“Time flies when you’re having fun.” Unfortunately, time also flies when you aren’t having fun. Between balancing work, birthday parties, family vacations, and your household chores, planning for day-to-day tasks is a task. For any legal professional, calendaring and keeping track of dates and deadlines is an important skill to master — both inside and outside the workplace.
How can you become more efficient with how you spend your time, while trying to keep a balanced lifestyle? Luckily, various tools and techniques were created with this exact purpose in mind, tools to which you probably already have access.
Mobile Calendars and Notes
Mobile calendar apps are the planners of the digital age. Scheduling on your mobile device is convenient because most of us usually have our phones already right next to us throughout the day. Some examples of calendar apps that live on your phone may include Google Calendar, Microsoft Calendar, or your phone’s built-in calendar app. Certain calendar apps allow you to share your schedule with others, which may come in handy when trying to find availability among multiple individuals.
If you’re looking for a freeform way to manage your to-do list, there’s also the Notes app on your mobile device. Under Notes, you can easily jot down quick tasks that you need to accomplish. You can even use “checklist” bullet points so that you can “check” each item off as you progress through your to-do list. This can be a quick and less structured method of jotting down thoughts throughout the day.
There are many productivity apps that are designed for planning and scheduling, which may range from basic to more complex. Some additional popular task management and productivity apps include Todoist, Notion, Trello, and Google Tasks.
Setting Social Media Screen Time Limits on Devices
If you have an issue with “doom-scrolling,” or if your smartphones and tablets are distracting you too often, then monitoring your screen time may be a solution for you. For Apple and Android devices, this feature is called “Screen Time” and “Digital Wellbeing,” respectively.
This built-in feature allows you to monitor your screen time and lists your phone usage by app to let you see how much time you spend on your phone. (For example, if you’ve spent five hours on TikTok, the function will let you know.)
You can also utilize app timers to set time limits on each app. Your device will alert you if you’ve reached your maximum time for that app, then restrict your usage of it. (This setting
may be overridden or ignored, but the purpose is to limit the time you spend on your phone and deter you from unnecessary distractions.)
Handwriting in Journals and Planners
Time management technology tools are great, but sometimes users just need to handwrite their to-do list or activities for the day. Remember, being organized isn’t a “one size fits all” approach. Handwritten journals and planners continue to be great tools for memory and planning. There’s a reason many schools still encourage handwritten notes in classes: If you need to remember information, your best chance is to write it down.
Writing information down on paper (rather than typing it out on a computer) is beneficial for memory recall and it’s a method that helps people learn and remember. Planners come in daily, weekly, and monthly versions so you can pick the one that works best for you.
Where to start?
If you decide to test out a new calendar or scheduling method, keep these things in mind:
- Progress takes time. It may take a while to get used to new planners or scheduling apps, and success isn’t immediate. You may need to make changes and experiment with different methods. Progress doesn’t happen instantly, and it’ll take practice before it becomes effective for you.
- It’s… ALIVE! Plans get cancelled. Lunch meetings get rescheduled. Your calendar is a living document that is always in flux, and always changing. Remember that even the best laid plans are not bulletproof.
- Find your own shortcuts. You may discover tips and tricks that work for you, but may not make sense to other people (i.e. color coordinating, highlights, abbreviations). Use these to your advantage and continue to do what works best for you.
- Stick with it. Your daily planner won’t be effective unless you consistently use it. Your Google calendar won’t be up-to-date unless you update it periodically. Consistency may be the most difficult part for some, but putting aside time to plan ahead is essential when it comes to time management.
- Block off time for yourself. Balanced lifestyles aim to reach a balance between work and play. Your time may not be evenly split, but blocking off some free time for yourself every week may help you avoid experiencing burnout.
Time management is a lifelong project, but the better you get at it, the more things you will achieve.
