The challenge of managing your own time (and three tips that helped me…)
Posted on September 16, 2025 by Ben Henry, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
Do you sometimes struggle with time management? When I started working for myself, I learned these three tips for a more productive day.
As a teacher, I had one hell of a timetable to follow. The entire day was mapped out in tidy little 50-minute boxes, and the vast majority of my time was allocated for me. But as a full time writer and when launching two businesses, I had the whole day to play with. Like several people I’ve spoken with in the past week, the downside of such blank-page flexibility is making the most of this time and not falling prey to procrastination.
Through a lot of trial and error (and maybe a dash of procrastination along the way) I found strategies that helped me write and self-publish two novels. I’ll share what worked for me, in case it works for you.
Make a list and put it in order: At the start of the day (for me, it’s while eating breakfast), I make a list of everything I would like to achieve that day. Nothing is too small a task – my list contains ‘Reply to X’s email’, ‘Send photo to Y’ – all the little things take time too, and we don’t want them to fall down the cracks. Next, put the list in order, starting with what ‘must’ be covered today, moving into what ‘should’ be covered, and then end with the ‘coulds’ – you’ll complete these if you have time but it’s not the end of the world if you do them tomorrow. It’s also a good idea to put ‘heavier’ tasks earlier in the day too, like that piece of writing you’ve been putting off because it’ll take some brainpower. Now you’ve got the list, that anxious part of your mind that’s worried you’ll forget something can sigh, take a back seat and let you get on with it.
Commit to a 3-hour block: In Stolen Focus, Johan Hari talks about how three hours of flow in the morning can really set you up for the day. We’ve all had days when we’ve done 3 hours of work in 5 or 6 hours, and we know we’re better than that. So find a three-hour window and stick to it. For me, that window is 8am – 11am each morning. I’ve had my breakfast, I’ve made my list. Phone in the kitchen, laptop open, here we go. Working through your list, you’ll do more in those three hours than you’d otherwise do in a whole day. Work like this, and you’ll do more in a week than most people do in a fortnight.
Find an app that works for you: I’ve heard great things recently about NotePlan, and if you want an app that syncs your calendars and gives you reminders, check it out. For me, it’s Notes and Google Docs all the way – I like something that will sync between my phone and laptop, and I like to create my bullet point lists and tables in my own way, so the blank pages work for me here. Whatever you choose, you want something that you can easily refer to when you’re on the go. When you’re having a chat with someone and they ask you to drop them that link – open the app and make a note. Then when it comes to planning your day, you can refer to the Note and bingo – you’re the person that gets things done.
These three strategies have made a huge impact on my productivity. If you’re managing your own time and would like someone to talk through what works for you and help to hold you accountable, get in touch and book a free clarity call.
