What are the benefits of time management?
There are only so many hours in the day to complete important tasks, and it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed by competing priorities. Using self-management practices, you can schedule blocks of time on each workday to complete tasks in order of top priority.
Many workers block off time on their daily calendars using an approach like this:
Tasks to complete in the morning
Tasks to complete in the afternoon
Tasks to add in the afternoon if high-priority tasks are completed early
Tasks that can be delegated to the next workday
As you map out your calendar, think about what tasks should be assigned to each block of the day. An effective time management strategy organizes tasks by priority, so think about:
Which tasks are absolutely essential and must get done that day
Tasks that are part of a larger project with other team members, who are dependent on your completed task before they begin
Lower priority tasks that you will get done where you can find time to do so
The lowest priority tasks that should only be completed when time allows for it
Following this format helps you manage priorities and set realistic timelines to complete each task. Using the time management template, this becomes a more visual process, making it easier to see how you manage your calendar and block off time to complete important tasks. As you get into a rhythm, you can make adjustments to your typical work schedule so that you can become more efficient.
When to use the time management template?
A time management template helps you build daily and weekly work schedules with priorities set around key tasks. The template serves as a visual project board that:
Lists out all the tasks you want to complete on specific days
Helps you focus time around the top priorities that must get done
Creates time blocks that estimate how much time each task takes to complete
Allows you to schedule time with other team members on tasks with shared priorities
One thing to keep in mind is that the time management template is best suited for smaller, granular tasks. For example, if your project is at the planning and strategy stage, you’ll probably need a different resource to help build that strategy.
Fitting for a time management template, a built-in time tracking feature records the actual time spent completing certain tasks. You can compare the time tracking results with your original estimate. As you develop a habit with your time management template, you can evaluate the accuracy of your time management estimates. Compare the time you planned to spend on tasks with the actual time spent so you can set more realistic time management targets in the future.
When to use the project task list template
This highly versatile template is ideal for teams working in industries where clear organization, accountability and deadline management are important to success. Whether your team is in banking and finance, healthcare, manufacturing or the public sector, this template will keep your projects running smoothly.
Here’s how certain industries can use the template to their benefit:
Banking and finance: Manage client portfolios, process loan applications or implement regulatory changes smoothly.
Healthcare: Launch new patient care initiatives, manage compliance tasks or oversee facility upgrades.
Manufacturing: Meet tight deadlines for product development, supply chain management or quality control.
Public sector: Implement new policies, manage grants or coordinate large-scale public projects.
How to use the time management template
The time management template helps you plan and track time for tasks throughout your workweek. Use your time management template to list all your tasks and assign them to specific days, and even specific times throughout the days.
By listing out all the tasks you want to achieve and assigning them to a specific day, you can work with focus and get more done. Use tags to add details like priority, time estimates (how long you think a task will take) and whether it’s for the morning or the afternoon. You might want to set more strategic tasks in the afternoon if that’s when you’re most productive, for example.
When you work on a task, you can use the time tracking feature in MeisterTask to record how long you spend on it – then compare it to your original estimate. The more you do this, the more accurate your time-management becomes. Encourage team members to use the template for their tasks so they can manage their time more effectively, too.
Step 1: Build your weekly schedule
Begin by creating the vertical sections in your template and map out the workflow. Since you’re using the template to schedule tasks throughout the week, each section should correspond with a day of the week — Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Additionally, you can add a sixth section labeled as Done to track all tasks that are completed throughout the weekly work schedule.
Step 2: Assign tasks to each day of the week
Once you have your sections, you’re ready to create tasks. You can create a new task by clicking the + in any board section.
Remember that the time management template is meant to schedule tasks throughout the workweek. Higher priority tasks, or tasks that are dependencies for other tasks to begin, should be scheduled early in the week, such as Monday or Tuesday. You can also use the tag AM/PM to assign time on each day set aside for those particular tasks.
For example, if your project is to build a relationship with a new potential client, you’ll want to begin by creating a client meeting agenda to discuss their needs. As the week goes on, you can complete tasks such as sending follow-up emails or scheduling check-in calls to discuss the content the client received.
You can also use your time management template to set priorities for important tasks. Adding tags like “High” and “Medium” to indicate urgency or importance will help you monitor which tasks should be assigned first. To add a new tag, open your task and click ‘Tags’ > ‘Manage’ > ‘Add Tag’ in the task sidebar.
Step 3: Create checklists for each task
Under each task, you can create checklists to describe all the requirements necessary to complete each task. This feature is a vital component of the time management template.
The checklists are a great feature to help you visualize how much work is required for each task. List out all the items that are connected to your tasks, and this will help you calculate how much time you need to complete all the work. Effective time management is about making realistic targets with productivity and deadlines—checklists are a great resource to help you do just that.
Step 4: Assign task start and end dates
Once you’ve added a task, assign a due date. You can also schedule the start and end date of your task to identify when it will be worked on and how much time it should take.
Use the built-in Gantt tracker to view the timeline of your weekly work schedule. By visualizing what tasks will be completed on which dates, it’s easier to assign tasks for new requests that come in later in the week.
You can also monitor the speed at which tasks move into the Done section of your project board. As you use the time management template for similar projects, you can more accurately predict appropriate start and end dates for certain tasks—allowing you more bandwidth and flexibility to accept new requests from other stakeholders.
Step 5: Monitor performance
Monitor progress to ensure tasks are being completed on time. If not enough tasks are reaching the Done section of your project board, you can review your checklists and identify where the roadblocks lie. If necessary, you can also request help from your project manager to review your workload.
You can also use MeisterTask’s Reports feature to compare your productivity week to week. This will also help you improve how you use your time management template for future projects.
Learn more about task management with MeisterTask.
