Time Management

Life Hacks for Productive Work

5 min readJul 19, 2026

You’ve probably heard the phrase, ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail.’ It might sound old-fashioned, but when it comes to managing time efficiently, nothing could be truer. Even if we don’t use specific techniques, we are still used to planning our work and personal tasks. The thing is, we have only 24 hours (even less for activities), but the number of to-dos is significantly growing. That’s why we need to pay more attention to how we manage our time. In this article, I will share several life hacks based on personal experience and a scientific approach. I hope that some ideas may be helpful or at least will help you look at time management in a new light.

1. Don’t eat frogs first—put yourself first

One of the famous techniques from time management consultants is to start with the scariest tasks and then feel satisfied and optimistic about the tasks left. It sounds reasonable because we are familiar with the feeling of relief that comes when we finish something difficult or unpleasant. But on the other hand, this approach underestimates the importance of taking care of ourselves. During flights, we are told to put the masks on ourselves first and only after that help others. It’s crucial to apply this approach in our lives—to put our health (both physical and mental) before our responsibilities. The first tasks should relate to our well-being rather than “saving the world."

2. Plan rest, not only tasks

Chasing efficiency, many people cannot remember when they last had a vacation or spent time with their families. When the to-do list becomes bigger and bigger, there is less time to unwind. It’s highly recommended to start planning with a decision about how and when we’ll rest. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all scenario for what the best way is to recharge, but we should acknowledge that rest is a must. Moreover, we should avoid the productivity trap and, before adding new tasks, ask ourselves whether we still have a good work-rest balance.

3. Combine similar activities, not by project type

According to scientists, it’s easier for the human brain to switch between tasks of the same type rather than various activities. So, it makes sense to plan work in phases — for instance, divide the day into three parts: one for creativity, the second for monotonous tasks, and the last for meetings. It is worth trying to use activity type as a separator and compare results when we use projects as separators.

4. Set realistic deadlines

Have you noticed how a person’s life is affected by society and trends? An imposed drive for hyper-productivity makes us feel vulnerable and pushes us not just to meet the target but to go above and beyond. That’s why we try to add more tasks to our plate and remain optimistic about deadlines. But regardless of our creativity and attitude to work, there are still things we cannot control. So, we should consider them when setting deadlines and be realistic. Sometimes it’s better to disappoint someone’s expectations than to struggle through sleepless nights.

5. Create a flexible plan

With increasing awareness and a growing number of tasks, we spend more time planning, trying to fit everything into our schedules. That may lead to a situation where the entire day is planned by the hour, which is not bad in general. However, there is a potential risk of anxiety and stress due to uncompleted tasks. From this point, it makes sense to use a more mindful approach to planning. Instead of strict deadlines for each task, we may set required time boundaries but leave other tasks flexible. For example, for some people, going to the gym on Monday and Thursday may cause anxiety and a sense of being pushed and trapped within boundaries. In this case, there can be a goal to go to the gym twice a week when there is a combination of time availability and mental readiness. Naturally, it varies from person to person and depends on one’s personality type.

6. Break down tasks into smaller pieces

We all know the advice "Don't try to swallow the elephant in one bite,” and it’s helpful in terms of task/time management. When we divide tasks into smaller ones, we are more motivated because we can cross items off the to-do list faster. However, when activities are planned step by step, it is easier to stop procrastinating and start working. An additional bonus is that there is always an idea of which small piece of work we can do in the suddenly freed-up time.

7. Focus on one task at a time

Multitasking has become very popular, especially in the IT industry, but it may add anxiety and decrease productivity in the long run. Of course, it’s not possible to avoid multitasking entirely, but we should try to avoid focusing on several activities at the same time. A clear focus helps us remain creative and productive, which benefits our work results.

8. Learn yourself

There is no doubt that we are all unique, and what helps one person brings less value to others. That’s why it’s our responsibility to define who we are in terms of time management. Do we prefer strict plans or struggle without flexibility? Do we start work with the easiest task to warm up, or do we eat frogs first? There are so many questions to be answered, but as a result, we can build our own time management approach that will allow us to achieve goals with minimal stress.