No single time management technique works for everyone. Pomodoro helps you get started, the Eisenhower Matrix helps you decide what comes first and GTD makes sure nothing slips through the cracks. Each one tackles a different problem (procrastination, prioritizing, forgetting things or poor planning), so the real question is: which one is yours?
Below we compare six well-known time management techniques, with their pros, their cons and who each one is for. Then you'll see how to combine them into a system of your own, which is where the real gains are.
The 6 techniques at a glance
| Technique | What it solves | Getting started | Weak spot | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pomodoro | Procrastination and lack of focus | Very easy | Interrupts deep work | Tasks you avoid, studying |
| Eisenhower Matrix | Telling urgent from important | Easy | "Important" is subjective | People who get lots of requests |
| GTD | Forgotten tasks and a growing backlog | Demanding | Needs a weekly review | Many projects and a busy inbox |
| Time blocking | Planning your day realistically | Moderate | Rigid when surprises hit | People who control their calendar |
| 80/20 rule | Focusing on what has the most impact | Easy | Doesn't tell you how to execute | Entrepreneurs and freelancers |
| Daily to-do list | Knowing what to do today | Very easy | Tends to get overloaded | Everyone, as a foundation |
1. The Pomodoro Technique
Created by Francesco Cirillo: you work on a single task for 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break and, after four rounds, take a longer one. The timer turns a huge task into a series of short sprints.
Pros
- You get started without overthinking it.
- Breaks protect you from burnout.
Cons
- Stopping at 25 minutes can break your flow on creative tasks.
- It doesn't tell you which task to do.
- Hard to apply if your work is full of interruptions.
Who it's for: procrastinators, students and anyone who's been dodging a task for days.
2. The Eisenhower Matrix
You sort each task by two criteria, urgent and important, into four quadrants: do it now, schedule it, delegate it or drop it. Stephen Covey popularized it as the four quadrants of time management.
Pros
- A chaotic list becomes clear in minutes.
- It makes you face the important work you keep putting off.
Cons
- What counts as "important" depends on your goals, so you need clear ones.
- It prioritizes, but it doesn't help you execute.
- If everything ends up "urgent and important," you've gained nothing.
Who it's for: managers and anyone who fields lots of requests. If the "delegate" quadrant is where you get stuck, learning to delegate with a clear method changes the picture.
3. GTD (Getting Things Done)
This is David Allen's method. Its core idea: your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. Everything that comes your way goes into a trusted system and moves through five steps: capture, clarify, organize, reflect and engage. Its best-known rule: if something takes less than two minutes, do it now.
Pros
- Nothing slips through the cracks, and your head feels clearer.
- It works well with a heavy inbox and many projects at once.
Cons
- There's a learning curve.
- Skip the weekly review and the system falls apart.
- You can end up spending more time organizing than doing.
Who it's for: professionals juggling many fronts with an overflowing inbox.
4. Time blocking
You reserve blocks in your calendar for each task or type of work, as if they were meetings with yourself. Your to-do list becomes a plan with start and end times.
Pros
- It's a reality check: you see whether your plans actually fit in the day.
- It protects time for work that needs deep focus.
Cons
- One surprise can wreck the plan.
- It's easy to underestimate how long each task takes.
- It's a poor fit if other people run your calendar.
Who it's for: people who control most of their calendar, such as freelancers or creative roles.
5. The 80/20 rule (Pareto principle)
It starts from an observation: a small share of what you do often drives most of your results. The 80/20 split isn't an exact ratio but a question: which few tasks actually move the needle?
Pros
- It keeps you focused on impact, not on being busy.
- It gives you solid reasons to say "no."
Cons
- It's a lens, not a method: it won't organize your day.
- Some low-impact tasks still have to get done.
Who it's for: entrepreneurs, salespeople and professionals who split their time across clients or projects.
6. The daily to-do list
Instead of an endless list, each morning (or the evening before) you pick a few tasks you'll finish today, no matter what. Many people pair it with "eat the frog," the idea popularized by Brian Tracy: start with the hardest task.
Pros
- It's the simplest technique of all.
- Crossing off the last item feels like completing a mission.
Cons
- Without a system behind it, anything that doesn't make the list gets lost.
- The temptation to cram in too many tasks is huge.
Who it's for: everyone, as a starting point.
How to combine them into your own system
These techniques don't compete: each one covers a different stage. A complete system has four pieces:
- Capture everything on your plate in one place (GTD).
- Prioritize with clear criteria (Eisenhower or 80/20).
- Plan your day with a short list and blocks on your calendar.
- Execute with focus, free of distractions (Pomodoro).
Don't try to adopt all six at once. Pick the one that tackles your biggest problem, test it for two weeks, then add the next piece. You level up step by step, not by reinventing yourself one Monday morning.
Where Game Strategies fits in
Triskelion (about 10 hours) is the most complete course in our productivity category. It builds on GTD and combines it with Stephen Covey's four quadrants and the strategies from Brian Tracy's book Goals! Instead of handing you a single technique, it helps you build your own system. You plan with the To-Day List, handle email and open tasks with the Triskelion process, execute with focus thanks to the Looped Focused Workflow and learn to simplify and say "no," all in a simulator with feedback.
To start with something short, Gourmet (30 minutes) covers personal efficiency: focusing on what you can control and spotting the activities that eat up your time. Tiki (1 hour) takes on a major calendar thief, meetings that go nowhere. And Summit (30 minutes) teaches goal setting with the OKR methodology, handy for knowing what's "important" before you prioritize. If you manage people, delegation is time management too: we cover it in our comparison of leadership training formats.
All four are included in the Serious Games Catalog + Admin license: €299 per user (VAT included), one year of access to all 71 games in the catalog and a certificate of completion for each course that you can add to your LinkedIn profile. One honest caveat: the simulator helps you build the habit, but the consistency is up to you.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best time management technique?
The one that fixes your bottleneck. If you procrastinate, try Pomodoro; if everything feels urgent, the Eisenhower Matrix; if you forget things, GTD.
Can you combine Pomodoro and time blocking?
Yes, and it's a very common pairing: you reserve a block on your calendar and work through it in 25-minute rounds.
Is a time management course worth it?
If you've already tried techniques on your own and they don't stick, yes: practicing with feedback helps turn them into habits, just like any other soft skill. If you just want to know what they are, a book will do.