Time management isn’t just a skill—it’s a superpower that can transform your professional and personal life. In a recent workshop by Saudiaat.com, Roy shared powerful insights into how effective time management can elevate your career and personal productivity.
YOU OWN YOUR TIME
The first crucial lesson is simple yet profound: You own your time. When people say “I don’t have time,” it often means they’re filling their calendar with activities that don’t align with their priorities. The goal is to love what you do and make intentional choices about how you spend your time.
Each day: set a daily highlight. What is the one thing I want to do today?
One of the most actionable strategies is to establish a daily highlight—the one most important thing you want to accomplish each day. Here are some practical approaches:
Use a physical notecard or digital tool like Trello to list and track your tasks
Create a checklist that moves from “to do” to “in progress” to “done”
Consider using the free Momentum Chrome extension, which prompts you to identify your key daily goal
Prioritize Intelligently!
Roy recommends a simple yet powerful prioritization matrix with two axes: urgency and importance (also called the Eisenhower Matrix). By categorizing your tasks, you can:
- Immediately tackle urgent and important tasks
- Plan for important but not urgent tasks
- Delegate urgent but less important tasks
- Eliminate tasks that are neither urgent nor important
When I apply this to my own tasks, it offers me so much clarity on what I need to do that’s most important and urgent: focus on the fundraise. I then know I need to plan on how to best tackle the content strategy and close hires. I am then faced with the obvious decision that I need to delegate client management, and finally I can leave the dashboard and accounting tasks to later. This would not have been obvious without this matrix.
Block time on your calendar for tasks. Create personal time.
Blocking personal focus time prevent others from occupying your schedule and gives you the space and time to do what’s on the top right corner of your grid. This is the most effective way to close the day feeling a sense of strong accomplishment. It improves your mood too to gain this clarity and focus.
Calendar Management Tips
Scheduling can take up to 20% of one’s time, a lot more in administrative jobs. So you can gain so much time by using a calendar link. I use calendly.com, a free tool (with upgrades) you can use to get started.
The Psychological Aspect
Remember, effective time management is about more than just productivity—it’s about creating space for what truly matters. By prioritizing intelligently and being intentional with your time, you can reduce stress, increase accomplishment, and create more opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Getting Started
Take one hour to map out your tasks using the prioritization grid. Identify what you can eliminate, delegate, or focus on. This simple exercise can be transformative in how you approach your daily responsibilities.
Time management is a skill that can be learned and improved. By implementing these strategies, you’re not just managing time—you’re taking control of your professional journey.
Would you like to start your time management transformation today?
This article was written by Roy Baladi, managing director at Saudiaat. It was also very influenced by Ali Abdaal, a master of workplace productivity.
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