We have done some new original research to see how people are managing their time in 2021.
Using detailed analysis of 5 questions we’ve discovered:
– Less than 1 in 5 people (18%) have a proper time management system.
– 82% of people don’t have a time management system. They just use a list, their email inbox or nothing at all.
– The Eisenhower matrix is the most successful time management technique.
– 100% of people using this technique feel their work is under control either 4 or 5 days per week.
– The least successful time management technique is ‘dealing with whatever comes up’.
– 28% of people using this technique feel their work is never or very rarely (1 day per week) under control.
– 1 in 8 people (12.5%) never feel under control at work.
– 49% of people have never carried out a time audit to see how they spend their time.
The questions we asked were:
Let’s take a look at what we found.
1: 18% OF PEOPLE HAVE A DEDICATED TIME MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
82% OF PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE A DEDICATED TIME MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
2: 33% OF PEOPLE USE A TO DO LIST TO MANAGE THEIR TIME AND TASKS.
3: 24% OF PEOPLE USE THEIR EMAIL INBOX AS THEIR TIME AND TASK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
4: 12% OF PEOPLE SCHEDULE ALL OF THEIR TASKS IN THEIR DIARY IN ADVANCE.
5: 25% OF PEOPLE “JUST DEAL WITH WHATEVER SEEMS MOST IMPORTANT AT THE TIME”
1: 20% OF PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEIR WORK IS UNDER CONTROL EVERY DAY
2: 66% (2/3rds) OF PEOPLE FEEL THAT THEIR WORK IS UNDER CONTROL MOST OF THE TIME (AT LEAST 3 DAYS PER WEEK
3: OVER 20% (21%) FEEL THAT THEIR WORK IS EITHER NEVER UNDER CONTROL OR ONLY UNDER CONTROL 1 DAY PER WEEK.
4: MORE 10% OF PEOPLE (1 in 8) FEEL THAT THEIR WORK IS NEVER UNDER CONTROL
MORE THAN 1 IN 4 (28%) OF PEOPLE USING THIS FEEL THEIR WORK IS UNDER CONTROL NEVER OR ONLY ONE DAY PER WEEK.
2: THE EISENHOWER MATRIX IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL (“BEST”) STRATEGY.
50% OF PEOPLE WITH THIS ANSWER FEEL THEIR WORK IS UNDER CONTROL EVERY DAY.
50% OF PEOPLE WITH THIS ANSWER FEEL THAT THEIR WORK IS UNDER CONTROL 4 DAYS OF THE WEEK.
3: THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE IS THE SECOND MOST SUCCESSFUL TIME MANAGEMENT STRATEGY.
60% OF PEOPLE USING THIS TECHNIQUE FEEL THAT THEIR WORK IS UNDER CONTROL 4 OR 5 DAYS PER WEEK.
An Eisenhower matrix worksheet can be found at the bottom of time management course page.
1: 1 IN 5 PEOPLE CARRY OUT A TIME AUDIT REGULARLY (AT LEAST ONCE PER MONTH) TO SEE HOW THEY ARE SPENDING THEIR TIME.
2: ALMOST 1 IN 3 (31%) OF PEOPLE CARRY ONE OUT OCCASIONALLY.
3: ALMOST HALF (49%) OF PEOPLE HAVE NEVER CARRIED OUT A TIME AUDIT TO UNDERSTAND HOW THEY SPEND THEIR TIME.
For details on how to carry out a time audit please see our article: how to carry out a time audit.
The research for these statistics was carried out using Pollfish. 500 people were surveyed.
It polled a representative sample of working people. It was evenly split between male (46%) and female (54%).
It was evenly split between age groups with 20% of the replies being received from people in each of the following age categories.