Brain Training: 10 things you need to know…

1. Time itself cannot be managed, but you can manage your own habits and behaviour to get more done in the time available

2. Managing time takes time. Allow yourself the time it takes to plan your workload in advance - instead of just reacting to the next emergency

3. Keep your priorities straight. Stay focused on the most essential tasks and exercise your judgment: not everything's as urgent as someone else may claim!

4. Don't set unrealistic goals. It's good to stretch yourself a bit - but not if you habituate yourself to falling short. That's just delusional and demotivating

5. To understand where time is slipping through your fingers, try analysing the way you spend it: log activities honestly and accurately and learn the lessons

6. Recognise your pet distractions: are you chatting too much, spending too long on emails, obsessing over unimportant details?

7. Beware of emails and the internet. Online content is designed to distract. Don't get drawn into email conversations that don't concern you or are basically just online chat

8. Consider quality as well as quantity, Don't simply tick off the tasks on your list: assess what value you're adding each time

9. Declutter your desk and your virtual desktop. Letting things pile up hinders productivity and makes it easier to lose track of important tasks

10. As Benjamin Franklin once famously remarked, time is money. Wasted time at work is someone's money down the drain. If not yours, then your employer's.