You thought the project was only going to take two hours, but it took six. You had your day scheduled to the last second, and then an important client walked in the door with a big problem…We've all encountered things like these situations, and we all know how badly it throws off our schedule.

There are certain personal time management tools, however, that you can develop within yourself to get back on track after a bad day.

Time Management Tools #1: Realism

Occasionally, a project will take a little longer than you think it's going to, and you spend the rest of the day playing catch-up. But if this happens often, chances are you are getting into the bad habit of low-balling projects times. Avoiding this habit is easy. Until you know how long a certain project will take, simply add an hour or two of work time. For instance, if you think you can debug your client's web site in three hours, set aside four to five hours for the project. As you become more experienced, you'll learn to make more realistic estimates.

Time Management Tools #2: Flexibility

Nothing ever goes exactly as planned. Therefore, when you are scheduling your week, leave a few hours free for emergencies. I usually try to keep Fridays open, because I know from past experience that those are the days when new admissions come in and existing clients are more likely to have a crisis. If a crisis doesn't come up on a day you've scheduled extra time, work ahead to the next day's (or week's) schedule so you'll be prepared when the unexpected does pop up.

Time Management Tools #3: Ability To Exit Stage Right

How many times have you planned a brief phone call to a friend or client, but ended up talking for hours because you couldn't get off the phone? It's important to add some "exit" phrases to your repertoire so you don't get stuck in a time management nightmare. Sometimes, you can plant the idea of an exit at the beginning of a phone call by saying something like, "I only have a few minutes to talk, but I just wanted to thank you for…" Otherwise, you'll have to learn to stop being timid and cut calls short with a polite, "Well, it really has been great talking to you, but I need to get back to work," or "Thanks so much for calling. We'll have to have a good, long conversation on a day when I'm less busy."

Time Management Tools #4: Ability To Say No

Ask any parent of a two year old, and they'll tell you that "No!" is the most powerful word in the human language. If our time management schedule simply doesn't allow us to take on any new projects, "no" is also a good word for your to learn. You don't have to be rude. A simple, "Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I just don't have the time right now," is fine.

Personal time management tools can help us gain better control of our time and accomplish more in shorter hours. Are there some personal time management tools you need to develop?