If you feel like there’s not enough time in the day to get everything done, you’re not alone. Whether you’re trying to juggle family, personal responsibilities, and a career or just trying to finish your homework on time, it can be hard to manage your time well. To help, here are the top tips for managing time effectively and getting more done in less time.

• Keep Track of When You Are Most Productive

Take time to jot down when you are most productive. For some people, that’s the first thing in the morning before work. For others, it’s the early afternoon after lunch. Figure out your peak times and schedule tasks accordingly. It is common sense advice, but it will make a difference to your productivity levels by helping you manage your time effectively.

• Do The Hardest Task First

Don’t make the mistake of doing easy tasks or routine tasks before tackling a tough one. If you do, you’ll likely procrastinate even more on your tougher task. Instead, start your day by doing something mentally challenging, so you can get it out of your way as soon as possible.

• Try To Work When No One Is Around

Try to work when no one is around so you have a better chance of getting your best work done. It’s hard to be creative or make progress on time-sensitive tasks if you constantly have people walking in and out of your office, asking questions, and distracting you from what you’re working on. You need quiet time to think and get things done, but that can be hard to come by in many offices, especially at certain times of day when it feels like everyone is trying to get a jump on their workload before they head home. That’s why my tip is: try to work when no one else is around.

• Get Rid of Unnecessary Websites

Most of us have more websites than we’d like to admit. And while there’s nothing wrong with having a Pinterest account, it’s easy to lose track of time and get sucked into spending hours looking at mindless articles and pictures. The easiest way to avoid wasting time on social media sites is to delete them from your browser altogether. If you absolutely must go back, you can always re-install them later—and you’ll probably find that after some time away, they don’t seem as appealing as they once did.

• Cut Out Temptation

If you’re trying to manage your time effectively, it’s important to eliminate temptation. There are probably hundreds of things you’d rather be doing than what you have scheduled. Resist and eliminate as many temptations as possible; there will always be someone calling your name or tagging in your free time. Focus on work, focus on family, focus on whatever it is that matters most to you. If all else fails, shut off technology and put down that novel. There is a time and place for everything; don’t let work eat up all your time so that there’s nothing left over for yourself or your loved ones.

Conclusion To manage time effectively, you need to be able to keep up with it. The best way to do that is by tracking your tasks and appointments with a tool like Google Calendar. Always remember that Nathan Garries Quadrus success lies in the preparation. Nathan Garries, CFP®, EPC®, CIWM®, FCSI® has been involved in financial advising, financial planning, and wealth management for over two decades, carrying on a family tradition of three generations. Keep these tips in mind when you’re planning your day—your calendar, too—and you should see significant improvements. Not only will you have more time in your day, but you’ll also feel more relaxed and confident because of having planned.