When attempting to portray time management, I can’t help but think of the saying “Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.”

Time is valuable, but it is a limited commodity. We each have a finite supply every day. It makes sense then that getting better at managing time is as much a good idea as it is a wise investment of your energy and, well, time. Good time management benefits both our personal and professional lives. I think the advice provided here is universal, but I want to stress the benefits it will have on your job search. Finding a job is a job in and of itself. Within your already full and busy life, you need to literally make the time for this additional work; otherwise, you will notice you may drop the ball somewhere, as you juggle your many responsibilities.

It’s helpful to think of time management in three buckets - skills, techniques, and tools. They give you a process to help prioritize and delegate correctly and for maximum benefit. Skills are behaviors, things you do, like delegating or prioritizing. Time management techniques are processes, frameworks, or guidelines that help you focus and work smartly; the Pomodoro timer is a great example for this. Time management tools are things like calendar, note taking or time tracking software, and apps galore, all designed to automate, organize, and support your skills and techniques.

As an individual with your own distinct sense of self, your personality and preferences will determine which of the things in each bucket apply and work best for you. You might be the most organized person in the world but if you don’t know how and when to delegate, you will not be as productive as you could be, and possibly not even as productive as someone less organized. It’s the same when it comes to techniques and tools - the best ones are the ones that work for you.

Time management. These two simple words carry so much potential and can change our lives in countless ways. There is so much information on time management available; there are many books and even more articles, podcasts, and posts that can provide helpful information. I’ve listed my go-to below but there is much more help available, and I encourage you to explore and learn. If ever there was a subject tailor-made for life-long learning, time management is it.

Managing your time well is an ongoing challenge that changes along with other demands of our lives. Here is a piece of advice I really want to emphasize: Nothing will work unless you use it. The first step to better time management is a commitment to really do it. Tools don’t effortlessly manage your time and automatically improve your productivity.

What works well in one job may not be as effective in another. You will need to adapt. One thing that will always be true is that if you make a commitment to do better and choose tools suited to your needs, you will see transformative results.