Old-School Time Management Tips That Are Better Than Any App
There’s something about physically writing in a planner that makes you feel more organized. A paper planner lets you see your day, week, or month at a glance without the distraction of your phone.
Back in the day, people set timers or used good old-fashioned clocks to limit how much time they spent on tasks. You don’t need a fancy app—just decide how long you’ll work on something and stick to it
Before digital burnout was even a thing, people knew the value of taking breaks. The Pomodoro method, for example, encourages working for 25 minutes and then taking a 5-minute break
Old-school pros always prepped the night before. Before you go to bed, take a few minutes to plan out the next day. This simple habit helps you hit the ground running in the morning instead of wasting time figuring out what to do first.
Before apps promised to help you focus, people simply minimized distractions. Turn off the TV, close the door, and put your phone in another room. You don’t need an app to help you focus if you’ve already eliminated the things
This old-school trick is genius: if a task will take less than two minutes, do it now. Don’t let small tasks pile up. Whether it’s responding to an email or putting away dishes, knocking out quick tasks right away prevents them from snowballing later.
Instead of switching between different types of tasks all day, group similar ones together. For example, set aside time to answer emails all at once, or run all your errands in one trip.