5 essential time management tips

Time is a precious commodity. Creatives know that better than anyone. Deadlines are the parameters within which briefs are answered and problems solved.

But how to manage that time better?

We’re all guilty of slipping into time wasting habits. Whether that’s the RSI we have in our scrolling thumb or the brain drain we experience from the incessant content we consume. We know tech products are designed to help us optimise that time, but what if that’s at the expense of the creative output?

1. Block your time

album covers — Some of Louis Moss, designer at The Midnight Club's, work (Image credit: Louis Moss)

When it comes to understanding how to best use the hours in your day, nothing works quite as well as an old-fashion timer. Whether it’s a physical alarm clock, the app on your phone or your kitchen timer, blocking out those hours with an alert to tell you when to stop/stretch/lie down is essential.

Louis Moss, designer at The Midnight Club, uses a simple kitchen timer to keep his phone out of reach: "I used to think huge task lists meant I was being productive. In reality, they just created decision paralysis. Working in focused blocks keeps me in the right mindset instead of constantly switching gears. The difference is huge. I’m not working longer hours, but I get far more done in the same time. The work feels deeper because I’m not bouncing between completely different tasks."

diffuser and organiser on desk with screen that talks about accessibility — Tania Gerard is an accessible marketing consultant at Tania Gerard Digital (Image credit: Tania Gerard)

“For my neurodivergent brain, 'time blindness' is the biggest hurdle," says Tania Gerard, an accessible marketing consultant at Tania Gerard Digital, who navigates the creative world with ADHD and autism.

"In 2026, I’ve moved away from digital pings and back to Visual Timers. Seeing a physical red disc disappear as time elapses helps me 'feel' the passing of time without the anxiety of a ticking clock. It’s an accessibility tool that doubles as a foolproof productivity hack for any creative prone to hyperfocus."

2. Put pen to paper

woman with dark hair in front of a picture of a rose — Gemma Eccleston is founder of Hendrix Rose PR (Image credit: Gemma Eccleston)

While the world becomes increasingly more digital, analogue ways of creating and communicating are having a resurgence in popularity. And nowhere is this more true than with timekeeping.

Gemma Eccleston, founder of Hendrix Rose PR, says, "I’m very visual, so I rely heavily on a good old-fashioned paper to-do list. I use the Planberry planner, which helps me map out weekly actions while keeping sight of monthly goals. It stops me getting lost in day-to-day firefighting and keeps bigger objectives moving forward. If something is genuinely urgent, I’ll back this up with calendar blocks and alarms because sometimes you just need that non-negotiable nudge."

woman writing in a journal — Ilaria Mangiardi is an Amsterdam-based creative writer, strategic copywriter and Journalpreneur (Image credit: Marzia Allietta)

For some, like Ilaria Mangiardi, an Amsterdam-based creative writer, strategic copywriter and journalpreneur, 2026 is the year of energetic planning. “I usually start by braindumping everything onto paper, whatever’s rattling around in my head. It’s like closing mental browser tabs one by one.

"The magic happens with what I call 'energy-based Post-its' on the side. I divide the page into three sections and label them: 1, high energy, 2, medium energy and 3, low energy. Then I go back to my braindump list, number each item and copy those numbers onto the corresponding energy Post-it. The result is an energy map I can come back to anytime, especially useful if you’re a freelancer with a bit more flexibility in your days. I firmly believe in this very official, self-invented rule: if it’s not visible, it won’t happen."

"At the start of 2026, I was inspired to formalise my ‘journal ecosystem’ by some Tik-Tokers who seem incredibly put together," explains Hali Pollard, associate creative director at Cummins&Partners NYC. "For me, this includes a planner, a journal for daily writing and a notebook for jotting down creative project notes and tasks. While there are great apps out there, I realised there’s something really meditative and memorable about old-fashioned pen and paper."

3. Go digital

A laptop, a monitor and notebook on a desk with a cup of a hot drink — A view from senior creative at We Are Social, Andy Dawes' desk (Image credit: Andy Dawes)

While a pen and paper may work for some, there are also a plethora of digital tools out in the world, ready to help you optimise your time and stay focused.

Andy Dawes, senior creative at We Are Social is firmly on Team Notes app: "My aim for the year was to use the diary I requested for Christmas to finally organise my life better, but it’s been used twice so far. The Notes app is still my go-to for capturing lists, reminders and passing creative thoughts that strike in the middle of the night. They’ll be worth millions one day."

a laptop, phone and a tablet with branding on it related to a boat — Jess Mulligan, creative project lead at colewood.digital, showcases her latest work (Image credit: Jess Mulligan)

Others, like Jess Mulligan, a creative project lead at colewood.digital, can’t live without Asana: "Full disclosure: I’m a little obsessed with Asana. Particularly using the Asana board view. I add emojis to each column, which can act as visual cues that make it easy to identify the purpose of a column at a glance. Combine this with optional colour-coded tags or custom fields, and this could speed up your navigation, reduce confusion and keep projects visually clear."

4. Grab some uninterrupted time

Many of the people we spoke to feel that the only real way to work across multiple projects effectively is to ensure time is blocked in calendars. That way there can be no interruptions, whether meeting, washing machine or view out the window.

Joseph Boyle, head of post-production at Wonderhatch says, "I was watching an interview with Paul Thomas Anderson about his writing schedule, and he said he has dedicated uninterrupted time to focus every day. So, I copied that in my own way."

woman wearing black on a dark background — (Image credit: Yanga Breakfast)

"I use a ‘context-switching’ technique rather than just a calendar," notes Yanga Breakfast, a South Africa-based founder and creative director at Y Breakfast Studio.

"I group tasks by the mental energy they require. Deep creative work happens in the morning without digital interruptions, while administrative tasks are batched for the afternoon."

crayons and a card — Mirella Aponte, creative director (content & campaign) at LIGANOVA MaSH! LTD reminds us of the importance of play (Image credit: Mirella Aponte)

Mirella Aponte, creative director (content and campaign) at LIGANOVA MaSH! LTD does the same: "I tend to put blockers in my calendar to remind me when to work on which project, as it can feel a little much when you have a long to-do list without a plan."

man with glasses and a zipper top — (Image credit: Michael Ruby)

For Michael Ruby, CCO at Park & Battery, “better time management isn’t about finding more hours in the day; it’s about protecting the ones you’ve got.

"Each day is a prioritisation puzzle, and I try to solve it by asking: what’s the single most important thing I need to move forward today?"

Carmen Lai, Senior Account Director at Backlash's work for Marc Jacobs — Carmen Lai, senior account director at Backlash's work for Marc Jacobs (Image credit: Backlash)

Carmen Lai, senior account director at Backlash, agrees and adds that calendar blocks, "not only help you know how your day or week ahead looks but also ensure colleagues respect your time and capacity".

paper journal — Ade Yeo, creative director at Hijinks, puts pen to paper (Image credit: Ade Yeo)

For those in the midst of a juggle, Ade Yeo, creative director at Hijinks, has some advice: “As a creative director who is also a cabaret performer, I have a crazy day-to-night schedule and many commitments and deadlines to track. The two things I live my life by are my Google Calendar and bullet journal; things would be an absolute mess without them.

"The calendar is my single source of truth for all bookings, meetings and deadlines. If it’s not in my calendar, it’s not happening. I use different colours for each of my accounts (many different lives) so viewing everything at a glance helps me avoid double-booking."

5. Trust your subconscious

desk with laptop on it — Henry Challender is associate creative director at Bray Leino (Image credit: Henry Challender)

And if all else fails, there’s always the subconscious, as Henry Challender, associate creative director at Bray Leino reminds us: “Beyond delegation and trust, I’ve got this amazing gizmo I use to get big, difficult creative jobs done without letting all the smaller spinning plates go the way of smithereens.

"All you do is upload the brief and set a time parameter. Then leave it to do its thing while you get on with life’s interminable list of Shit To Do. At some unspecified point – ding! – it appears with the answer. Then all you have to do is make it presentable. The best part? It’s completely free and everyone has it installed as standard. It’s called the subconscious."

For more tips on staying productive, see our how to stay motivated in winter piece.

TOPICS

Izzy Ashton is a journalist, editor and PR professional who’s held editorial and communications roles at comms and entertainment group Common Interest, B2B PR agency Propeller, global creative agency 180 Global and insights and trends platform BITE (Creativebrief). She’s a panel host, published author, one-time voice over artist and distinctly average surfer. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Lift As You Climb, a platform that supports, celebrates and shouts loudly about exceptional creative talent, of every level. It’s designed to offer a reminder that none of us got where we are without someone paving the way before us.

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