CONTROL YOUR TIME

Here’s how the pros stay productive throughout the day

1 Set achievable targets

“I used to make very long lists, but I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them and it would make me feel like a failure,” says Iris Compiet. “Now I tend to just make lists with two or three things I need to do in a day.”

2 Dip into data

“If you think a project will take two weeks, start recording your accomplishments and then look back at the data,” advises Ellen Jewett. “Did it take two weeks last time? Don’t think about ideals, don’t think what it should be – look at the reality and base future estimates on that.”

3 Schedule breaks

“I found that having a simple timer on my desktop set to increments of 30 minutes works best,” says Gilles Ketting. “I often divide my working day up in stretches of several 30 minutes blocks. This especially works if I must do something that I’m not too keen on doing, or have an approaching deadline.”

4 Establish an order

“Make sure you know when your deadlines are,” Sean Sevestre recommends. “I have a big whiteboard where I write those down as well as writing down things like what I plan on working on the next day… things like that.”

5 Figure out what works best for you

“I use hard copy calendars and notebooks for everything,” says Lily Williams. “For me, having something physical to flip through, reference and cross off is a necessity. Knowing and respecting how you prefer to manage your time is crucial. You might not manage your time like your peers and that’s okay – as long as your work gets done.”