5 steps to effectively manage your time (with template)

We might want to do a lot of things. But, we have to deal with a limited time.

“How did it get so late so soon?”― Dr. Seuss

We might want to do a lot of things. But, we have a limited time. Here are a few things you can consider in order to effectively manage your time as a product designer or a product manager.

1) Be clear on your goal this month. How could you consider this month a success? If you're an individual contributor, it has to do with something you produce. If you’re a manager, it could be defining strategy, people staffing, and a small portion for firefighting. Remember that what you're doing must connect with a larger picture. So, before putting your heads down—spend enough time understanding the larger objectives and strategy your team is heading to. Then, write the goals for this month.

2) List actions to achieve the goal. How to achieve the goal you have reflected for this month? Just list them down, and organize them later. This can be a meeting, exploring something, or getting the stuff done.

3) Plan your week ahead. Prioritize those actions. You must make that hard decision and focus on what matters—not the latest thing that pops in your head. Trim down tasks that are not a priority. I like to ask myself this when prioritizing: Will I block people if I don't get this done soon? Will bad things happen if I don't work on it now? Then I compare among different tasks. We can't do everything. We only have limited time.