A funny thing happens to most of us on the way to the corner office: With each successive project and promotion, we find that we have more than ever to do, but more freedom than ever when it comes to how and when we get it done. That mix of increased responsibilities and scheduling flexibility can be a great advance or a crippling weakness, depending on how you handle it.

With that in mind, here is a piece of advice that has always worked very well for me and my clients:

Schedule some time to work uninterrupted on your most important tasks,

and do it during the part of the day when you have the most energy.

In other words, think about when you feel your best, at your most energetic and creative, and then set aside those personal productive hours each day to accomplish something important. Don’t take phone calls, don’t set up meetings if you don’t have to, and otherwise do whatever possible to minimize distractions.

This one habit will allow you to do your best work when it’s most important, not to mention give you some day-to-day progress on the biggest challenges you are likely to face in your career. Additionally, it frees you up to spend the rest of your hours, those when you might feel like you have less energy, or are winding down, doing routine tasks like returning phone calls and e-mails, or sitting in meetings. Those are always likely to be a part of your working life, but there is no reason they should take up the best part of your day.  Add these techniques to your time management skills.

If you don’t yet have very much control over your schedule, do what you can with your colleagues and supervisors to build in a little bit of flexibility. And if you do have some control over when you work, give this method try – I can almost assure you that you’ll be glad you did.

Does this scenario sound familiar?  In an effort to finally get more done and become more productive, you decide to put all of your projects to paper and write out a ToDo list that is dozens of items long. Now all you have to do is get started on them…. The only problem? The list soon becomes overwhelming, and then it is difficult to get started on anything.

If you have been through this experience before, you’re certainly not alone; it’s one of the many roadblocks that busy professionals struggle with on the road to increased productivity and better time management.

The dilemma is: 

• On the one hand, you need to write down all of your projects, along with the various included steps, if you’re going to make any headway with them.           
• On the other hand, having a task list that’s 9 miles long isn’t exactly conducive to getting things done.

Here is the answer you’ve been looking for:

• Write down all of your projects, and the accompanying steps, but put them on separate pieces of paper.

This way, when you start working on your daily ToDo’s,  you can figure out which projects are most important, and what steps absolutely must be finished and that day. The resulting tasks become more manageable, and you are able to quickly prioritize all of your different ideas and responsibilities.

That is not even the best part, however. What makes this system especially effective is that it not only clears your mind of the unnecessary, but lets you start off every day in a positive way by tackling your most important work first. Once that is been finished, you are free to move on to the next most important set of items, and then more after that, after you have finished with them.  It also cuts down on much of the multitasking we do each day.

This is one of the techniques we demonstrate in our training, both with individual office organizing work and in our time management seminars.  Seeing so many items coming off your list – rather than staring you in the face all at once – is incredibly motivating, and can lead you to accomplish more in your day than you thought possible.

Most of us are busy enough that our ToDo lists are a lot longer than we would like, but that doesn’t mean we have to tackle them all at once. Start with your biggest items and move on from there… it is a great way to build and keep your productivity momentum.

For most of us, the feeling of being completely stuck and overwhelmed by a giant project goes back as far as our middle school days – to right around that moment when we had to write our first five- or ten-page paper in what seemed like no time at all. The feeling carried on through high school, college, and eventually our careers. From time to time, we have something that seems so imposing and impossible that it causes us to get a pit in our stomachs just thinking about it.

But what if there was an easier way to manage that project, presentation, or proposal?

Sometimes, there is:  Put it off until later. Now, before you get excited and start to think I’m finally saying that it’s okay to procrastinate, keep reading. While it is never a good idea to put off doing what you need to do, there are times when you can start a project and then come back to it later, making it quicker and easier in the process.

Here is why:  For most of us, the hardest part of finishing anything huge is just making a good attempt at moving forward with it. In other words, we have trouble getting started. But at the same time, creating a few notes, and maybe a very rough outline, doesn’t seem that stressful. And so, that can be a wonderful place to make a little progress. Not only does it allow us to get moving without any pressure, but it also gets our minds thinking subconsciously about filling in the gaps. In other words, because we made a start on the project already, and began thinking about the order and flow of our ideas, it is that much easier to finish bigger pieces later.

The next time you have a big project on your mind – one that you’re dreading taking some action on – do the easy thing and just make a few notes. Whether you come back in a few hours or a few days, using this project management technique, taking the next small step is going to be that much easier.

This topic is an important piece of good time management that we treat in our seminars.  For more ideas on tackling stressful items, read our article on Project Management.

Few things are worse, from a productivity standpoint, than doing the same tasks over and over. And yet, it isn’t unusual to meet employees who routinely send out the exact same e-mails dozens of times every week – or thousands of times per year. Usually, this is because customers or colleagues tend to ask the same questions in different ways, or there’s an issue that comes up frequently enough that it has to be explained with minor variations.

Just because all of these responses are necessary, however, doesn’t mean that writing an individual e-mail to each person is. Why waste all of that time typing and retyping the same information, when you could keep a file of all of your common questions and responses ready to cut and paste when you need them?

Keeping a large file of e-mail templates that you can quickly customize and send could easily save you half an hour a day, or 10 hours a month. Who knows what you could accomplish with that kind of time added to your schedule. With that in mind, here are a few quick tips on managing email to help you get started on creating your file, and to avoid feeling “e-mail déjà vu” again in the future.

Find your most common e-mail issues. You can probably think of 5 or 10 offhand, but the more common questions and issues you can think of and answer now, the less time you’ll have to spend retyping them in the coming months and years.

Refine your responses over time. It makes sense to review your e-mail templates from time to time, to be sure that they still apply as well as they once did, and that links, web addresses, and contacts are still accurate. You’d be surprised at how easy it is to find yourself e-mailing information, out of habit, that’s no longer relevant.

Keep your files organized, and open them up first thing in the morning. If you keep your templates and a set of word processing files, open them first thing in the morning so they’re at your fingertips and ready to use. Better yet, store them in your e-mail program’s “templates” section, so you can simply enter in an e-mail address, make a few changes, and send them off in a hurry.

Typing and retyping the same e-mails isn’t a good use of your time. Take advantage of technology, and efficiency, by writing a great response to a common question once, and then using it for years to come.

Skipping breakfast is one of those time-wasting traps that hits us in the worst ways, since it seems to save time when you’re doing it, only to cost you more (in the form of low energy and lost productivity) later in the day. Plus, there’s plenty of research in time management online that shows eating in the morning is important for your metabolism, and can help keep you in better shape for life.

So, knowing that you should eat something first thing in the morning but still being pressed for time, how can you handle breakfast without having to spend a lot of time on it?

Here’s my advice— Invest in a good blender and look up some smoothie recipes online. Then, before you go to bed tonight, combine all the ingredients you need right there in the blender, and put the glass portion in the refrigerator. Tomorrow, all you have to do when you wake up is pull open the refrigerator door, attach the glass part of the blender to the rest of the machine, and hit a button. In less than a minute, bingo –you have a healthy breakfast that’s ready to go!

What I like best about this system is that it barely takes any time, isn’t likely to cost you very much money, and does quite a bit for you physically and mentally. Regardless of what time you get up or go to work, you can start the day off in a healthy way, be more energized by the time you get to the office, and especially avoid that late afternoon crash that comes with having nothing but coffee in your stomach.

Skipping breakfast tends to be a really bad idea, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of time on the most important meal of the day, either. Simply fill up your blender tonight, and then hit the morning running tomorrow.

Most of my clients don’t think of “relaxation” as having anything to do with productivity. After all, isn’t “taking it easy” the opposite of getting more done?

It can be, but in some ways, relaxation and productivity are two sides of the same coin. The human mind isn’t designed to work for hours and hours on the same task without a break. While that doesn’t mean I’m recommending you start taking afternoons off and lose your job, it does mean that there are some real and tangible benefits that come with occasionally taking a 5- or 10-minute “mini break” a few times a day to refocus your thoughts and come back to your work with a fresh perspective.

Here are three quick tips or techniques for time management to help you do just that:

Invest in a pair of good noise-canceling headphones and some soothing music. While a lot of frequent travelers rely on noise-canceling headphones for time spent in the air, they can be a real asset to you in an office, too. That’s because the good ones can allow you to almost literally shut out the distractions around you, meaning that you can close your eyes for a few minutes at a time and ignore everything that’s going on around you.

Don’t be afraid to doze. A number of psychologists have done studies lately showing that quick “micro-naps” that last a few minutes or less can actually be good for your mental and physical health. While you might not want to set up a cot for sleeping in your office, there’s nothing wrong with putting on your headphones and an eye mask, locking the door, and dozing for 5 minutes – just be sure to set an alarm that will vibrate or otherwise wake you up if you get too comfortable.

Turn to a little bit of humor. Rather than going straight back to work after your few minutes off, look for something funny to occupy your attention for another minute or two – you should be able to find plenty of material on the Internet – just to get you in the right frame of mind. Often, simply “lightening up” for a quick second can put us into a more positive frame of mind, and make it easier to solve pressing problems.

Regardless of how you look at it, sitting in traffic is usually a massive productivity sinkhole. After all, you’re not relaxing, and you’re certainly not getting anything done. But what can you do? Like death and taxes, your daily commute is pretty much unavoidable, isn’t it?

To some degree, it might be. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things you can do to minimize the time you spend sitting on the road, or to make the most of it. In fact, there are two good ways to get around the problem of wasted commuting time: by missing traffic entirely, or by finding a way to make it productive. Let’s take a quick look at each.

There are a number of ways to miss daily traffic. Before you go looking for a way to get away with testing the speed limits on your city’s side streets (just don’t do it), we are not talking about going around traffic, but missing it altogether. How? By either coming into work earlier, deciding to stay later, or changing your schedule to slightly less-traditional hours.

This isn’t as crazy as it might sound. I’ve already written in the past about the value of one uninterrupted hour each morning to work, as well as the power of a good walk or workout before you hit the office, and either one can change your life in a short amount of time. Besides, if you would have just spent the time sitting on an interstate anyway, why not improve your health and/or get ahead in your career while taking away one of life’s biggest stressors?

While it’s not quite as powerful, you could turn your commute into productive time. It goes without saying that you shouldn’t be texting, e-mailing, etc. from behind the wheel (again, just don’t do it), but why couldn’t you be listening to an educational CD or enhancing your professional or industrial knowledge? Or, if you can’t quite bring yourself to get less sleep just yet, why not join a carpool and use your non-driving time to read a book or industry magazine? These are small steps, to be sure, but they can make you more productive and effective over time.

The worst thing you can do about a long, boring morning commute is nothing. So, consider changing your schedule for doing what you can to make it more productive. While the rest of the world is sitting in traffic, you’ll be turning yourself into the kind of person who gets ahead, earns promotions, and is on pace to reach his or her professional goals.

Have you ever felt a little let down when your friends’ cell phones ring, and they immediately reach to answer?  Regardless of what activity or conversation is going on, many people instinctively feel they have to respond now.  –Or is that you doing the answering? 

Trying to talk on the phone and carry on another activity is an example of the multitasking we often try to get away with, thinking this is a good way to keep up.  However research has shown that you will definitely accomplish more, and get it done more quickly, when you can focus on one type of activity at a time.  If you must multitask, read our article on multitasking effectively.

For some people, the idea that you do not have to answer is a foreign concept.  They can turn a valuable technology tool into a distraction that limits daily work output and may also interfere with personal relationships. 

The Landline Phone Service website has printed an article on “10 Great Uses of ‘Do Not Disturb’ Phone Features” .

The Number One reason they list for cutting out this interruption is a productivity issue.  This could be when you are working on a special project where you really need to focus, or you have a looming deadline.  It is okay to shut off the ringer on your phone and retrieve any messages after you have completed the necessary tasks. 

The alternative is to allow all interruptions and never get into that feeling of “flow.”  It can take up to 25 minutes to refocus and get going again, while it only takes a nanosecond to lose that concentration.

Other suggestions as to when it might be opportune to turn off the ringer include during sleep, driving, church, gym, theaters and concerts.  We do know this, but it is good to remind ourselves occasionally that we do not have to be available 24/7.  It can be non-productive and unhealthy. 

For more ideas on limiting distractions and interruptions, read our article on the “Top 10 Distractions in the Office.”

If you’re looking for a way to move up the corporate ladder, or even sharpen your own skills and competitiveness as a self-employed person, one of the first things that might come to mind is getting an MBA from a top business school. As self-improvement and career development ideas go, that’s not a bad idea.

But there’s one more thing you should consider doing first: learning a strong time management and productivity routine for yourself.

There are two good reasons for this advice. The first has to do with the overall impact it will make on your career. Someone who can manage their own time, productivity, and priorities can learn anything, from marketing to a foreign language. Those are the skills people need today in an organized office, especially in an economy that’s demanding that employees be able to do more with less. Graduating from an MBA online program might look good on your resume, but a good time managementroutine might help you keep your job and get promoted even faster.

The second reason is that learning time management and productivity can actually help you be a better, more effective student then you would have been otherwise. Unless you’re one of those very lucky few who can go back to school while on a break or sabbatical, not to mention leaving your children or personal distractions aside, it’s going to be a struggle to find time to study, write papers, and otherwise do the things you’ll need to in order to excel in your classes. And what’s the point of going back to school if you’re only going to earn a “C” average?

While I’m sure there are those who disagree, and it might not look as great on your resume, I would argue that a good time management regimen is a lot more valuable to you in the long run than an advanced degree is. You could prove me wrong, but you would have to be an incredibly disciplined and productive person to do it, wouldn’t you?

The answer to this question is going to depend quite a bit on your job and company, but the fact that so many of us struggle with it – about half the people you’ll talk to think social media is a valuable business tool, and the other half feel it’s a complete waste of time.  This tells you that a few guidelines might be needed.

With that in mind, here is a good rule of thumb: Figure out what you’re really getting from your time spent on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

I don’t mean that in a vague, “How do you feel about it?” sort of way. What I’m talking about is working to attach some numbers to the time you spend on the Internet, and especially social media sites, and comparing those figures to how many new contacts were made as a result, how many new accounts have been opened, and how much closer are you to a promotion.

In other words, treat your social networking time the same way you would a seminar on time management or any other business activity. Would you take a whole work day, or even two or three every month (the average amount of time an American employee spends on the computer at work) without learning or getting something valuable? Would you be able to explain that activity to your boss?

If you find that you’re getting consistent results from social networking, then try to figure out how you can do it more effectively in less time. On the other hand, if you can’t find definite benefits to your social media activities, then the hard truth is that it’s probably not worth it for you to be on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter on company time. If that’s the case, do yourself a favor and stop logging on. Like any time-wasting activity, it might seem like you’re just making things a little harder for your company, but the reality is that you’re hurting your own career and potential more.

There aren’t any easy answers when it comes to the time you should spend on social networking because we all have different roles in different organizations. The only useful rule of thumb that I or anyone else can give you is, online or off, to make the most of the working hours you have.