9 most useful and effective time management models today

Time management is how we use our time effectively. Good time management allows us to make the most of the day, completing work in the most scientific way. However, not everyone knows how to manage time effectively. Join 1C Vietnam to learn about the 9 most useful and effective time management models in the article below.

9 effective time management models

1. Pareto Principle (80/20 Principle)

The 80/20 rule was created by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto. The theory of this model states that 80% of results will be produced by 20% of actions. The goal of the Pareto model is to help you prioritize tasks that are most effective in solving problems.

Operating principle:

1. Identify some of the problems you are facing
2. Determine the cause of the problems
3. Determine the importance of problems on a scale
4. Arrange the causes into groups
5. Add up the groups' scores and prioritize solving problems with the highest scores first

People who should use the Pareto principle:

• Problem solver
• People with analytical thinking

2. Pomodoro method

The Pomodoro Method was created by entrepreneur and author Francesco Cirillo. This technique uses a timer to divide your work into time periods. Each period of time is called a Pomodoro, named after the tomato-shaped stopwatch that Cirillo created.

Operating principle:

1. Choose a task that needs to be completed
2. Set a timer
3. Focus on the task that needs to be completed
4. When your appointment time comes, mark it on a piece of paper
5. Take a short break
6. Repeat steps 2 through 5 until the task is completed

People who should use the Pareto principle: 

• People with many creative ideas
• People who feel lack of motivation to work

3. Eisenhower time management matrix

During Dwight Eisenhower's service in the United States military as Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II. Every day, he faced many difficult decisions so he invented the Eisenhower matrix

Operating principle:

The essence of the Eisenhower time management matrix is the classification of tasks based on their urgency and importance. Organize your task list into four specialized quadrants, sorting them by important, not important, urgent, and not urgent. Important and urgent tasks are tasks that we need to prioritize immediately, important tasks are those that contribute to your goals and bring long-term values to you.

People who should use the Eisenhower time management matrix:

• People in leadership positions
• People with critical thinking

4. Parkinson's Law

British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson became famous for saying “work is extended so as to fill the time available for its completion. In other words, the time you spend completing a task is the time it takes you to complete that amount of work. For example, if you are a student, your teacher asks you to submit your essay at the end of the semester, but you are usually not in a hurry to complete it right away, but will usually complete it a few days before the deadline.

Operating principle:

This is not considered a time management technique but it is a rule. If you understand this rule clearly, this is one of the most effective time management methods today. This helps you work more efficiently in less time.

• Complete ahead of time: try to complete the work before it's due
• Set deadlines for work: set a deadline for the work you are going to do and then try to complete it in half the time.
• Limit time for work.

People who should use Parkinson's law:

• People who procrastinate
• People who work well under pressure

5. Time Blocking method

Elon Musk is famous for being an efficient worker. He manages his time so effectively that he can work 80 hours a week and still have time for himself. This happened because he effectively used the Time Blocking method.

Operating principle:

Right after waking up, determine the time periods during the day and divide tasks accordingly within that time period. This method is not limited to work but also includes your leisure time, eating, and exercising. These are the steps that Elon Musk uses this method:

1. Divide a piece of paper into 2 columns, on the left write down each hour of the day and create blocks of time like half hours or hours.
2. Estimate the time needed to complete each of your tasks and schedule them into your time frame.
3. Add buffer time between each time block so that time of day can be adjusted.

People who should use the Time Blocking method: 

• People with analytical thinking
• Students and people with young children

6. Getting Things Done method

Created by David Allen, this process helps you get work done by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable tasks.

Operating principle: 

1. Record: You need to summarize the tasks you need to do by writing them down on paper, a notebook, your phone or anything that makes it easy for you to keep track.
2. Clarification: you need to decide if this task can be done immediately, if so, do it quickly. If not, ignore it for now.
3. Organize: Arrange task lists in order of priority for completion
4. Action: Start taking actions to tackle tasks and tasks
5. Review: Regularly review and update your to-do list.

People who should use the Getting Things Done method: 

• People who have difficulty concentrating
• People who feel often "overloaded" at work

7. Rapid planning method (RPM)

This method was developed by Tony Robbins as a way to train your brain to focus on a long-term vision, look at what you want and make it come true.

Operating principle:

1. Record: Write down all the tasks that you need to complete in a week
2. Break it down: arrange tasks together into common categories: personal, work, study.
3. Create RPM blocks: on a blank page, create 3 columns: task, desired outcome, and accomplished purpose. Next, list the actions you can take to accomplish that goal.
4. Self-empowerment: you can set your own titles, it will create motivation when doing your tasks

Who should use the rapid planning method (RPM)

• Student
• People with long-term goals

8. The “pickle jar” theory

This theory helps to find out what is useful and what is not useful in your daily life. It allows you to plan your work with your free time and set priorities for the day.

Operating principle:

Imagine you have a jar filled with sand, gravel, and rocks. Sand is on the bottom and gravel is on top.

1. Cat: This represents interruptions in your day, such as phone calls, texts, emails, social media, etc.
2. Pebbles: These are tasks you can complete but can be done another day or by someone else
3. Stone: These are the most important tasks to complete today

Start thinking about how your day job fits into the categories above. Then make a list of tasks that start in stone and end in sand, including estimates of how long they will take.

People who should use the “pickle jar” theory

• Intuitive people
• People with a concrete mindset

9. “Eat That Frog” Technique

This technique is named after a quote by Mark Twain: “Eat a live frog in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.” Start your day by doing the most difficult tasks first and eliminating them.

Operating principle:

1. Determine the target
2. Write it down
3. Set a deadline
4. Make the list
5. Sort the list in order of priority
6. Perform
7. Repeat it every day

Who should use the “Eat That Frog” technique

• People who think abstractly
• People with long-term goals

Choose the time management model that works for you

Whether you are a student or a working person, having good time management skills will help you have a balanced life and work effectively. If you have a habit of starting work close to a deadline, try using Parkinson's law or the “Eat That Frog” technique. If you have trouble focusing on the task at hand, try using the Pomodoro method to work more intensely for short periods of time.

Above are 9 useful and effective time management models compiled by 1C Vietnam. You can choose models to suit your work and needs. Hope you choose a suitable time management model to save time and improve work efficiency.