Time management strategies for juggling work and school

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How you manage your time is, in effect, how you manage your life. Time management is an important skill, and learning how to do it well can benefit your work, school, and personal life. In this article, we’ll look at tips, strategies, and how-tos for working adults who want to more effectively manage their time to accomplish their goals.

Time management and productivity methods for working adults

Time management is a skill that holds value not only for schoolwork but for your entire life. The better you can manage your schedule, the more you can get done in less time — without burning out.

Like any other skill, time management takes practice. But if you’re intentional and use the right strategies, you can quickly learn how to improve your productivity and focus, avoid procrastination and distraction, and as a result, keep stress levels in check.

Read on for productivity techniques tailored to working adults who are juggling jobs, education, and personal commitments.

Take frequent breaks using the Pomodoro Technique

Did you know taking breaks can make you more productive? It’s true, according to research!

Taking breaks isn’t a new time management strategy. While in college in the 1980s, Francesco Cirillo needed to find a way to improve his productivity — so he came up with the Pomodoro Technique. 

Cirillo soon found that taking timed breaks helped to alleviate stress, enhance focus, and boost motivation. Since then, over 2 million people have used his popular technique to get more done in less time.

Here’s how it works:

1. Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus solely on work during that time
2. Once the timer goes off, take a break for three to five minutes (Together, these two steps are called a Pomodoro — “tomato” in Italian.)
3. After four Pomodoros, take a 15- to 30-minute break
4. Repeat the first three steps as needed

Make sure to do something relaxing or simple during your breaks. For short breaks, you could drink a glass of water, text a loved one, or do quick work tasks that don’t require much mental effort. Longer breaks are a good opportunity to make a snack, chat with a friend, tidy your workspace, or take a walk.

The Pomodoro Technique works well for studying and writing essays, but you could also use it for other activities that require concentration, like creating a monthly budget or doing your taxes.

Ready to give the Pomodoro Technique a try? If you like using keyboard shortcuts, the minimalist Tomato Timer is worth a look. Or, if you need more flexibility, use the Marinara Timer to create your own work-break intervals.

Reflect: Effective time management is all about establishing new patterns and building strong habits. Try tracking how you spend the hours in your day today, then ask yourself what patterns you see emerging. What new habits could you introduce into your daily routine to feel more productive and in control of your time?

Schedule your time with a planner

Leaving your schedule to chance can lead to missed deadlines, overlooked meetings, and forgotten to-do items. Using a planner can solve those problems by helping you:

• Visualize and organize your schedule
• Keep track of to-do lists, assignment deadlines, exam dates, appointments and meetings, birthdays, grocery lists, and more
• Schedule time for your tasks
• Write down short-term and long-term goals

How do you know which planner is right for you? It all depends on which style you prefer. Here are a few to consider:

Physical planners

You might visualize your schedule better with a physical planner. Plus, research shows that writing things down by hand may help you remember better later. If that’s the route you want to go, you can purchase a planner from your local office supplies store or create and print your own using Canva’s free templates.

Digital planners

Or maybe you prefer a planner you can easily check throughout the day on your smartphone or tablet. There are many digital planners available, like Google calendar. Many companies sell digital calendar subscriptions as well.

Minimalist vs. customized planners

When choosing a planner, think about whether you want something simple (perhaps a small pocketbook planner) or something more elaborate that has space for to-dos, appointments, notes, and goal setting.

Minimalist academic planners work well if you only use it for school. If you want to keep track of work, school, and personal responsibilities, consider getting a more robust or customizable planner. For instance, goal-setting planners also have room for monthly or weekly goals and self-reflection.

Identify your “big rocks” and prioritize them

Time management will be a struggle if you’re not clear on your priorities. That’s where identifying your “big rocks” can help. You’ve probably heard this story before. Here’s one version:

A professor shows her students an empty jar. She then fills the jar with rocks and asks her students if the jar is full. They say yes. The professor then pours pebbles into the jar and asks the same question. The students say, “Yes, the jar is full now.”

But the professor isn’t done. She then pours sand into the jar, asking if it’s now full. The students laugh and say yes. Lastly, the professor pours water into the jar and the students agree the jar is finally — and completely — full.

The professor tells her students that if she had first filled the jar with water, sand, or pebbles, there wouldn’t have been any room for the big rocks. By filling the jar with big rocks first, she could then fill in the empty spaces with smaller items.

The same is true with life. The big rocks represent the key priorities in our lives. The pebbles, sand, and water represent the less important aspects of life that tend to take up our time.

How to prioritize your “big rocks”

Start by asking yourself:

• What are the “big rocks” in my life? In other words, what’s most important to me?
• What’s less essential that’s taking up a lot of my time?
• How can I prioritize my “big rocks”?

For example, let’s say two of your biggest priorities right now are time with family and getting a degree to reach your career goals. In that case, prioritizing your “big rocks” might look like:

• Eating dinner as a family at least three times a week
• Setting aside time each day for studying after work
• Calling your sister every Sunday
• Finding a mentor and meeting with them regularly

Once you’ve set aside time in your schedule for your “big rocks,” you can fit in less important activities that you enjoy or need to get done.

How to balance work, education, and life

When balancing professional responsibilities, educational pursuits, and personal commitments, it’s easy for things to slip through the cracks. Being organized can help you stay on top of everything you need to do and avoid burning out.

7 tips for writing an organized to-do list

Organization is key to moving toward your goals, especially when juggling multiple responsibilities. A great way to get organized mentally is to physically write down your to-dos.

A simple to-do list can go a long way in helping you clear up mental clutter and focus on your priorities. Plus, it feels good to check off tasks as you get them done!

Use the tips below to make your to-do list:

1. Create three separate lists: Make one for today’s tasks, one for longer-term projects (weekly or monthly), and one for your life and career goals.
2. Organize your list based on deadlines, impact, or importance: Write your most important tasks at the top (or highlight them) so you know to do them first.
3. Mark how long each task will take: This makes it easier to figure out how to fit each task into your day. Maybe you want to do a five-minute task during a Pomodoro break or a 15-minute task while waiting in line at the DMV.
4. Color code your list: You can mark or highlight your tasks with different colors to indicate different levels of urgency, impact, or importance.
5. Set a task or time limit per day: Trying to cram too much into your daily schedule leads to burnout. Be realistic about how much you can get done each day.
6. Include a fun activity on the list: Doing something you love every day can help lower your stress, keep you motivated, and give you a much-needed break.
7. Try something new: Don’t limit yourself based on what a list should look like. Try different formats to see what works best for you — maybe listing your tasks on a whiteboard, sticky notes, or a digital pie chart.

Take a look at your to-do list at the end of each day and mark off everything you’ve done or is no longer necessary. Try to revisit your long-term to-do lists at least once a week to make sure you’re on track to reach your deadlines and goals.

Reflect: Managing your tasks in an organized way (a to-do list, for example) helps you take control of your future and accomplish your goals. Through organization strategies like these, you can ensure you’re staying focused and completing tasks while clearly seeing (and celebrating!) your progress.

Use time blocks to complete your to-do list

Writing a to-do list is a helpful first step toward organizing your schedule. But a to-do list alone won’t help you if you don’t set aside time to accomplish the tasks on it.

Enter: time blocking.

Time blocking is a technique to help you plan when you’ll get different tasks done. Creating time blocks in your calendar or planner allows you to assign time limits to each task or groups of tasks. This helps you visualize how much you can realistically accomplish during the day and avoid overfilling your schedule.

For example, let’s say you have to do laundry and homework after you get off work in the evening. You might block off an hour for studying while laundry dries and then 30 minutes to fold and put the clothes away.

Time blocking works best when broken into categories, such as creative tasks, study tasks, work tasks, and so on.

Start by creating time blocks for non-negotiables like:

• Work responsibilities
• School-related tasks
• Family commitments
• Personal appointments (like doctor visits)

Then move on to miscellaneous tasks. Think: walking the dog, washing dishes, doing errands, or calling the vet. Get as specific as you can.

How to manage your time when you don’t have a set work schedule

Using time management techniques may seem straightforward when you have a predictable schedule. But what if your work hours vary from week to week — or day to day? How do you balance school, work, and life commitments in that case?

If you don’t have a set work schedule, here are a few tips to help you organize your time:

1. Take online classes. Online education allows you to study anywhere. Download your school’s apps on your phone so you can squeeze in a few minutes of studying whenever you get the chance — in the waiting room, in the school pick-up line, or during work breaks.
2. Plan classes around work seasons. Reserve harder classes for seasons when work is slower. For example, if you know work gets busier around the holidays, plan to take easier classes during the winter term.
3. Schedule short study sessions. Fitting in 15-, 30-, or 60-minute study sessions around your work hours can help when your schedule is inconsistent. Decide beforehand what you’ll study during those sessions.
4. Set your schedule weekly. If you have a weekly work schedule, sit down with your planner or calendar to plan study sessions and time for other tasks once you know your hours.
5. Ask for help. Can your partner or kids take over some of your household chores? Could a friend watch your kids once a week so you can do homework? Don’t be afraid to delegate or ask for extra help when you need it.
6. Schedule time for self-care. Planning breaks can help you avoid burning out. Take 15 minutes a day to do something relaxing, like reading a book, savoring a cup of tea, or going on a walk.

Reflect: Have you noticed that there’s a time of day when you’re most productive? A time when you have the most energy to spend on a project, such as an assignment for a learning program you’re in? Most of us have optimal times of day for tackling these tasks. For some, it’s early in the morning. For others, it’s late at night. Once you know your preferences, you can factor that into your time management.

Time management tips for juggling family and caregiving

Family time is important, and prioritizing that time can help you maintain healthy relationships while balancing work and school. But it’s also important to set expectations (and, in some cases, boundaries) with family members, especially when work and school are busier than usual.

When it comes to juggling family, work, and school responsibilities, communication is key. Let’s explore a few ways to communicate effectively with family to find the balance you need.

• Set expectations and ask for help: Let family members know when work and school are especially busy and you need extra help. If you’re a caregiver, ask your partner or another responsible family member to step in with household chores or caregiving tasks.
• Commit to family time: When you have less spare time than usual, schedule family time in your calendar. Perhaps you could commit to one meal a day together, one fun family event per week, or baking cookies with your kids on your day off. 
• Take a break from social media: Choose to prioritize family time over other less important activities like scrolling through social media or watching TV. You’ll have more time for those activities when the busy season is over!
• Cut out unnecessary activities: If there are activities you usually commit to but don’t enjoy, consider taking a break from them until the busy season ends. This could help decrease stress and leave more time for studying or family time.

Time management tips for career advancement

Time management isn’t just for school. Organizing your time can improve your focus, productivity, and decision-making — all important skills for growing your career. How quickly and effectively you learn new skills for your career will hinge (at least in part) on how well you manage your time and set priorities.

In this section, we’ll go over time management techniques tailored to career growth.

How to make time for skill development and career growth

It can be challenging to find time for career and skill development when you’re juggling work responsibilities and family commitments.

One way to make it easier?

First, get clear on your “why.”

If you already have a career map, take time weekly to reflect on your progress and tweak your career map as needed. If you don’t have one yet, get clear on your motivation by asking yourself:

• What do I like about my current role?
• What would I change about my current role?
• Where do I want to be in my career one, five, or 10 years from now?
• Why do I want that? (Do you want schedule flexibility, higher earning potential, to set an example for your kids?)
• What do I need to do to reach my goals?

Write down your answers so you can reflect on them later. Doing so can help you stay motivated and prioritize career growth and skill development in your schedule.

Next, find gaps in your schedule for career growth.

Finding time for skill development doesn’t happen by accident. Dissect your planner or calendar to find time gaps you can devote to career-related activities like:

• Enrolling in a certificate, bootcamp, or degree program
• Studying and writing essays for class
• Tutoring
• Attending networking events
• Finding and meeting with a mentor
• Doing informational interviews with people in roles you’re interested in

Lastly, stay accountable.

Letting a lot of people know about your intentions to go to school can help motivate you to follow through. Or ask a friend, family member, or colleague to check in with you regularly about your career growth efforts.

Reflect: Time can be your friend or your opponent — it depends on how you manage it. In many ways, how you manage your time has a powerful and lasting impact on every aspect of your life, including your career. When you think of time as a valuable resource, and when you maximize your time for things that really matter to you — time can start to feel like your friend.

Design a career-focused study plan

How you frame things matters — especially when it comes to investing time in your career growth.

If you view time spent studying and growing your career skills as optional, it will likely go toward other things — despite your best intentions. Consider framing your education and study time as necessary to achieving your career goals. This will help you protect that time in your schedule and say no to less important activities.

With this mindset, look at your planner or schedule to see where you can fit in study sessions, classes, and career-growth activities. You may need to move activities and commitments around and cut back on others.

Tips for maintaining your career-focused study plan:

• Write down your career goals in your planner: This will keep your “why” front and center as you plan time to study and attend classes. 
• Keep a career journal: Note new skills you’re gaining or how you’re feeling as you grow and develop. You can also observe how you’re changing as you move toward your career goals.
• Find a mentor: Learning from someone who’s further along in your chosen career path can help you stay motivated and grow faster.
• Celebrate milestones: Reward yourself for achievements — maybe passing a difficult exam, reaching your study goal for the week, or acing a job interview. Your reward could be anything you enjoy, like a fancy cup of coffee, a fun evening with your friends, or a good book.

Remember, learning to manage your time well takes discipline and perseverance — and it doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient with yourself as you implement the strategies in this article. With consistent practice, you can strengthen your time management skills, focus on what’s most important to you, and move closer to your goals!