One of the most difficult tasks for people nowadays is time management. There’s always too much to do, and the feeling that time is not enough haunts us constantly. Although I do not have a complete and magical time management toolkit that will transform your life, I can give some tips and ideas that I have adopted and produced considerable benefits in my daily mess:

Begin listening to podcasts. They are perfect for turning wasted moments into productive ones. You can learn something during your daily commute, while jogging at the gym or during those boring flights.

Have something to read at hand. I always have at least a business magazine near me at home, in the office or in the car. You never know when you’ll be stuck waiting for someone or something, and you can use those 5 minutes to read a very interesting article.

Need to concentrate? Turn off all distractions. If I have to write a long email or an important report, the first thing I do is to disconnect the network cable from the computer, shut the door and sometimes even turn off my cell phone. No one is going to die because you disappeared for 20-30 minutes and your work will be done quicker and better.

Have somewhere to jot down notes. Get those thoughts off your mind and you’ll feel much better. I normally use my cell phone’s voice recorder to quickly capture any important ideas or things to remember.

Adapt your activities to your energy levels. Some people have more energy in the morning, others at night. Save the bureaucratic work for the moment your energy is at its lowest, since you don’t have to think that much, and take advantage of your high energy for more important, challenging work.

Don’t start it unless you plan to finish it. Your mind takes some time to adjust to a new activity. Therefore, spend that setup time only once by finishing anything you begin.

Don’t waste too much time on something you’re stuck. This is the exception to the rule above. If you cannot find a solution for a problem, go do something else and get back to this problem later with fresh thoughts.

Get some rest. If you only rest when you feel exhausted, it means that part of your work was done near exhaustion, and your productivity was not at its best.