How to Manage Your Time

• Create a schedule or to-do list. Write down deadlines for accomplishing certain tasks.
• Plan to tackle difficult projects at the times of day when you are most alert.
• Schedule time for people, including yourself. Create some personal time by waking up half an hour earlier or going to bed half an hour later than usual; plan a weekly date with your spouse, or arrange to have lunch with friends.
• Prioritize what you need to accomplish. "Pareto's principle" states that 80 percent of your accomplishments come from 20 percent of your efforts, so think strategically: Locate and isolate this valuable 20 percent, then focus your efforts on the tasks that promise the greatest rewards.
• Delegate as many chores as you can. Hand out projects to subordinates at work, recruit your children to help with household chores, hire a gardener to maintain your lawn.
• Learn to say no to nonessential demands on your time. Don't volunteer for a committee if you don't have time, and decline invitations to events you don't have time to attend.
• Overcome procrastination.
• Avoid perfectionism. Don't waste time obsessively perfecting a task when you could better spend the time on something else.