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When productivity is the name of the game, there are multiple ways to skin a cat. In particular there are many ways apply oneself and it is often difficult to know what the best way is, especially because we can’t see the future. We don’t know what will have the best outcome. We’re shooting in the dark.

Although I don’t have the answers for the optimal way to apply oneself, I do want to go over one piece of the puzzle and that is time management. In my experience I have found there are three ways to approach time management, and they are all useful in their own way, depending on what you want to do.

The first way is the method of routine. This is what you do if you want to do something regularly, and I find it works best for things that don’t change much from day to day. If you want to get in shape, or work on your mental health, or build a skill, this method is a great fit. I can’t think of a better way to approach exercise than to just commit to exercising every day. The same is true with meditation. Some people might find a daily commitment to reading or practicing an art form is the best way to gain knowledge or improve in their art.

The second way is the method of effort. This works better for things that aren’t always the same. I mean that list of tasks that you always have on the back of your mind. Every time you complete a task you’ve got to move onto the next one and when you finish your list the next list won’t be quite the same. This method I find is the best for building things, but I’m sure it’s effective in other areas as well.

The third way is the method of improvisation. Another way of describing it would be the method of going with the flow. I personally find this method is best for creative pursuits. If you want to practice writing or playing an instrument it can be nice to get all comfy in front of your notebook, computer, or instrument, and just let the creative juices flow.

Before concluding I want to go over a common pitfall associated with these methods. This is when people feel like they want to be doing better in their lives, to work towards their vision for a better life, but they feel like they don’t have enough energy to even get started, or at least not to stick to it for long enough to take off.

I think this is a really common problem that people have, and I think there is a solution. I don’t have the full solution, but I can say how it relates to the three methods of time management. I think if someone is in this position they are making two mistakes when it comes to the methods of time management.

 The first mistake is that they are trying to go all in on a method, and in my experience that is either routine or effort. They see the potential of these two methods in one or two areas of their life, so they try to build endlessly on these methods, and eventually it’s too much and they give up.

The second mistake is that they are not realizing the productive potential of the method of improvisation. Maybe whenever they go with the flow they gravitate towards the TV, which isn’t a bad thing, but it does give the method of improvisation a bad image if they are trying to be more productive in their lives.

So my advice in this situation is to try mix and match the methods. Apply the best method for the best pursuit, and strike a balance between the three to avoid burnout.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this article and that you find my three methods of time management insightful. Feel free to like, comment, and subscribe!