So much to do, so little time!

There’s been a lot going on in my life recently from taking on extra responsibilities at work to focusing on my relationships with friends and family. You can say I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed, and I’m sure you’re feeling it too with a lot on your plate. But all we need to do right now is breathe and effectively manage our time.

Take a minute to think about this question: “How much of your typical day do you spend stressed and anxious about not having enough time to complete a task or achieve a goal?”

There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Each and every one of us has exactly the same amount of time in a day. What will set you apart is how effectively you spend that time. Rather than spending your time binge-watching some new series on Netflix or aimlessly scrolling through Instagram (guilty!), spend your time planning. You may be reluctant, but it will make a huge difference. For every one minute spent in planning, you will save ten minutes in activity and execution.

Time allocation is crucial.

Time management is not very difficult as a concept, but it is surprisingly hard to implement in practice. Trust me, easier said than done. Time management is a key skill that needs to be developed and implemented from the get-go.

Here is a method I like to use to plan my day: the ABCDE method (credit: Brian Tracy).

• A = Absolutely do
• B = Better do
• C = Can do
• D = Delegate
• E = Eliminate

You should always ask yourself these two questions — “What is the #1 thing I need to be doing now?” and “Does this action substantially help towards achieving my goals?” Next, write down all the tasks you need to complete by the end of today. Go through your list and put A, B, C, D, E by each. Prioritize A’s, B’s, C’s; note who you will delegate the D’s to, and cross out the E’s.

With practice, this simple technique will make you the master of your time.