“Time is really the only capital that any human being has, and the only thing he can’t afford to lose.” ― Thomas Edison

Time management is a skill that can provide a sense of control, calm, and peace. By properly planning and navigating your schedule, you’ll have the ability to make clear decisions that impact every part of your life. Possessing such a power unlocks a level of mental freedom worth savoring. Here are three time management tips to achieve the mental freedom you seek. 

1. Prioritize Your To-Do List 

Moving your to-do list from your mind to a hard copy version helps free mental space. But in order to be most effective, you must prioritize your list. You can begin by writing this list before bed or at the very start of your day. Begin by placing the most urgent items at the top, moving down toward the items you’d like to complete if time allows. Schedule checkpoints throughout the day. Ideally, one midday, with an additional one toward the end of your workday (if necessary). Your midday check-in should be an assessment to see how much you’ve accomplished, and whether you should rearrange, or completely redraft, your to-do list. 

2. Follow the 2-Minute Rule

The two-minute rule suggests if a task requires two minutes or less to complete, do it right away. This stops you from adding it to a to-do list or trying to remember to complete it later. You have enough on your plate without filling your mind with several small tasks you have to remember to get done at a later date. Save that space for more important work by handling quick items as they pop up. Of course, you can use your discretion. If you are in the middle of something that requires extreme focus, you don’t need to abandon your project to suddenly be pulled in a different direction for a trivial matter. The point is, allow yourself the space to take care of the two-minute task, if you have two minutes to spare. 

3. Be Realistic

Lastly, be realistic. It’s human nature to overcommit. We often believe we’ll be able to accomplish more than actually possible within a certain time period, placing undue stress on ourselves. Instead of setting lofty goals with your daily schedule, be honest with yourself. Consider the amount of work you’ve gotten done each day over the last week, and use that as a model to gauge how much you’re likely to get done tomorrow. Feel free to be a bit optimistic with your estimation, just make sure you don’t forget to be realistic as well.

Our lives are so jammed packed with tasks, events, and responsibilities. It can be a bit overwhelming trying to stay on top of it all. But with these three time management techniques, controlling your schedule just got a little easier. Once you begin to put these techniques into practice, mental freedom is just around the corner!