My 3 Favorite Time Management Tips

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Over the last 10 years, I have read many books looking for Time Management Tips. By far, my favorite is Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time by Brian Tracy.  This one book has done the most to improve my time management skills and is packed with Time Management Tips.  The book is titled after a Mark Twain saying that if the first thing you did in the morning was to eat a big frog, that would probably be the worst thing that happened to you that day.

Here is a list of some of my favorite Time Management Tips.

1. Use a Timer - When you set a timer for a specific amount of time, this will stimulate your brain to get busy and knock out the task at hand. It may not happen that easily in the beginning, but once you start using this method, it becomes a challenge to the brain. The brain loves a challenge, believe it or not, and will start going to work when you give it a task.  I actually use this technique with my daughter to help her do her homework as well.
2. Plan Ahead  - The best time to plan now is not now. You should have planned it earlier. On my most productive days at work, I start each day with writing down exactly what I will accomplish that day.  
3. Eat that Frog - When you look at your task list each morning, pick out your least favorite task and do it first, just get it out of the way. This frees up the rest of your day to focus on the things you actually enjoy doing.

When it comes to time management, there is no one size fits all.  So I recommend reading quite a few different books on the subject and pick the Time Management Tips that work for you.

Some of my other favorite Time Management Tips come from the following books:

• Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

I'm curious to hear from you.  What is your favorite time management tip?