Time management is not the managing of time but the balancing of managing attention and energy. Alice Brackley introduces the Time Management Triathlon, offering practical strategies for faster performance.

The idea that time management is the key to success has been instilled into people across the world. Often, it’s seen as a personal challenge: to-do lists are getting longer by the minute, causing stress levels to increase. But what if time management was a myth? Time is a fixed resource; we can’t manage or change it. We can only manage how we spend it.
The secret to boosting productivity and efficiency is not being able to control time but being able to manage our attention and energy. How? Welcome to the Time Management Triathlon. Three sports, designed to test your productivity, empower you to reach your potential, and go for gold. Will you win the productivity game and stand on top of the organisational podium?
Speed Scheduling
First up…Speed Scheduling: quickly and effectively organising the day. This race is about time blocking — dedicating specific blocks of time for different types of tasks to maximise productivity and focus. We often look at to-do lists and select tasks depending on their urgency, how much we want to do them, which one might be the easiest; the list goes on. However, using time blocks for different tasks can boost productivity by 25% as it reduces the cognitive load of constant decision-making throughout the day (The Law of Planning by Brian Tracy)2. Set a timer and plan the day, including not just work tasks but emails and downtime as well. The goal? Creating a schedule that’s realistic enough to stick to but flexible enough to handle unexpected changes. The challenge, at first, is to accurately estimate the time needed for certain tasks but, over time, the ability to balance structure with spontaneity improves.
Decision Sprint

Round two is the Decision Sprint. Picture this: an overflowing inbox, a busy calendar, and urgent tasks coming from all directions. What to tackle first? This challenge is all about making quick, informed decisions under pressure without sacrificing quality. One technique for mastering this is the Eisenhower Matrix, enabling an individual to categorise tasks into four quadrants.
By prioritising tasks that are both urgent and important and delegating or eliminating others, we can work smarter, not harder. In turn, we’ll reduce stress and boost efficiency. Not only does this clarify priorities, but it improves the ability to say “no” to less important tasks — an essential skill for any time management champion.
Focus Marathon
Finally, the Focus Marathon. This is a test of work endurance; crucial in today’s distraction-filled world where constant notifications can drain hours of productivity. One strategy is the Pomodoro Technique: 25 minutes of focused work followed by a 5-minute break (this 30-minute segment is known as a Pomodoro, a name it gets from its creator’s tomato-shaped timer). This can go hand-in-hand with time-blocking, allocating specific tasks to specific Pomodoros. This method helps sustain mental energy and sharpens focus over time, making it a powerful tool for maintaining productivity in demanding environments.
To summarise, time isn’t the real competition — how we manage our energy and attention is. Making these simple tasks become habits can spiral your view to time management and help you excel at work. The challenge is set — are you ready to win?