Basics of Time Management: organizing your day with the ABC method
- Mikaela Graf
- Oct 7, 2023
- 4 min read
During this transitional period, there are so many things to focus on and put effort into it that it can difficult to balance it all. For me, I need to look for a job, but I also need to look for somewhere to volunteer teach so I can finish earning my TEFL certificate. I can't forget that I still need to figure out my living situation while I'm at it, all while not losing sight of the other personal goals I'm working towards.
As much as I wish there was a way for me to do all of this simultaneously, there is only one me, and there are only 24 hours in each day. I am going to have to divide my time accordingly, which means a whole lot of organization and prioritization. Luckily, I actually paid attention in my college wellness class, so I have a method to apply to this madness.
Known as the "ABC method," it is a time management strategy first developed by writer Alan Lakein and later relayed to me by the lovely Coach Brocato. I use this as a guide for my daily planning with a tweak or two of my own, and I've found that it helps minimize anxiety and stress when I feel overwhelmed by the length of my to-do list. It puts me at ease knowing that I have a tangible plan for accomplishing everything.
A plan is all it is, though. Before I briefly explain what the ABC method is and how to implement it in your routine, I want to warn you to proceed with caution. This warning is especially for you if you have a tendency to follow a schedule like it's a law and spiral when you even stray from it slightly. This tool can help ease your anxiety, but it can just as easily worsen it, so remember that it is simply a guide, not a ruler.
Now, let's get into it.
How does the ABC method work?
The ABC method takes all the tasks you need to make time for and organizes them by importance and urgency. The first category, "A", is for all the tasks that are both important AND urgent. I like to think of it as whatever needs to get done today. This is for your deadlines and detrimentals. Does your school or job expect something from you by end of day? That would be an A. Did your prescription run out and you need to get a refill? That would probably be an A, too. Anything that is a top priority and time sensitive goes here.
The next category, "B", is for tasks that are either important OR urgent. If you're like me and find that concept a bit hard to grasp, though, I explain it as the tasks that don't necessarily need to get done today, but need to be done in the next couple days or so. When you are finished with all your A's, what would you do next? Maybe you have a deadline in a few days that you'll need to tackle soon, but only after you meet a more pressing deadline this evening. Maybe today is the last day to pre-order a new album, but that's not a necessity, so it's probably a B.
Finally, we have the "C" category. This is for tasks that are important, but not urgent. Whatever needs to get done at some point this week but can wait a few days would go here. For instance, you have friends coming over a week from today, so you'll need to clean up some rooms around the house. In comparison to your other tasks, though, that isn't as time-sensitive, so you can wait to get to it later in the week.
Giving each task a letter is only half of the system, though. Once everything is lettered, the next step is to go back through and sort each category by number. You decide which of the A's is your top priority and label it 1, then the next priority 2, and so on. After all the A's are numbered, you move on to the B's and C's and do the same. By the end, each task should have a corresponding letter and number.
How do I use the ABC method to plan my day?
Once you have everything categorized, you can start plugging it all into a daily schedule. Before I do this, though, I like to add one more category: the non-negotiables (N). This category is purely for organization, not prioritization. As you begin to plan your day, start by penciling in your non-negotiable obligations, such as appointments, work, school, etc. Then, you can plug in your prioritized tasks, starting with your "A1". Ideally, you'll be able to fit all your A's in one day, and if you're able, you can designate some time to start on your B's. You normally won't make it to your C's, but that's kind of the point of them.
I like to do this scheduling the night before, so that I can sleep knowing that I already have a game plan for conquering the next day. It also works just as well first thing in the morning, when you hopefully feel refreshed from a night's rest and have a renewed hope for tackling everything. Whichever way works best for you, the key is to remember that this is just an outline. If you get ahead or behind schedule, you always have your list of tasks to reference. When it comes time to plan for tomorrow, anything you haven't accomplished can shift higher in your priorities. Your B's can become A's and you can make room in your list for any new tasks that have popped up. The idea is that as you implement this method in your daily routine, your tasks will cycle through the categories and scheduling will flow easily.
Of course, all of this is easier said than done, and I, myself, am nowhere near perfect at it. However, any time I'm feeling stressed in the busy American life, I revisit this method and it helps put me at ease, and I wish the same for you.
If you want to hear a more in-depth breakdown with a borderline unnecessary amount of examples, check out this week's podcast at any of the links below!
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