environmental factors. If the person understands that it is not a part of themselves, they can manage their worry. Athletes with a coach call this management "putting on a game face."[37]​.

Change is hard and the routines of daily life are the most deeply ingrained habits. In order to eliminate what is not a priority in the time dedicated to studying, it is suggested:

• - divide tasks.

• - capture the moments in memory.

• - review the method of handling tasks.

• - postpone unimportant tasks.

• - balance the times dedicated to rest, sleep and leisure; and.

• - cleverly take advantage of periods that are initially unproductive, for example listening to recordings of classes while standing in queues.[38]​.

Some of these factors are:

• - bad habits.

• - the lack of definitions of the tasks.

• - the lack of clarity in definitions.

• - overprotection of work.

• - the feeling of guilt for not achieving goals and the subsequent avoidance of current tasks.

• - define tasks with expectations higher than their actual value.

• - focus on positive-looking issues without evaluating their importance to personal needs.

• - tasks that require support and time; and.

• - specific interests and conflicts.[39]​.

If the person wants to manage their time effectively, it is recommended that they get into the habit of using a systematic process.

Some of the most common causes why we cannot have good management of our time, and their effects, are:

• - Problems with planning: when we do not have a good estimate of the time of an activity, or obstacles arise, the other tasks planned for that day have to be moved in time, so we end up being less effective and there are times when we stay up late trying to finish everything that was pending for the day. That is why it is so important to have good planning of our activities.

• - Excesses: doing too many things at once, not finishing activities, postponing them and starting another new task, can affect us, since we use time for the task that we then interrupt without knowing if we will be able to finish it later.

• - Stress: cause and consequence of having poor time management. On the one hand, haste causes planning to be put aside; On the other hand, wanting to carry out an excessive number of activities generates stress. Furthermore, this same stress prevents us from distinguishing the important ones from the accessory ones.[40]​.

The agenda

The personal agenda is a book (non-removable pages) or notebook (removable pages using rings or similar system) that in its pages divides, usually into days, the time of a period (usually a calendar year). Each day of the year usually has a leaf, that is, there is at least one leaf (sometimes more) for March 14, another for April 26, etc. A day's sheet is usually divided into hours by horizontal lines. The purpose of the agenda is to write down, in the precise time interval, what the person has to do, or wants to do, that day at that time. It is an essential work tool[19]​ for executives "Executive (position)"), many other professionals (such as doctors who care for patients in their office), and students.

Once you have placed the tasks that need to be done on a precise day and time, you can fill the rest of your waking hours (the "schedule gaps") with activities that you need or want to do, but that do not need such a tight temporal placement. Although writing down a task in the agenda at the moment the need to do it arises is positive, because it unloads the mind and promotes concentration and creativity,[41]​ effective use of the agenda requires spending a few minutes[42]​ to organize it for a period (usually a week) before said period begins.[19]​.

The word "agenda" has other related meanings that are worth knowing.

Originally physical, electronic diaries became popular in the 1980s, most of which stopped being manufactured with the emergence of diary-type applications (apps) that came standard with the smartphone (smartphone).[43] These applications not only allow you to place a task at a time of a day, but also change it at any time with ease (in physical diaries you have to cross out the task in its original time space and write it again in another interval) and schedule alerts, from the mobile phone itself or sent to an email.

Typically, each person manages their own agenda, but in the case of very busy people, someone else usually does it. There are very common computer programs that allow one person to remotely organize another's agenda.

There are portable physical diaries, sizes around 11 cm high x 8 cm wide, designed for the person to carry with them (for example in a pocket) and other larger ones, around 20 cm high x 13 cm wide, in principle designed to be used on a table and not move from there. There are also multiple intermediate sizes, and even larger or smaller than the 2 described.

The task lists

A to-do list (also called a "to-do list") is a list of activities you want to complete, such as household chores or steps toward completing a project. It is an inventory tool that serves as an alternative to memory "Memory (process)") or a supplement to it.

Task lists are used in self-organization (managing oneself), business administration, project management, or software development. They may involve more than one list.

When one of the items on a task list is completed, the task is crossed out, endorsed[44]​ (a small mark is written next to it to indicate that it has been completed), or it is made to disappear from the list (if a computer medium that allows it is being used). The traditional method is to write the list on paper with a pen or pencil. Under the paper there may be a hard support surface (wood, plastic) that makes writing easier. This surface may have some type of clamp, usually metal, to hold the paper. Task lists can also be in the form of a checklist, on paper or computerized.

Writer Julie Morgenstern, in her recommendations on the dos and don'ts of time management, suggests:

• - Map everything important with a to-do list.

• - Create an "oasis of time" to control.

• - Say "no."

• - Establish priorities.

• - Don't postpone everything.

• - Do not think that you will be able to perform a critical task during your leisure time.[45]​.

Numerous digital equivalents are now available, including personal information management (PIM) applications and most PDAs (tablets). There are also Internet-based computer programs for managing to-do lists, many of which are free. There are also applications (apps) for the smartphone (smartphone).[46]​.

The tasks on a list are often spread over days and divided into categories. The simplest division system includes a general to-do list (or a task storage file) that contains all the tasks that a person needs to complete, and a daily list, which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general list to him or her. An alternative is to create a "do not do list" to avoid unnecessary tasks.[45]​.

Task lists are often prioritized:.

• - A daily list of things to do, numbered in order of importance, and done in that order, one at a time, as long as the time of that day allows. This system is attributed to advisor Ivy Lee (1877–1934) as the most helpful advice received by Charles M. Schwab (1862–1939), president of Bethlehem Steel.[47][48][49]​.

• - An early supporter of "ABC" prioritization was Alan Lakein, in 1973. In his system, elements A were the most important (with a subgroup A-1, even more important), elements B were next in importance and elements C were the least important.[18]​.

• - A particular method of applying the ABC system[50]​ is to assign A to tasks that must be done on the same day, B to those that must be done the same week, and C to those that must be done in the same month.

• - To prioritize a daily list of tasks, you can write the tasks from highest to lowest order of priority, or, after the list has already been written, you can assign them a number ("1" for the highest priority tasks, "2" for the next, etc.) indicating the order in which they should be executed. The second method is generally faster, because it allows tasks to be written more quickly.[45]​.

• - Another way to prioritize imperative tasks (group A) is to put the most unpleasant one first. When it's done, the rest of the list looks easier. The same idea can be applied to groups B and C, but instead of doing the first task right away (the most unpleasant), it motivates them to do other tasks on the list and thus avoid the first one.

• - A completely different approach, against prioritization, was proposed by the British writer Mark Forster in his book Do it tomorrow and other secrets of time management. Its approach is based on the idea of ​​closing the time interval in which the tasks on a list can be done, instead of the traditional "open" list in this regard. Forster argues that the traditional list ensures that there are almost always things left to do. He advocates that each day you must be able to complete all the tasks on the closed list for that day, and for those who do not succeed, this approach helps you diagnose where you are going wrong and what needs to change.[51]​.

• - Mere management of the list can replace the actual execution of tasks, if due to procrastination the time dedicated to planning is unnecessarily prolonged. This is similar to paralysis by analysis. Like many activities, time planning is subject to the law of diminishing returns.

• - To be flexible, a task system must take into account that at some point some type of disaster could occur. A company must be prepared for a disaster. Even a small disaster, if no one in charge has time in their agenda to handle it, can metastasize and cause the company much more damage than if the appropriate measures had been adopted at the right time.[52]​.

• - To avoid getting stuck in a pattern of waste, the task system should also include regular evaluation and planning sessions (monthly, semi-annual and annual) to prune inefficiencies and ensure that the user of the system is on the right course towards the objectives they truly want.[53]​.

• - If some time is not regularly dedicated to achieving long-term goals, the user of the task system (an individual or a company) can become stuck in a perpetual pattern of short-term plans, such as staying at a particular job much longer than initially planned.[54]​.

Computer programs

Many companies use time tracking software to monitor an employee's work day, billable hours, etc., e.g. e.g. a law firm management software.

Many time management software programs allow multiple users, let one user assign tasks to others, and facilitate communication through the program itself.

To-do list applications can be seen as a stripped-down version of a personal information manager or project management software.

Modern applications of this type may allow hierarchical structuring of tasks (a task may be composed of subtasks that may in turn contain other subtasks), may provide various methods of filtering and sorting the list of tasks, and may allow the user to assign notes of any length to each task.[55]​.

In contrast to the concept of allowing the user multiple filters, at least one software product contains an additional mode where it is the program itself that attempts to dynamically determine the best tasks at any given time.[56]​.

Time management systems

Time management systems often include a time clock or Internet-based application to track employee work hours. These systems give employers some insight into how their staff spends their time, allowing them to a certain extent (depending on which system they have implemented) to direct and plan it. In this way, employers can control labor costs and increase productivity. An adequate time management system automates processes and eliminates tedious tasks.

Getting things done (GTD)

The Getting Things Done (GTD) method was created by David Allen. The basic idea behind this method is to finish all the small tasks immediately and divide the big tasks into smaller ones to start completing them now. The reasoning behind this method is to avoid the information overload or mental block that can probably occur when there are hundreds of tasks. The thrust of GTD is that it encourages the user to do their tasks as quickly as possible, and to put their ideas on paper at the same pace, so that tasks and ideas are easy to see and manage.

Pomodoro

The "Pomodoro Technique", by Francesco Cirillo, was originally conceived in the late 1980s-1990s and gradually perfected until finally being defined in 1992. The name of the technique comes from a tomato-shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro in Italian) initially used by Cirillo during his university days. The fundamental measurement element within this technique is the "pomodoro", which is traditionally defined as a time of 30 minutes divided into 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest. Cirillo also recommends a longer break, 15 to 30 minutes, after every 4 "pomodoros." Through experimentation with various work groups and mentoring activities, Cirillo determined that the ideal duration of the "pomodoro" was between 20 and 35 minutes.[57]​.

Cultural differences in the way we conceive time can affect the way we manage it. For example, thinking about linear time is a way of thinking of time as flowing from one moment to the next in a linear fashion. This linear perception of time is predominant in America along with most northern European countries, such as Germany, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.[6] People in these cultures tend to highly value productive time management, and avoid decisions or actions that would result in wasting time. This linear view of time correlates with these cultures being more “monochronic,” that is, preferring to do only one thing at a time. In general, this cultural vision leads to a better focus on completing a single task, and from there, to more productive time management.

Another cultural view of time is multitasking. In multitasking cultures, most people are happier the more tasks they perform at once.[6]​ These cultures are “polychronic”: they prefer to do multiple tasks at once. This multitasking view of time is prevalent in southern European countries, such as Spain, Portugal or Italy. In these cultures, people often tend to spend time on things they consider more important, such as finishing social conversations. In business environments, little attention is often paid to the length of meetings, while high meeting quality is considered important. In general, these cultures focus more on synergy and creativity than on effectiveness.[7]​.

Finally there is the cyclical view. In cultures with this vision, time is considered neither linear nor related to events. As days, months, years, seasons and events occur regularly and repetitively, time is seen as cyclical. Therefore it is not considered to be wasted, since it always comes back, since there is an unlimited amount.[6] This cyclical view of time is prevalent in most Asian countries, including Japan and China. In cultures with cyclical time vision it is more important to complete tasks correctly. Therefore, most people, before acting, will spend more time thinking about their decisions and the impact they will have.[7]​ In these cultures, most people tend to understand that, in other cultures, the perception of time is different, and they are aware of this when they interact with people of different vision.

As mentioned, the time management literature considers it essential to create an environment that is conducive to effectiveness. This includes:

• - "Get Organized" - triage of paperwork and tasks.

• - "Protect your own time" through isolation and delegation.

• - "Achievement through goal management and focusing on objectives" -motivational emphasis.

• - "Abandonment of bad habits" -overcoming underlying psychological problems, e.g. e.g. procrastination.

It is also important to choose the moment in which tasks are tackled, because there are tasks that require high levels of concentration and others that are more routine. It is recommended to perform the most difficult tasks first thing in the morning, when the person is more rested.[8]​ Or take advantage of the peaks of attention that each chronotype has at certain times of the day (owl people and lark people) to place the most complex tasks, leaving the simplest ones for the valleys of attention.[9]​ The aforementioned bibliography also focuses on overcoming chronic psychological problems such as procrastination.

A person's excessive and chronic inability to manage time effectively may be a symptom of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD).[10] Diagnostic criteria include underachievement, difficulty getting organized, trouble getting started, difficulty multitasking, and trouble keeping track of tasks at hand. Some authors suggest that pathologies in the prefrontal cortex, which is the most recently evolved part of the brain, may be behind these problems.[11] This area of ​​the brain performs the functions of attention span, impulse control, organization, learning from experience and self-control "Self-control (skill)"), among others. Some scholars argue that it is possible to change the way the prefrontal cortex works and offer a solution.[12]​.

Contenido

Las estrategias de gestión del tiempo se asocian a menudo con la recomendación de establecer objetivos personales. Se pone énfasis en cosas como:.

• - Realizar las tareas por orden de prioridad –establecer objetivos y priorizar.

• - Fijar objetivos "gravitacionales" –que atraen automáticamente las acciones[13]​.

Estos objetivos se anotan y pueden ser divididos en un proyecto, un plan de acción o una sencilla lista de tareas. Se puede establecer un grado de importancia para tareas individuales o para objetivos, y pueden ponerse fechas límite y asignarse prioridades. Este proceso da como resultado un plan con una lista de tareas, un programa o un calendario de actividades. Puede ser recomendable una planificación diaria, semanal, mensual o por otros períodos. En la misma organización pueden coexistir planificaciones de diferente intervalo temporal, por ejemplo una mensual y otra anual, pero siempre coordinadas y elaborando la de menor intervalo de acuerdo a la de mayor. Siguiendo con el ejemplo, la planificación mensual se elabora teniendo en cuenta la anual, y para detallarla.[14]​ Todo esto puede hacerse de las maneras siguientes.

Para valorar la importancia de una tarea pueden tenerse en cuenta los beneficios que aporta: inmediatos, a largo plazo o bajos.[15]​ También, dentro de un proyecto complejo con múltiples tareas gestionado con la ayuda de un programa informático específico, se puede extraer el porcentaje de tiempo durante la simulación que una tarea estaba en la ruta crítica del proyecto.[16]​ A mayor porcentaje, mayor importancia de esa tarea. La sensación de urgencia que una tarea suscita en una persona puede reflejar más la situación de esa persona que la auténtica importancia de la tarea.[17]​.

ABCD Analysis

A technique long used in business management is the categorization of numerous data into groups. These groups are often named after the first letters of the alphabet, A, B, C, and D—hence the name. The activities are ordered by these general criteria:.

• - A– Tasks that are perceived as urgent and important.

• - B – Important, but not urgent tasks.

• - C – Unimportant, but urgent tasks.

• - D – Tasks neither important nor urgent.

Each group is then ordered by priority. To further refine prioritization, some individuals force all activities initially classified as B into categories A or C. ABCD analysis of tasks can incorporate more than 4 groups.[18]​ It should not be confused with ABC analysis for inventory management. The importance of tasks can also be color coded.[19]​.

ABCD analysis is frequently combined with Pareto analysis.[20]​.

Pareto analysis

It is based on the idea that 80% of tasks can be completed in 20% of the available time, and the remaining 20% ​​of tasks will consume 80% of the time. This principle is used to divide tasks into 2 sets. It is then recommended to assign higher priority to the tasks of the first group.

The 80-20 rule, called the Pareto principle, can also be applied to increase productivity: it assumes that 80% of productivity can be achieved by doing only 20% of the tasks. Similarly, 80% of results can be attributed to only 20% of the tasks.[21]​ If the goal of time management is greater productivity, then these tasks should have a higher priority.[22]​.

Eisenhower Method

The Eisenhower method has its origins in a quote attributed to Dwight D. Eisenhower: “I have two kinds of problems, urgent ones and important ones. The urgent ones are not important, and the important ones are never urgent."[23] It should be noted that Eisenhower does not claim this idea as his own, but rather attributes it to a "previous university president" whose name he does not mention.

Using the Eisenhower decision principle, tasks are evaluated using the criteria important/unimportant and urgent/non-urgent, and then placed in the corresponding quadrants of an Eisenhower matrix (also known as an "Eisenhower table", "Eisenhower box", "Eisenhower diagram" or "Eisenhower decision matrix").[25]​[26]​ So:.

1. • tasks in the Urgent/Important quadrant are done immediately and personally,[27]​ p. e.g. crises, deadlines, problems;[26]​.

2. • tasks in the Important/Non-urgent quadrant get a completion date and are done in person, e.g. e.g. relationships, planning, recreation;.

3. • tasks in the Urgent/Unimportant quadrant are delegated, e.g. e.g. interruptions, meetings, activities; and.

4. • tasks in the Unimportant/Non-urgent quadrant are discarded, e.g. e.g. time thieves,[28]​ pleasant activities, trivialities.

POSEC method

POSEC is the acronym for the words "Prioritize Organizing, Streamlining, Economizing and Contributing." The method dictates a template that emphasizes the average individual's immediate senses of emotional security and monetary security. It suggests that if an individual attends to his or her personal responsibilities first, he or she is better positioned to shoulder collective responsibilities.[29]​.

Underlying the acronym is a hierarchy of self-actualization"), which reflects Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

1. • Prioritize – your time and define your life by objectives.

2. • Organize – the things you have to accomplish regularly to be successful (family and money).

3. • Streamline – what you don't like to do, but has to be done (work and household chores).

4. • Economize – the things that you should do or that you may even like to do, but that are not urgent (hobbies and socialization).

5. • Contribute – paying attention to the few remaining things that make a difference (social obligations).

Time management also covers how to eliminate tasks that do not add value to the individual or the organization.

According to Sandberg,[30] task lists "are not the key to productivity that is claimed." He estimates that "30% of those who make these lists spend more time managing them than performing the tasks listed."

Hendrickson states[31]​ that rigid adherence to to-do lists can create a "tyranny of the to-do list" that forces "time to be wasted on unimportant activities."

Authors such as M. Sánchez[32]​ consider any form of stress harmful to health and learning, even if it is possible to adapt to its harmful effects.[33]​ But stress is an inevitable part of daily life and Reinhold Niebuhr suggests to face it, "have the serenity to accept the things that one cannot change and the courage to change the things that one can." Furthermore, it is considered that there are both negative stress (distress) and positive stress (eustress or eustress). The latter encourages us to face problems, be creative and respond efficiently.[34]​.

With the establishment of priorities and goals, an emotion called "worry" can arise (it is also possible to be worried without having established any). This emotion does not take into account the present, but instead fixates on a future that never arrives, leading to fruitless expenditure of the person's time and energy. It is an unnecessary cost or a false aspect that can interfere with plans due to the human factor (the unpredictability of any situation in which people intervene).[35]​ The Eisenhower method is a strategy used to combat worry and imperative, but boring tasks.[36]​ Worry, like stress, is a reaction to a set of environmental factors. If the person understands that it is not a part of themselves, they can manage their worry. Athletes with a coach call this management "putting on a game face."[37]​.

Change is hard and the routines of daily life are the most deeply ingrained habits. In order to eliminate what is not a priority in the time dedicated to studying, it is suggested:

• - divide tasks.

• - capture the moments in memory.

• - review the method of handling tasks.

• - postpone unimportant tasks.

• - balance the times dedicated to rest, sleep and leisure; and.

• - cleverly take advantage of periods that are initially unproductive, for example listening to recordings of classes while standing in queues.[38]​.

Some of these factors are:

• - bad habits.

• - the lack of definitions of the tasks.

• - the lack of clarity in definitions.

• - overprotection of work.

• - the feeling of guilt for not achieving goals and the subsequent avoidance of current tasks.

• - define tasks with expectations higher than their actual value.

• - focus on positive-looking issues without evaluating their importance to personal needs.

• - tasks that require support and time; and.

• - specific interests and conflicts.[39]​.

If the person wants to manage their time effectively, it is recommended that they get into the habit of using a systematic process.

Some of the most common causes why we cannot have good management of our time, and their effects, are:

• - Problems with planning: when we do not have a good estimate of the time of an activity, or obstacles arise, the other tasks planned for that day have to be moved in time, so we end up being less effective and there are times when we stay up late trying to finish everything that was pending for the day. That is why it is so important to have good planning of our activities.

• - Excesses: doing too many things at once, not finishing activities, postponing them and starting another new task, can affect us, since we use time for the task that we then interrupt without knowing if we will be able to finish it later.

• - Stress: cause and consequence of having poor time management. On the one hand, haste causes planning to be put aside; On the other hand, wanting to carry out an excessive number of activities generates stress. Furthermore, this same stress prevents us from distinguishing the important ones from the accessory ones.[40]​.

The agenda

The personal agenda is a book (non-removable pages) or notebook (removable pages using rings or similar system) that in its pages divides, usually into days, the time of a period (usually a calendar year). Each day of the year usually has a leaf, that is, there is at least one leaf (sometimes more) for March 14, another for April 26, etc. A day's sheet is usually divided into hours by horizontal lines. The purpose of the agenda is to write down, in the precise time interval, what the person has to do, or wants to do, that day at that time. It is an essential work tool[19]​ for executives "Executive (position)"), many other professionals (such as doctors who care for patients in their office), and students.

Once you have placed the tasks that need to be done on a precise day and time, you can fill the rest of your waking hours (the "schedule gaps") with activities that you need or want to do, but that do not need such a tight temporal placement. Although writing down a task in the agenda at the moment the need to do it arises is positive, because it unloads the mind and promotes concentration and creativity,[41]​ effective use of the agenda requires spending a few minutes[42]​ to organize it for a period (usually a week) before said period begins.[19]​.

The word "agenda" has other related meanings that are worth knowing.

Originally physical, electronic diaries became popular in the 1980s, most of which stopped being manufactured with the emergence of diary-type applications (apps) that came standard with the smartphone (smartphone).[43] These applications not only allow you to place a task at a time of a day, but also change it at any time with ease (in physical diaries you have to cross out the task in its original time space and write it again in another interval) and schedule alerts, from the mobile phone itself or sent to an email.

Typically, each person manages their own agenda, but in the case of very busy people, someone else usually does it. There are very common computer programs that allow one person to remotely organize another's agenda.

There are portable physical diaries, sizes around 11 cm high x 8 cm wide, designed for the person to carry with them (for example in a pocket) and other larger ones, around 20 cm high x 13 cm wide, in principle designed to be used on a table and not move from there. There are also multiple intermediate sizes, and even larger or smaller than the 2 described.

The task lists

A to-do list (also called a "to-do list") is a list of activities you want to complete, such as household chores or steps toward completing a project. It is an inventory tool that serves as an alternative to memory "Memory (process)") or a supplement to it.

Task lists are used in self-organization (managing oneself), business administration, project management, or software development. They may involve more than one list.

When one of the items on a task list is completed, the task is crossed out, endorsed[44]​ (a small mark is written next to it to indicate that it has been completed), or it is made to disappear from the list (if a computer medium that allows it is being used). The traditional method is to write the list on paper with a pen or pencil. Under the paper there may be a hard support surface (wood, plastic) that makes writing easier. This surface may have some type of clamp, usually metal, to hold the paper. Task lists can also be in the form of a checklist, on paper or computerized.

Writer Julie Morgenstern, in her recommendations on the dos and don'ts of time management, suggests:

• - Map everything important with a to-do list.

• - Create an "oasis of time" to control.

• - Say "no."

• - Establish priorities.

• - Don't postpone everything.

• - Do not think that you will be able to perform a critical task during your leisure time.[45]​.

Numerous digital equivalents are now available, including personal information management (PIM) applications and most PDAs (tablets). There are also Internet-based computer programs for managing to-do lists, many of which are free. There are also applications (apps) for the smartphone (smartphone).[46]​.

The tasks on a list are often spread over days and divided into categories. The simplest division system includes a general to-do list (or a task storage file) that contains all the tasks that a person needs to complete, and a daily list, which is created each day by transferring tasks from the general list to him or her. An alternative is to create a "do not do list" to avoid unnecessary tasks.[45]​.

Task lists are often prioritized:.

• - A daily list of things to do, numbered in order of importance, and done in that order, one at a time, as long as the time of that day allows. This system is attributed to advisor Ivy Lee (1877–1934) as the most helpful advice received by Charles M. Schwab (1862–1939), president of Bethlehem Steel.[47][48][49]​.

• - An early supporter of "ABC" prioritization was Alan Lakein, in 1973. In his system, elements A were the most important (with a subgroup A-1, even more important), elements B were next in importance and elements C were the least important.[18]​.

• - A particular method of applying the ABC system[50]​ is to assign A to tasks that must be done on the same day, B to those that must be done the same week, and C to those that must be done in the same month.

• - To prioritize a daily list of tasks, you can write the tasks from highest to lowest order of priority, or, after the list has already been written, you can assign them a number ("1" for the highest priority tasks, "2" for the next, etc.) indicating the order in which they should be executed. The second method is generally faster, because it allows tasks to be written more quickly.[45]​.

• - Another way to prioritize imperative tasks (group A) is to put the most unpleasant one first. When it's done, the rest of the list looks easier. The same idea can be applied to groups B and C, but instead of doing the first task right away (the most unpleasant), it motivates them to do other tasks on the list and thus avoid the first one.

• - A completely different approach, against prioritization, was proposed by the British writer Mark Forster in his book Do it tomorrow and other secrets of time management. Its approach is based on the idea of ​​closing the time interval in which the tasks on a list can be done, instead of the traditional "open" list in this regard. Forster argues that the traditional list ensures that there are almost always things left to do. He advocates that each day you must be able to complete all the tasks on the closed list for that day, and for those who do not succeed, this approach helps you diagnose where you are going wrong and what needs to change.[51]​.

• - Mere management of the list can replace the actual execution of tasks, if due to procrastination the time dedicated to planning is unnecessarily prolonged. This is similar to paralysis by analysis. Like many activities, time planning is subject to the law of diminishing returns.

• - To be flexible, a task system must take into account that at some point some type of disaster could occur. A company must be prepared for a disaster. Even a small disaster, if no one in charge has time in their agenda to handle it, can metastasize and cause the company much more damage than if the appropriate measures had been adopted at the right time.[52]​.

• - To avoid getting stuck in a pattern of waste, the task system should also include regular evaluation and planning sessions (monthly, semi-annual and annual) to prune inefficiencies and ensure that the user of the system is on the right course towards the objectives they truly want.[53]​.

• - If some time is not regularly dedicated to achieving long-term goals, the user of the task system (an individual or a company) can become stuck in a perpetual pattern of short-term plans, such as staying at a particular job much longer than initially planned.[54]​.

Computer programs

Many companies use time tracking software to monitor an employee's work day, billable hours, etc., e.g. e.g. a law firm management software.

Many time management software programs allow multiple users, let one user assign tasks to others, and facilitate communication through the program itself.

To-do list applications can be seen as a stripped-down version of a personal information manager or project management software.

Modern applications of this type may allow hierarchical structuring of tasks (a task may be composed of subtasks that may in turn contain other subtasks), may provide various methods of filtering and sorting the list of tasks, and may allow the user to assign notes of any length to each task.[55]​.

In contrast to the concept of allowing the user multiple filters, at least one software product contains an additional mode where it is the program itself that attempts to dynamically determine the best tasks at any given time.[56]​.

Time management systems

Time management systems often include a time clock or Internet-based application to track employee work hours. These systems give employers some insight into how their staff spends their time, allowing them to a certain extent (depending on which system they have implemented) to direct and plan it. In this way, employers can control labor costs and increase productivity. An adequate time management system automates processes and eliminates tedious tasks.

Getting things done (GTD)

The Getting Things Done (GTD) method was created by David Allen. The basic idea behind this method is to finish all the small tasks immediately and divide the big tasks into smaller ones to start completing them now. The reasoning behind this method is to avoid the information overload or mental block that can probably occur when there are hundreds of tasks. The thrust of GTD is that it encourages the user to do their tasks as quickly as possible, and to put their ideas on paper at the same pace, so that tasks and ideas are easy to see and manage.

Pomodoro

The "Pomodoro Technique", by Francesco Cirillo, was originally conceived in the late 1980s-1990s and gradually perfected until finally being defined in 1992. The name of the technique comes from a tomato-shaped kitchen timer (pomodoro in Italian) initially used by Cirillo during his university days. The fundamental measurement element within this technique is the "pomodoro", which is traditionally defined as a time of 30 minutes divided into 25 minutes of work and 5 minutes of rest. Cirillo also recommends a longer break, 15 to 30 minutes, after every 4 "pomodoros." Through experimentation with various work groups and mentoring activities, Cirillo determined that the ideal duration of the "pomodoro" was between 20 and 35 minutes.[57]​.