The game within the game of American football is time management. There are 60 minutes of playing time in the game. The more time your offense is on the field with the ball, the more opportunity you have to score… and the fewer opportunities the other team has.
When you have more points than your opponent, the game clock strategy on offense is to run plays that take up the most amount of time and keep the clock running, while moving you down the field to score even more points to solidify your lead. This strategy also means there’s less time for the other team when they get the ball back.
When you’re behind, you want to run plays as quickly as possible and stop the clock as often as you can to preserve time as you’re moving down the field to score.
Coaches try to strategically manage the things that stop the clock — timeouts, incomplete passes, stepping off the field of play with the ball, changes of possession, and the two-minute warning… among others — to their advantage.
And, while the basic idea of keeping your offense on the field for as much time as you can seems simple, the other team is trying to do that, too. So, successfully managing the clock is notoriously difficult for even professional NFL coaches.
Successfully managing the clock is something other professionals often find difficult, too.
Like football coaches, we writers and freelance professionals want to maximize our offensive time in the game — when we’re doing proactive, income-producing tasks. And, we want to keep our defense — our reactive tasks — to a minimum.
Because, let’s face it, it’s a lot more satisfying and fun to end the day with a win than a loss.
So, how do we win the day? How do we manage our time, get everything done, and still have a life?
Here are some time-management strategies I’ve found work for me and others. They can work for you, too.
Time Blocking
Time blocking is the strategy of breaking your day into chunks of time and then scheduling tasks into those blocks of time.
Many people find this gives their day structure and keeps them focused on the things they need to get done rather than facing a completely open schedule that makes it tempting to meander through the day, jumping from one task to the next.
Going back to our football analogy, you could consider your time blocks the quarters of the game.
For example, your day may look something like this, if you need six hours of productive working time per day:
- 8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. — Startup Routine (your pre-game warmup)
- 8:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. — Task Block 1
- 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. — Task Block 2
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. — Lunch (half time)
- 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. — Task Block 3
- 2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. — Task Block 4
- 4:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. — Shutdown Routine (your post-game wrap-up)
Notice the 15-minute time breaks between each of the working time blocks? Those breaks are important to “reset” your mind and body, keeping you fresh throughout the day. I suggest getting away from the computer, stretching, perhaps even going outside to get some fresh air during those breaks.
Each of those 90-minute task blocks can be further broken down, if what you have planned for those times won’t take that long. For example, Task Block 3 may include reading and responding to email, social media, and bookkeeping tasks like invoicing, depositing payments, and paying bills.
You may also find it helpful to break these blocks of time into smaller productivity chunks. The Pomodoro Technique suggests setting a timer for 25 minutes of uninterrupted work, followed by a five-minute break.
And, of course, you can stretch those blocks into two hours and adjust the times accordingly, if you have more to do each day.
Routines to Start and End Your Workday
Startup and shutdown routines have been shown to boost your workday productivity and give you a better sense of work-life balance.
My startup routine is to get a full cup of coffee, turn on my laptop, write my main goal (as well as, something I’m grateful for) in my planner, review my calendar and tasks for the day, do a quick couple of stretches, and then get to work.
My shutdown routine is to write out the tasks I plan to tackle the following day, recognize at least one “daily win” of the day, turn off my laptop, do some stretching, and then physically leave my home office and turn off the lights in that room.
These routines really are mostly about mindset. They get you “in the zone” to work and then let you leave work behind at the end of the day.
Your startup and shutdown routines may not look just like mine. They don’t have to! You can design them to be whatever you need them to be to get you into a productive — and then non-working — state of mind.
It may take a few tries and tweaks to get a routine that’s most effective for you. It’s worth the effort! And then, once you find something that feels right, the key is to be consistent.
With time and practice, you’ll find going through your routine is like flipping an on/off switch in your brain. You’ll be able to get more done and still have a life outside of work.
Schedule Flexibility and Downtime
The potential downside of time blocking your day and scheduling every last minute is that you don’t have any wiggle room for unexpected things that come up. That’s why I suggest intentionally scheduling some cushion time each day, as well as some downtime each week.
For example, my time blocks add up to six hours of work time each day, with the day ending at 4:30 p.m. If something unexpected comes up, I can easily add extra time (an overtime quarter to the game) to accommodate it.
Or, I can expand my break times, if something personal comes up.
I also keep at least two to four time blocks unscheduled each week. If something comes up, I have them available and can plug in the extra tasks. If nothing comes up, I have an extra half-day to a full day of time off.
Time Management for the Win
Jim Rohn said, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.”
I don’t know about you, but I don’t like the feeling of giving up my power to anyone or anything else. I much prefer to run the day than the other way around.
I’d much rather be proactive and set myself up for the win than to rely on defensive reactions to get through the day.
Effective time management lets you feel good about your workday and your non-work life. It sets you up for the win each and every day.
Practice it, master it, and get your touchdown victory dance polished up. With solid time-management skills in your playbook, you’re sure to be celebrating many wins along the way.
