Time is plainly hard to manage for a lot of people because of numerous distractions that keep them from being productive. In order to have effective time management, you need to have tools that will hopefully keep you on track and allow you to finish things that need to be done.

There are various time management tools that can be used if you want to change your bad time management habits. The most common is the pen-and-paper combination. In the world of MacBooks and Blackberry phones, carrying pen and paper around may seem ridiculous, but it really is not. Of course, gadgets are awesome but the thing is they run out of battery. Pen and paper, on the other hand, don't. Plus, the pen and paper can easily be pocketed. And compared to pricey gadgets, no one really steals pen and paper.

Using pen and paper as your daily planner will enable you to keep tabs of anything you feel is important. These vital tools will keep your thoughts organized and will help you develop the habit of jotting things down that will eventually help you to be a better worker.

Paper will be forever reliable especially if it is in the form of sticky notes and post-it. This particular time management tools are highly effective especially if you strategically post them on an area that you actually see all the time. If you practically live in front of your computer, posting the notes on your monitor will be a great idea. You can also have sticky notes on your bedroom wall, refrigerator door or even on the cover of your favorite book.

Another tool people could use is the ever reliable planner (or organizer). Now, this is also considered "pen and paper" combination but unlike the aforementioned tools, planners are more organized and detailed. This can also be the tool where you can input the tasks that you've accomplished so far.

The planner can also be a constant reminder of special occasions in your life. You can easily keep tabs on your loved-ones' birthdays, anniversaries and any other events important to your life. This way, you won't be caught off-guard and no one in the family will be mad at you for not remembering his/her birthday.

It may sound funny or a little bit bordering OCD but having a back-up planner is another wise technique to manage your time properly. You can have one at home and one at the office. And both must be updated. If you think this is too much, you can just have your planner and your smart phone as a back-up.

The last and certainly the most important time management tools there is your health. This may seem strange to others (and perhaps to you as well) but you have to keep in mind that your body is the one that enables you to do your work. Without it, all the "ridiculous" planning and strategies to manage your time will be futile. Take care of your body for you to have enough energy to really get things done.