{"id":41709,"date":"2020-03-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-02T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newrcblog.wpengine.com\/time-management-strategies\/"},"modified":"2026-02-01T16:15:54","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T00:15:54","slug":"time-management-strategies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/time-management-strategies\/","title":{"rendered":"Time management strategies from 22 productivity experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated February 2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Have you ever wished you had more time in your day? Do you ever find yourself looking at the clock and wondering where the time went? We hear you. That\u2019s why we\u2019ve compiled this handy list of 22 useful time management techniques from an eclectic list of experts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of these techniques are already well known, but others are among the secrets used by people like Victor Hugo, Warren Buffett, and Michelle Obama to stay productive. As we go through these time management strategies, we\u2019ll explain why you should take a leaf out of the books of these top thought leaders when you\u2019re juggling important tasks.<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll also show you how you can get more out of your day with the help of RingCentral\u2019s excellent range of helpful tools and products. The time management tips we\u2019ll cover are as follows:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Plan how to spend your time: Victor Hugo<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. Make a to-do list: Sir Richard Branson<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. Be flexible: Michelle Obama<\/a><\/li>\n
  4. Make a list of priorities: Warren Buffett<\/a><\/li>\n
  5. Use online collaboration tools: Julien Rio<\/a><\/li>\n
  6. Use Elon Musk\u2019s time-blocking method<\/a><\/li>\n
  7. Work out how long tasks will take in advance: Zig Ziglar<\/a><\/li>\n
  8. Introduce automation: Reid Hoffman vs. Adam Stone<\/a><\/li>\n
  9. Declutter your desk: Albert Einstein<\/a><\/li>\n
  10. Learn how to say no: Pythagoras<\/a><\/li>\n
  11. Use Pareto\u2019s law<\/a><\/li>\n
  12. Take a break before you hit the wall: Selena Gomez<\/a><\/li>\n
  13. Outsource the work you can\u2019t do: Manmohan Singh<\/a><\/li>\n
  14. Manage distractions: Deep Patel<\/a><\/li>\n
  15. Integrate online calendars: Amber Hurdle<\/a><\/li>\n
  16. Schedule time for tasks as well as meetings: Abby Lawson<\/a><\/li>\n
  17. Check out the Pomodoro Technique: Francesco Cirillo<\/a><\/li>\n
  18. Manage time wasters: Tim Ferriss<\/a><\/li>\n
  19. Remove wait periods: Ava Max<\/a><\/li>\n
  20. Set SMART goals: Bruce Lee<\/a><\/li>\n
  21. Use an Agile framework: Steve Jobs<\/a><\/li>\n
  22. Give up multi-tasking: Mozart<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \t\t\t<\/p>\n

    \n
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\"Are\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
    \n
    \nAre your meetings productive, or just wasting time?<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\tTake the quiz<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    \t<\/span><\/p>\n

    Why is a time management strategy important?<\/h2>\n

    Effective time management strategies separate the wheat from the chaff: they distinguish the best performers from those who don\u2019t complete crucial tasks until the deadline has already passed or who need to be continually chased up and pestered into getting things done.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Good time management skills ensure that you can do more in a shorter amount of time. The more you get done, the better your business is likely to perform\u2014and the better your business performs, the happier your clients and customers are likely to be. This boosts your chances of earning repeat business and drives healthy growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Think about the times when you\u2019ve been waiting for a customer to send back an order form so you can get to work. Or the days when you had a list of daily tasks planned out, only to find you didn\u2019t have time for them all. Maybe you were being chased up about specific tasks you\u2019d previously felt sure you could do within a particular workday.<\/span><\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re a perfectionist and you pride yourself on the standard of your work, you obviously don\u2019t want to let things slip because of time constraints. All of this can lead to you feeling stressed and overwhelmed, meaning you might slip even further behind.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Time is limited. There\u2019s only 24 hours in a day, and only so much you can do. Unless you\u2019ve got the right time management strategies in place, you\u2019re always likely to struggle to find enough time during your day.<\/span><\/p>\n

    There\u2019s always the temptation to delay and procrastinate. As the British author and one-time civil servant Cyril Parkinson once put it: \u201cWork complicates to fill the available time.\u201d This dictum, known as Parkinson\u2019s law, essentially means that simple tasks can take up inordinate amounts of time\u2014unless we take steps to prevent it.<\/span><\/p>\n

    So, how are you going to respond? Are you really happy struggling in your efforts to get all those urgent tasks done before the end of the day\u2014or is it time for a time management intervention? Read on, and discover new strategies for time management that\u2019ll rapidly help to make a positive difference to your daily workflow.<\/span><\/p>\n

    22 best time management strategies<\/h2>\n

    To find the very best time management ideas we took a look at what successful people in the public eye<\/span>\u2014<\/span>both past and present<\/span>\u2014<\/span>did to keep their schedules in order. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Here are 22 of the best time management strategies below, delving into the who, when, and how so that you can apply these practical suggestions to your own workday.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>1. Plan how you\u2019ll spend your time: Victor Hugo<\/h3>\n

    \"20<\/p>\n

    You\u2019ve probably heard the phrase, \u201cfail to prepare, prepare to fail.\u201d But being familiar with that old phrase and actually integrating it into how you do specific activities are two different things. This is because we don\u2019t always realize just how much we might benefit from planning ahead.<\/span><\/p>\n

    But as Victor Hugo, the renowned French poet and novelist, famously said: \u201cHe who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    In other words, by creating a plan each morning, you can make yourself accountable for your own actions as your working day progresses. By working according to a plan, you\u2019ll have both a target to aim for and an end goal.<\/span><\/p>\n

    As humans, we\u2019re programmed to work better when we know there\u2019s a reward. That reward can be something tangible<\/span>\u2014treating yourself to coffee on the way home\u2014or simply a sens<\/span>e of accomplishment. Planning out your day should give you this boost, as you see yourself hitting the goals you\u2019ve set.<\/span><\/p>\n

    When making your initial plan, break down the tasks you have to complete for a specific customer or project. Once you\u2019ve broken these down into smaller actionable tasks, rather than big projects, you should have a clearer view of where you need to spend your time each day.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Something that should help with this is a to-do list, which brings us neatly on to our next point.<\/span><\/p>\n

    <\/a>2. Make a to-do list: Sir Richard Branson<\/h3>\n

    \"How<\/p>\n

    A to-do list is quite simple: it lists the things you need to do. That simplicity is key to its impact. One of the people who swears by to-do lists is none other than Sir Richard Branson, billionaire founder of the Virgin Group. He <\/span>points out<\/span><\/a> that, rather than just drawing up a to-do list, you actually need to follow them to the letter.<\/span><\/p>\n

    As he puts it: \u201cThe crucial part of a to-do list is in the name\u2014you need to actually DO the things on your list.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    So, the biggest benefit of having a to-do list is that it provides you with a visual representation of the work you need to complete in a particular day. If you\u2019ve worked through most of the tasks you needed to complete, you can afford to give yourself a pat on the back.<\/span><\/p>\n

    There are two ways you can create a to-do list: physically and virtually. A physical to-do list involves writing it out with pen and paper, listing your actionable tasks. You can then tick them off or cross them out as you complete them.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A virtual to-do list, on the other hand, is one that you create in an online app or software<\/span>. As with paper to-do lists, you can list out actionable tasks and then mark them as complete once you\u2019ve done them.<\/span><\/p>\n

    With the RingCentral all-in-one communications app, you can easily create a task to add to your to-do list with just a click. You can even add deadlines and assign them to yourself or team members:<\/p>\n

    \"ringcentral<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    <\/a>3. Be flexible: Michelle Obama<\/h3>\n

    \"Exercise<\/p>\n

    Flexibility is the key to effective time management. When your team members have flexibility in their work schedule, they\u2019re likely to work more efficiently. This is because they have the ability to allocate specific tasks to specific times, allowing them to structure the work day in a way that\u2019s best for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

    So, for example, you might be at your most productive soon after you\u2019ve woken up, but other members of your team may be more efficient if they\u2019re allowed to get their work done during the evening.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Michelle Obama, lawyer and former First Lady of the United States, regularly emphasizes the benefits of flexible working. She\u2019s even said, in <\/span>an interview with Sir Richard Branson<\/span><\/a>, that: \u201cFlexible working is the only way forward.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    To introduce flexible working, you need to ensure you have <\/span>communication tools<\/span><\/a> that enable both real-time and offline conversations. Productivity software like <\/span>RingCentral<\/span><\/a> enables you to work more efficiently and asynchronously\u2014thanks to it\u2019s messaging, video and phone call capabilities:<\/span><\/p>\n