You create a schedule to accomplish everything on your to-do list—and then feel disappointed when you can’t stay on track. Instead of following a rigid schedule, try introducing flexibility into your day using these time management tricks. They will help you conquer procrastination and make consistent progress on large projects.

1. The timer method. Set a timer for a certain amount of time to work on a task or part of a large project. You might decide to do this once a day or once a week. This method works particularly well for work that you dislike, whether it’s making sales calls, cleaning out files, or writing a report. You can also start small, then increase your time—for instance, start with five minutes a day, then gradually increase to 20 minutes. Once the timer goes off, stop working and move on to something else.
2. The “once” method. This is something you do once a day, week, or month, but no time limit is involved. For example, once a day, you’ll call a new donor prospect. Once a week, you’ll take a walk at lunch time—it can be a long or short walk, depending on how you feel or what you have going on. Once a month, you’ll brainstorm on feature topics for your newsletter. The important thing is not the amount of time spent on the task—but just that you got the task done and didn’t avoid it.
3. The small-goal method. Decide how often you’ll do this—once a day or once a week, for instance. Then set a small goal for yourself. This often involves a number—you’ll do 10 sit ups, write three sentences, or make four calls. Once you have established the habit, you can add on if you want—for instance, the 10 sit ups you do every day becomes 20.  

Progress may seem small, especially at first, but will become more apparent over time as little actions, done consistently, add up. And the beauty of these methods is that they don’t take up large blocks of time, so you can usually fit them into your busy and constantly changing schedule.

Jill Renkey is a freelance writer and editor who assists the CASE marketing department.