There are so many time management styles because everyone's needs are different. To find a way of managing your schedule and tasks that works for you, you first have to understand your needs.

Your availability, energy levels, health, and even your interests will all factor in. This can be why a popular time management method may not work for you. It also explains why you can't stick to a method that worked fine a few years ago.

By following these five steps, you can better understand your time management needs.

1. Know What Takes Your Time

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Start by making a list of everything that takes your time. Don't limit yourself to working alone. Include housework, social commitments, and health needs like gym time. Don't forget to leave some hours for rest—not just sleep, but also meals and other restful activities.

If you don't have a head for numbers, you could use an app to help with the calculation. Toggl Track is a free mobile app that's also available on the web and as a desktop app. You can use it to track the time you spend.

Related: The Best Time Tracking Software and Apps

To get the best results from Toggl Track, create a Project for each type of task. For instance, housework, work, social commitments, etc. You can get even more specific using tags. Every time you track a task, the app adds it to your ongoing report, so you can see where your time is going.

Download: Toggl Track - Time Tracking & Work Hours Log for Android | iOS (Free)

2. Know Your Energy Levels

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Are you a morning person, or is it hard to drag yourself out of bed? Many time management methods work better for morning people or night owls, but very few work well for both. Knowing which group you fall into can help you select appropriate methods.

But knowing when you are most energetic is just the start. You should also consider what kind of tasks energize you, and which are draining. Do the same for recreational and social activities. This informs how much you can handle in a day and the frequency and timing of various tasks.

Your energy needs can make or break a time management system. For instance, a method that advises starting the day with easy activities is probably better suited to a night owl than a morning person.

Related: How to Create a Productive Morning Routine

3. Know Your Motivations

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Motivation is a crucial part of the battle against procrastination. Think about what you find motivating, both in a positive and a negative way. That is, include rewards that you want to achieve and punishments you want to avoid.

Write down a list of various consequences you could use and rank them from most to least appealing. Rewards include things like treating yourself to a night out. Consequences could be monetary fines or missing out on an event. Include intangible things like disappointing a friend or getting praise from a supervisor.

The tasks you find most motivating are those that you can both reward and punish. By knowing what motivates you, you can choose apps and methods that use them.

4. Stay Up to Date

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Your needs will change along with your lifestyle. This is why a time management technique that used to be a perfect fit can become hard to stick with. To make sure you're keeping up, appraise your schedule every week. Pay attention to your time tracking. Some tasks might start to take longer than they used to, or you might get faster and need less time for some tasks.

This also helps you keep track as responsibilities come and go from your schedule. This is why tracking time in a calendar app is such a popular aspect of time management. Planners and time trackers make it easy to see what's working and what needs an update. It's a good idea to sit down and review these things every quarter.

Choose the Method That Fits You

Every person's time management needs are different, so assess yours carefully. Starting with a good understanding of how you work will help you select a useful system.

By understanding your time, energy, and motivation needs, you can choose which methods and apps to use. By staying up to date, you can make sure your tools evolve with you.