There is a limited amount of time in every day, so you do not have time to do everything. Good time management starts when you notice the most important tasks in time. Yet not all urgent things are the most important ones. A plan helps use time on tasks that move goals forward. The purpose is not to fill the day with as many tasks as possible.
Start the week by choosing from one to three most important tasks or larger areas. Write them where you can see them, so that you remember them amid the rush. When a new task comes, compare it with the important things of the week. Ask yourself whether this is important or only urgent right now. If there is not time for everything, a less important task can wait. This way, important things do not easily get buried under a long task list.
Next make a realistic schedule that fits your actual life situation. Estimate how much time the tasks really need during the day. Divide a long piece of work into smaller stages before filling the calendar. Also reserve a little empty time for unexpected tasks and delays. A calendar that is too full can make the plan a new source of stress.
Mark important work periods in the calendar in the same way as appointments. Decide in advance when you do work that requires concentration in peace. Reserve a separate time for emails, messages, and other small tasks. This way, each new message does not change the plan for the whole day. The calendar also shows whether there really is still free time in the day.
Interruptions take away attention and make finishing the task harder. Close email and notifications when you need uninterrupted work time. Keep the phone out of sight if it pulls attention elsewhere. If possible, tell others in advance when you need your own uninterrupted work time. Clear uninterrupted work time can make the whole work period much easier.
It is often worth doing similar tasks close to each other during the day. For example, you can reply to several messages during the same work period. Then you do not need to change your way of thinking constantly between tasks. Jumping from one very different task to another needlessly uses up energy. One clear task at a time often makes concentration considerably easier.
If starting feels difficult, try a short concentration period first. In the Pomodoro technique, work is done, for example, for 25 minutes continuously at a time. After that, a short break is taken before the next work period. A break can help bring attention back to the important task. Try calmly whether this work rhythm fits your own day specifically.
Time management is also worth evaluating, and the plan does not need to be followed rigidly. Sometimes track where the time in your day really goes in practice. If one task takes longer than expected, change the following schedule. A workable plan becomes more realistic and easier with experience. You gradually learn from your own everyday life, and the day does not need to be perfect. So change the plan if it no longer feels realistic.
Remember to leave time in the calendar also for breaks, free time, and rest. Good planning supports action, but recovery also needs time. Effective time management does not mean that you do something all the time. It means that you give time to important things and to recovery. When the rhythm works, work and free time stay in better balance.
Word bank
Every word as it appears in the text, its base form, what the ending does, and the meaning.
rajallinen
limited
adjective
This is the dictionary form itself, standing in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
ajanhallinta
time management
noun
This is the dictionary form itself, standing in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
tärkeimmät
most important
adjective
The plural of tärkeä — the form you look up. It stands in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
kiireiset
urgent
adjective
The plural of kiireinen — the form you look up. It stands in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
Suunnitelma
plan
noun
This is the dictionary form itself, standing in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
tavoitteita
goals
noun
The plural of tavoite — the form you look up. It stands in Partitiivi (the partitive case).
valitsemalla
by choosing
verb
A verb in its basic form — the one a dictionary lists, before it is tied to a person.
vertaa
compare
verb
realistinen
realistic
adjective
This is the dictionary form itself, standing in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
aikataulu
schedule
noun
This is the dictionary form itself, standing in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
tarvitsevat
need
verb
pienempiin
into smaller
adjective
The plural of pieni — the form you look up. It stands in Illatiivi (the illative case).
viivästyksille
for delays
noun
The plural of viivästys — the form you look up. It stands in Allatiivi (the allative case).
työjaksot
work periods
noun
The plural of työjakso — the form you look up. The ending -t marks Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
keskittymistä
concentration
noun
The singular of keskittyminen — the form you look up. It stands in Partitiivi (the partitive case).
sähköposteille
for emails
noun
The plural of sähköposti — the form you look up. It stands in Allatiivi (the allative case).
Keskeytykset
interruptions
noun
The plural of keskeytys — the form you look up. It stands in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
huomiota
attention
noun
The singular of huomio — the form you look up. The ending -ta marks Partitiivi (the partitive case).
työrauhaa
peace to work
noun
The singular of työrauha — the form you look up. The ending -a marks Partitiivi (the partitive case).
Samankaltaiset
similar
adjective
The plural of samankaltainen — the form you look up. It stands in Nominatiivi (the nominative case).
ajattelutapaa
way of thinking
noun
The singular of ajattelutapa — the form you look up. The ending -a marks Partitiivi (the partitive case).
kuluttaa
uses up
verb
keskittymisjaksoa
concentration period
noun
The singular of keskittymisjakso — the form you look up. The ending -a marks Partitiivi (the partitive case).
yhtäjaksoisesti
continuously
adverb
palauttamaan
to return
verb
A verb in its basic form — the one a dictionary lists, before it is tied to a person.
arvioida
to evaluate
verb
A verb in its basic form — the one a dictionary lists, before it is tied to a person.
kuluu
is spent / goes
verb
kokemuksen
of experience
noun
The singular of kokemus — the form you look up. It stands in Genetiivi (the genitive case).
palautumiselle
for recovery
noun
The singular of palautuminen — the form you look up. It stands in Allatiivi (the allative case).
tasapainossa
in balance
noun
The singular of tasapaino — the form you look up. The ending -ssa marks Inessiivi (the inessive case).
Practice
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Comprehension quiz
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Question 1 of 4
Why is it useful to choose one to three important things at the start of the week?
Question 2 of 4
What should you do when you need peace to work?
Question 3 of 4
How is the Pomodoro technique described in the reader?
Question 4 of 4
If a task takes longer than expected, what does the reader advise?
Fill in the gap
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Kun uusi tehtävä tulee, sitä viikon tärkeisiin asioihin.
When a new task comes, compare it with the important things of the week.
Seuraavaksi tee aikataulu, joka sopii oikeaan elämäntilanteeseesi.
Next make a realistic schedule that fits your actual life situation.
Match the words
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Pick a Finnish word, then pick its meaning.
Dictation
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