Seven ways to feel more in control of your time

So many individuals don't have full control of their lives not to talk of controlling their time.
I hope this article shapes your mind on how to control and manage your time.

1. Review and edit how you spend your time

“Do something I call a ‘life edit’ and keep a diary of what you do with your time for a week. Evaluate what’s necessary, what’s valuable and what’s a priority so that you can start to work out where to spend your time more intentionally.

"Lots of people are surprised to find that they actually have lots of leisure time, but they never feel switched off because they’re always doing other things within it like checking the office email or giving partial attention to their life, which makes it less memorable.

“Focus allows us to value our experiences. If you’re going for a walk or meeting a friend, give it the value of your undivided attention.

“Evaluate your habits and get rid of the ones that don’t work for you. This creates space to form new habits that help you feel more in control. Even tiny rituals like making the bed or sitting down properly for breakfast are shown to cascade positive change in our behaviour.”

2. Monotask where possible

“If you’re tackling two tasks in parallel it will take you 30% longer than if you do them sequentially. Task-switching uses up a huge amount of cognitive energy trying to refocus on the thing you were doing before you got distracted.

“Women in particular are proud to say they’re multitaskers. It’s good to be proud of it because it’s really very difficult, but it isn't always the most efficient use of time.

“So, once you've worked out what you’re doing with your time, spot the 'time thieves'. These could be your phone, or other people in the office, mess or noise - anything that tends to distract you. Quarantine those distractions if you can, and look at how you can streamline your routine so you can focus on one task at a time.”
3. Tackle the biggest tasks in the morning

“We only have a finite amount of concentration in each day, and the morning is when your will power, attention and motivation are greatest. So tackle the hardest, most intellectually or creatively demanding tasks first and treat this time as sacred - no interruptions!

“Then, in the afternoon, use the fact that your attention is weaker to your advantage – it's a good time to do 'bitty' tasks like answering emails or internet shopping.”

4. Don’t allow others to control your time

“The joy of digital media is that we can choose to respond when we want. So train other people not to expect an instant response from you.


“Why not have an auto-email message that lets people know you only check your emails once or twice a day? You can add your number for those who need an urgent reply – it's just about making people think a little harder before they put demands on your time that aren't necessary.”

5. Get ahead

“Planning ahead is incredibly powerful for making us feel like we're setting our own agenda. Think about how good you feel when you have your clothes laid out for the morning, or when you've packed the lunches the night before. Similarly, you feel much more in control of your time if you can anticipate tasks, rather than getting stuck in a reactive loop and constantly adapting to the latest distraction.

“Tomorrow lists are very helpful. At the end of the day, allocate your three or four tasks for the next day and when that day begins don't add more tasks, otherwise you'll feel like the inadequate servant of your insatiable to-do list! To allow space for the unanticipated demands, which will crop up, add one contingency slot within your day to tackle that unexpected thing.
Everything else has to wait.”

6. Set time boundaries and know when to stop

“First thing in the morning is often the most stressful time for people – you might be in a family trying to get everyone ready and out the door, or possibly dashing to work in a busy city.

Allow extra time for the transition of getting from the house to where you need to be so that youcanwait for the next train, or walk slowly through the park.

This will allow you to arrive at your destination in a much better state of mind to start the day feeling on top, in control and not stressed.

"Take regular breaks through the day and you will be far more productive. Many of the best ideas happen when our minds are relaxed and elsewhere.

7. Breathe!

“Many people don't realise that when we're messaging or emailing, we often hunch over and breathe more shallowly.

“This sends our body into fight or flight mode, which is great if you need to run away from trouble but not if you're simply sat at a desk. It will cause you to feel panicky and impulsive, and pressure is brilliant for making people make bad decisions.