Need to improve your time management? 10 expert tips from UGA Extension

Time management is a skill that can transform your life, and small changes often lead to big results.

On a recent episode of the Cultivating Curiosity podcast, Travis Mountain, editor of “Time Management: 10 Strategies for Better Time Management,” shared his expert advice to help you reclaim your time and focus on what matters most.

Mountain, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension specialist in financial planning, draws from this popular publication and his extensive knowledge to offer practical tips for making the most of your time.

1. Know how you spend your time

The first step to managing your time effectively is understanding where it's currently going.

“Track your time in 15-minute increments,” suggested Mountain, who also serves as an assistant professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences. “Write down what you did, how you felt about it, and whether it was a productive use of your time.”

Once you’ve identified patterns, you can better allocate your time to meaningful tasks.

2. Set priorities

Not all tasks are created equal. Mountain emphasized the importance of differentiating between what’s urgent, important or neither.

“Remember, something urgent for someone else might not be urgent for you. You need to balance the pros and cons of taking on tasks,” he advised.

This includes learning to say no when necessary to focus on what truly matters.

3. Use a planning tool

From pen and paper to digital apps, find a system that helps you organize and track your tasks.

“Many people don’t realize they already have tools built into their smartphones,” Mountain pointed out.

Features like screen-time trackers can reveal how you’re spending your day, while apps and software can help you plan more effectively.

4. Get organized

A cluttered workspace or inbox can disrupt your productivity.

“People working in cluttered environments often struggle with time management,” Mountain said. He recommends categorizing emails or creating folders for quick access to important items, as digital organization saves time and reduces stress just as much as organization in our physical environment.

5. Schedule appropriately

Maximize your productivity by aligning tasks with your energy levels.

“I’m most productive in the morning,” Mountain shared. “That’s when I tackle my most important or difficult tasks. Less urgent tasks, like replying to emails, can wait until later in the day.”

Identify your peak productivity times and plan accordingly.

6. Delegate: Get help from others

Delegation isn’t just for managers — it’s a strategy everyone can benefit from.

“For example, I pay someone to mow my lawn,” Mountain said. “It frees up my time for more productive tasks.” Whether it’s hiring help or using services like grocery delivery, offloading some responsibilities can be a game-changer.

7. Stop procrastinating

Procrastination is a common pitfall. Mountain said if one of your habits is to allocate time for a project but repeatedly put it off, it may be helpful to break those tasks into smaller steps to make them less daunting and easier to commit to starting — even if it’s just for a few minutes.

8. Manage time-wasters

Effective time management starts with recognizing and addressing time-wasters. Mountain suggested that many people inadvertently waste time by getting caught up in smaller, less critical tasks, like working through emails first thing without evaluating the importance or urgency of each email. Similarly, as virtual meetings have become standard practice for many professionals, they can consume a lot of time.

“Do I really need to have this meeting via Zoom? Could it be that we could just talk on the phone and I can do some health exercise while I'm on the call?” Mountain said.

The key is ensuring that time is used efficiently, minimizing distractions and questioning whether certain tasks or meetings are necessary.

9. Avoid multitasking

Although multitasking was once viewed as a valuable skill, research now shows that it often leads to inefficiency. “You're much better off doing some type of bucketing system,” Mountain said.

Rather than juggling multiple tasks at once, it’s more effective to dedicate set time blocks to one project at a time. Multitasking can result in neither task being completed well.

“Research shows that chances are you're not going to get either of them done, or if you do, neither of them are going to be done very well,” he said. “Focusing on one thing at a time improves the quality of work and helps manage time more effectively.”

10. Stay healthy

Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for managing time effectively. Mountain emphasized the importance of evaluating your tasks and prioritizing the most important ones, including asking an often overlooked question: Are the things that I have on this agenda or this task list really important?

It’s about recognizing that some tasks might not be as urgent or important as they seem. Managing stress and balancing work with family time is essential for both mental and physical well-being. Good time management contributes to personal health, reducing stress and giving you more energy for both work and personal life.

Learn more about the 10 strategies in the full publication from UGA Extension, “Time Management: 10 Strategies for Better Time Management.”

This article was written by Emily Cabrera and Jordan Powers from the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.