3 Free Time Management Systems That Really Work

by Dee Jones

When's the last time you spent money on a time management book?

Did the system in that book work for you?

If it didn't, I bet you've been kicking yourself for wasting your money. But don’t beat yourself up over it. That time management book probably isn’t bad. In fact, the system might work for a lot of people. It just didn't work for you, something you couldn't know until you tried it for yourself.

You just wish you didn’t have to spend hard-earned cash on what turned out to be a failed experiment.

If only you could give a time management system a test drive without having to buy a book to do it.

Well, it's your lucky day. Here are three free time management systems for you to try. And they won’t cost you a penny.

Weekly/Daily Goals

Weekly/Daily Goals is a system created by Scott Young, a popular productivity blogger. Young’s claim to fame is that he completed MIT's four-year computer science curriculum in just twelve months.

Anyone who can do something like that probably knows a thing or two about managing your time.

The Weekly/Daily Goals system is simple. In fact, the basics are right there in the name.

1. First, make a list of things you want to get done in the next week.
2. Every morning (or the night before), make a list of the tasks and to-dos you want to get done that day.
3. Once all of the tasks and to-dos have been checked off of your daily list, you’re done for the day, and free to do whatever you want.

The concept behind WDG is that you can get plenty of stuff done, and still have time to relax and enjoy life. In fact, those breaks will make you more productive in the long run.    

If you'd like to give this time management system a try, these blog posts describe how Weekly/Daily Goals works in more detail.

• How to Finish Your Work, One Bite at a Time
• Work Less to Get More Done

How to Make Your Dreams Come True

Take a look at almost any time management system, and you’ll usually find some common elements. Most show you how to set achievable goals, make task lists, and schedule your time. The specifics might differ from one system to another. But a few basics seem to pop up again and again.

Now these similarities aren't a bad thing. The basics show up in so many systems because they work.

But maybe you'd like to try something new.

How to Make Your Dreams Come True is definitely a different kind of time management book. Instead of setting goals, you create a vision. There's a list, but it's not a to-do or task list. And the book advises you to do as little scheduling as possible.

Written by Mark Forster (the author of Do It Tomorrow), How to Make Your Dreams Come True started its life in print. And if you wanted to try the system, you had to buy the book. But, after Dreams had been out of print for a while, Forster made it available on his website for free.

So what's the "big idea" behind How to Make Your Dreams Come True?

Don’t try to force yourself to do things. In fact, you should only do things when you feel like doing them.

For example, take washing dishes. If you don't feel like washing the dishes after dinner, don't wash the dishes after dinner.Trying to force yourself to do it will only cause resistance and procrastination.

If you give yourself permission not to wash the dishes, it will actually make you more likely to do it. Eventually you'll get sick of the mess and start cleaning the kitchen. And you’ll do that chore effortlessly, without any feelings of resistance or desire to procrastinate.

If this sounds a little iffy to you, don't worry. The book contains several techniques that will help you feel like doing the things you need to do.

If you'd like to see for yourself what Dreams is all about, you can download a Word file of How to Make Your Dreams Come True on Mark Forster's website, no sign up required. Just follow the link below:

• How to Make Your Dreams Come True

The Action Method

The Action Method first appeared in a book called Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky. But you don't have to buy the book to understand the basics of the system. Belsky himself wrote a series of articles in which he explains what the Action Method is all about.

The big draw of the Action Method is its simplicity. If you have a notebook and a pen, you can start using AM to complete your projects, both big and small.

The Action Method breaks any project down into three simple components.

1. Action Steps are the things you need to do to move the project towards completion.
2. Backburner Items are action steps that either can't be done right now, or can wait until later.
3. References are the project-related materials you need to keep. For example, if you're planning a wedding, one of your References might be a list of local caterers.

The Action Method is great for anyone who wants to keep their projects somewhat organized, but also likes to keep things simple.

If you want to know more about the Action Method, you can read all about it in this three part series: 

• Action Method I: Breaking Projects into Primary Elements
• Action Method II: Keeping Projects Alive
• Action Method III: Make Time for Processing Your Next Steps

And there you have it. Three time management systems you can try without spending a dime. And one of them just might be the perfect fit for you.

Do you know of any other free time management systems? Leave a comment below and let us know.