Stay Organized: Our Favorite Physical and Digital Forms of Time Management

There are a lot of great ways to stay organized. Which one’s best for you depends on whether you like to manage your time through physical or digital means. Some people prefer to have something they can hold in their hands. Others are happier with the convenience of online options. No matter which one you prefer, there are choices for physical and digital time management. Here are some of the most popular ones.

Physical Time Management Options

If you want something to hold onto, or something you don’t need a computer to use, planners, calendars, and notebooks are the way to go. These three options have some great benefits when used correctly. 

• Planners — A planner typically offers a mix of calendar and notebook. They often come with other functionality such as notes, goal-setting, journaling, and more. This can help people who need or want a bit more structure.
• Calendars — A calendar offers fewer options than a planner, but that can be a good thing. Often calendars provide just enough for a no-nonsense approach to time management.
• Notebooks — A notebook has the chance to be just about anything you want it to be, making it the most fluid and changeable option for managing and scheduling your time. You can journal, write out a timeline, take notes, and do all kinds of other things with a notebook, but you won’t have any kind of structure laid out for you.

You don’t have to choose just one option, either, as some planners also have calendars in them, and you can add anything you want to a notebook. Personalize it and make it yours, so it gives you what you need for success.

Digital Ways to Stay Organized

For anyone who likes digital time management opportunities, there are project management sites like Asana and Monday, and you can use Google Calendar or Timers to organize things, too.

• Project Management Sites — Sites like Asana and Monday can work for one person or a larger group, and have high levels of functionality with a lot of options. They’re great for more detail or larger organizational and time management needs.
• Google Calendar — Google Calendar is basically a digital version of a standard, print calendar. You can use it to add nearly any event to your timeline quickly and conveniently.
• Timers — Timers are designed to keep you on task for a set period of time. But, they aren’t as much for scheduling things. They’re the least feature-heavy, but can be very good for working on specific tasks in certain blocks of time. You can find online options or use a timer app on your smartphone.

When you choose a digital option for your time management, you need an electronic device to keep up with your schedule. Since nearly everyone has one of these devices with them most of the time, it’s not much of a risk and can be well worth it for convenience and functionality.

Don’t feel obligated to use a time management tool that doesn’t work for your needs. Everyone is different, which is a big part of the reason there are so many options available. As long as the time management tool you choose works for you, that’s what you need to focus on and what matters for getting things done. You can even combine a couple of different options if that’s easier for you, so you’ll always have what you need to stay organized and on track.

About the Author: Michelle Dakota Beck has worked as a professional freelance writer since the 1990s. During that time she has written everything from product descriptions to full-length books. Her areas of specialization include real estate, home services, legal topics, relationships, family life, and mental health issues. You can find her on WriterAccess.