Although we’d all like to say we manage our time effectively, truth be told, our time often manages us.

To more effectively make the use of our time at home and at work, getting organized is the key. There are a variety of ways you can better organize your time at school, work, or home, including de-cluttering techniques like KonMari, mind mapping software and much more.

Americans are working longer hours, are more distracted at work and home and they simply don’t have enough time for all their responsibilities. According to a Harris poll, people have 37 percent less free time than they did in the 1970s. On average, most people squander about 13 years of their lives on meaningless activities.

While there are some time wasters that you’ll never be able to avoid, there are some ways you can optimize the time you have at work and at home to make life easier and to free up a little downtime for yourself.

Consider these time management tips to more effectively organize your day:

Plan your day the night before. Before going to bed, it’s useful to think about your tasks for the next day and decide when and where various activities will be done. By planning out a few of the basics the night before, you’ll have a game plan for the next day, and you may also realize potential obstacles ahead of time.

Knock out the hard stuff first. Accomplishing your toughest tasks early helps make them easier. You’re freshly rested early in the day, and better able to apply your energy and creativity to thorny challenges you may be too tired to handle effectively later in the day.

Allow for delays. When planning your day, realize that not everything may go according to plan. Work a little leeway into your schedule so you’ll be able to deal with any curve balls life may throw.

Declutter. Organizing your work space and your home will help make your day incredibly easier. Don’t waste time looking for your keys or work materials; have an organized space so you can easily find what you need and avoid wild goose chases for missing supplies

Set a limit on your social media usage. It’s easy to fall into the Facebook and Twitter holes only to look up and see that it’s 4 p.m. and you only have an hour left to finish an important project. Keep social media from taking over your day by setting specific times to check your accounts, and establishing strict time limits for how long to spend on Facebook, Twitter, and similar sites.

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Author: Joel Roberts

Editor: Caitlin Oriel

Image: Veri Ivanova/Unsplash