9 Effective Time Management Tips For Busy People

Working in marketing is incredibly rewarding – but let’s be real, it’s also a lot. Between keeping the sales and CEO/CMO/C-whatever happy and in the loop, Time Management, creative designs, managing the team, keeping the company updated and in check when it comes to brand guidelines (let alone, MAKING the brand guidelines), staying up-to-date with the latest socials, client calls, admin tasks, projects, emails, accounts, meetings and everything in between, it can feel like you’re spinning plates at times.

The good news? 

It doesn’t have to feel this way all the time. Yes, some days may be heavier than others; sometimes seasonal trends impact the flow, and you might encounter unexpected bumps in the road (hello, family sickness). BUT, there are a few changes you could make, some tweaks and reorganisation that MIGHT help you take back control of your day, get more done, and still have time for you.

Here are some of our favourite tips that keep me sane and productive!

The Pomodoro Technique – Your New Focus BFF

Ever tried the Pomodoro Technique? It’s a total game-changer if your brain likes to wander (hello, social media rabbit holes). The idea is simple:

• Work for 25 minutes
• Take a 5-minute break
• Repeat!

After 4 cycles, you take a longer break – perfect for grabbing a coffee or dancing it out in your kitchen or in front of your desk (something our MD Freya, is known for doing). It keeps your brain fresh and helps you stay laser-focused on one task at a time.

Block Booking Your Diary = Instant Calm

Flitting between meetings, emails, and deep work is a surefire recipe for chaos. That’s why our MD Freya swears by block booking her diary.

“I keep all client meetings in the morning, so I’m not pulled in and out of tasks all day. Afternoons are then reserved for focused work – projects, admin, or anything that needs real attention”. It’s like giving your brain permission to just do one thing at a time – and it loves that!

Some people use apps to do this, such as Google Calendar, Trello, Click-up, (and that’s great and there are loads of options!), but Freya keeps it old-school: “I like to manually plan it out. There’s something so satisfying about writing it down and seeing the day take shape, plus it then makes it super quick and easy to edit it IF something needs to change”. 

Your Inbox = Your To-Do List

Okay, hear us out: your inbox doesn’t have to be the monster under your desk. Instead, use it as a to-do list. 

Every email is either actioned or filed but rarely deleted (the search function is highly useful). Create folders for everything, as it makes finding things a breeze later on. (Bonus: you look SUPER organised when a client asks for something and you can pull it up in seconds!)

Toggl = Your Time-Saving Sidekick

Let’s be real: it’s way too easy to lose track of time when you’re head down in campaign planning. 

Enter: Toggl. We use it to track how long it takes to spend on different clients, tasks, and even admin work.

It’s as simple as hitting ‘start’ and ‘stop’ – and the reports? Game-changing. We can actually see where the hours go (hello, 7 hours spent on emails in the last 2x weeks), which helps us price projects better and avoid overbooking the team.

Bonus: It’s weirdly satisfying to clock off at the end of the day knowing exactly what you achieved.

Google Drive = Life Saver

Honestly, we couldn’t run the business without Google Workspace. It’s the digital HQ. Every file has a home, every client has their own folder, and everything is colour-coded and beautifully organised. 

What sets us apart from other marketing teams is the way we manage our clients’ work and make it super easy for everyone to find what they need in seconds! Each client has their own master spreadsheets that link to all the documents, files or notes we might need at any one time. We call them the bible of the business, because if it’s not in there, it doesn’t exist! 

The 2-Minute Rule = Inbox Ninja Move

If something takes less than 2 minutes to do? 

Just do it. Don’t overthink it. Don’t add it to a list. It’s done. Not to steal Nike’s quote, but ‘Just do it’… this can even work at home – if something takes less than 2 minutes, just do it then and there and you can forget about it and move on.

Your future self will thank you.

Calendly = Meeting Magic

If you’re still playing email tag, trying to find a meeting time, it’s time to meet Calendly. You can set up your availability once, share the link, and boom, clients and collaborators can book meetings, just like Freya does. No back-and-forth, no double bookings, just smooth scheduling.

It syncs with your calendar (Google, Outlook, you name it) and even lets you set buffer times or limit how many meetings you take in a day. Total game-changer for keeping your day balanced and under control.

End-of-Day Shutdown Ritual = Mental Reset

Before you log off, spend 10 minutes reviewing what you knocked out today and jot down your top priorities for tomorrow. 

Then close your laptop, tidy your workspace, and really switch off. 

This little ritual helps your brain hit pause between work and life, so you can fully recharge and avoid burnout. We used to get this with the daily commute, yes, it took time from our day, but the commute was time to unwind and switch off before walking through the front door.

Don’t Forget You Time

Last but definitely not least: take a break. Seriously. Schedule it like you would a meeting.

Whether it’s a regular lunch break, a walk to clear your head or come up with some campaign ideas, a book, a gym class, or just a coffee in peace, protect that time. It’s not selfish, it’s essential. You can’t pour from an empty cup!

Time management isn’t about doing more. With a few tweaks to how you plan your day, you can feel more in control, less overwhelmed, and dare I say, actually enjoy the day-to-day aspects of your job. So, grab your diary, block out that time, get those folders organised and go crush it! 

And hey, if you’re not quite there yet, that’s totally okay too. Sometimes, the end feels so far away, and you wish you could wave a magic wand and just have an extra pair of hands for a few hours each month.

We work with a lot of busy marketeers who simply don’t have the headspace or the time to do the day to day tasks, writing the socials, posting them, creating content for the website, the internal or external newsletters, creating marketing documents, adding the new logo or branding to everything, organising and reporting the gubbins to present to the sales team…. You know the stuff, those things you SHOULD be doing, but the strategy and business operation stuff is just so all-consuming…

But it doesn’t need to feel that way… nor does it need to cost a fortune. 

You just need an extra pair of hands to offload a few tasks to each month… but without the cost of a new full-time employee OR the time management of managing one…

If this sounds like you, we’re here to help! Feel free to reach out anytime!

We also offer free consultations to chat through your needs, and everything is flexible – no long-term contracts, no tie-ins, just support that works for you. Check out this recent blog on the reasons why people work with us to find out more.