How to build an action plan in three easy steps:
Step 1: Change your mindset
- Take away the deadline and focus on the outcome.
- Influence your mindset long-term with tools like to-do lists, schedules, etc.
- Reflect and reset your plan as needed to align with your goals.
Step 2: Plan
- Prioritize your goals and tasks. (e.g. The Pickle Jar Theory or the Eisenhower Matrix)
- Time Block your schedule: Limit a time block to 90 minutes for big projects. Work in short
- bursts toward the big goal.
- Do not multitask.
- Schedule time to plan each week.
Step 3: Practice the plan.
- Hold yourself accountable.
- Stay flexible.
- Use your focus hacks during your working time. (e.g. 80/20 Rule – Eat the Frog)
- Reflect and reset every 30 days.
Resources
Prioritizing task methods:
Time management methods:
| Time blocking apps | Project Management apps | Time Management apps |
|---|---|---|
| ClickUp | Trello | Todoist |
| Clockify | Asana | Rescue Time |
| HourStack | nTask | Remember The Milk |
| Sunsama | Basecamp | Focus Keeper |
| TimeCamp | Jira | Toggl |
| Planyway | Monday.com | Dropbox |
| TimeBloc | Casual | Evernote |
| Google Calendar | GanttPRO | MindNode |
| TickTick | OmniPlan | GoodSync |
| Fantastical | Podio | MyLifeOrganized (MLO) |
| Clockwise | OneNote | Quire |
| Plan | ||
| Focus@Will |
Greenwood, H. (2022, February 8). 9 popular time management techniques and tools: USAHS. University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences. Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://www.usa.edu/blog/time-management-techniques/
How to stop procrastinating by using the "2-Minute Rule". James Clear. (2020, February 4). Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://jamesclear.com/how-to-stop-procrastinating
Martin Seligman. Pursuit of Happiness. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2022, from https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/martin-seligman-psychology/
TEDxTalks. (2017, December 19). The Philosophy of Time Management | Brad Aeon | tedxconcordia. YouTube. Retrieved July 16, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXBA4eWskrc
The Complete Guide to time blocking. Todoist. (n.d.). Retrieved July 9, 2022, from https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/time-blocking#introduction
YouTube. (2022, March 8). Brad Aeon: Everything you always wanted to know about time management (but didn't have time to ask). YouTube. Retrieved July 16, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDtndIDvKy0
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