I’ve read tons of self improvement essays, self help books, and watched 100’s of YouTube videos on time management. Still, I tend to procrastinate or lose track of time. Here are some of the best tips that I’ve found for staying on track and on schedule.

The biggest battle for a lot of people is their phone. It’s scary how much time can be wasted staring at the screen of a smart phone. Most smart devices automatically track your usage, so you can easily see how much time you’ve lost to your technology. I was the worst, so I’ve been trying to limit my screen time in the following ways:

• Uninstall social media apps. I’ve been trying to access social media for only a few minutes per day, and only on my laptop. By eliminating mindless minutes of scrolling through timelines, the screen timer on my phone started to drop immediately.
• Keep your phone on Silent or Vibrate, and don’t keep it in your pocket. This made a huge difference for me. Rather than taking out my phone to check every notification, I started putting my phone in my bag. Since it’s always on vibrate, messages won’t easily disturb me when I’m focused on another task. I can check my phone at designated times, and I only turn the ringer on when I’m available to answer phone calls or reply to messages, immediately.
• I don’t use the calendar in my phone. Your mileage may vary here, but this works for me. Instead of getting lost in my phone, answering old text messages, etc., I’ve switched back to a paper day-timer. I keep my schedule on a paper calendar, with a pencil.
• Whenever possible, switch to hard copy books as well. Reading on your iPhone or Kindle can lead to other distractions; emails and text messages can extend your screen time, and sidetrack you from finishing your reading.

Aside from limiting your screen usage, another one of the most impactful ways to be more efficient with your time, is to wake up early and get stuff done! It’s easy to sleep in. Sometimes, if you’re not careful, it’s even easier to trick yourself into thinking that you got up early. I used to wake up at 6:00, but not really get much work done until about 9:00. If I had early training clients, I half-slept through their sessions. I experienced a huge boost in productivity when I started to use those extra 3 hours every morning. For me, that means about 5-10 minutes of deep breathing, meditation, or reading to get in a positive and productive mindset. Immediately after that, without hesitating, I jump into my tasks for the day. If you tackle the hard stuff first, you’ll be amazed how much you can accomplish before 9:00 AM.

It also helps to:

• Keep daily and weekly to do lists.
• Say “no” to unnecessary commitments, and leave room for what you need to do.
• Face your problems, first. Putting things off often allows issues to snowball, and the resulting mess can cost you way more time, later.
• Build in time for self care and personal development. You won’t be able to manage your time well, if you are burned out.
• Try hiring a coach. You can get accountability and regular help with time management in my online coaching program: https://joetoproathlete.com/product/online-trainer

Just like with training, and every area where you seek to improve, tracking progress will help you be more successful. Take notes on what saves you time, and on what makes staying organized easier. Taking notes will also keep you more focused on your goal. It all comes down to how much you want to be successful here; as always.