As part of the Wheel of Life international project for adult learners, we explore key aspects of personal and professional development. In May 2025, our theme was "Work," with a focus on practical tools for time management and effective communication—two essential foundations of a productive and fulfilling work life.

As project partners, we:

• Exchanged best practices and tools during monthly coordination calls.
• Published four posts on social media in national languages to support adult learners with practical methods.
• Organised online and offline workshops based on the learners’ chosen priorities.
• Collected our insights in this article to share with the wider EPALE community.

Our adult learners expressed a strong need for more effective planning tools and clearer communication in their professional environments. The tools we shared helped them reflect on their current habits and introduced easy-to-use methods for organising tasks, reducing overwhelm, and building more confidence at work.

1. Plan for flexibility: The 60/40 Method

One of the first principles we explored was the 60/40 rule of time management. This simple method suggests planning only 60% of your workday with scheduled tasks and leaving the remaining 40% open. Why? Because in real life, unexpected meetings, interruptions, or urgent requests are inevitable. By building buffer time into your schedule, you can stay calm and responsive without falling behind or sacrificing quality.

A practical tip: If you work 8 hours, plan for just under 5 hours of focused, structured tasks. Use the remaining time for spontaneous needs, short breaks, or follow-ups.

2. Prioritize smartly: ABCDE Method

To help learners sort tasks by importance, we introduced the ABCDE method:

A – Must do: Critical tasks with serious consequences if left undone.

B – Should do: Important, but not urgent. These can wait, but should not be ignored.

C – Nice to do: Pleasant but with no real consequences—can be postponed or dropped.

D – Delegate: Tasks someone else can do.

E – Eliminate: Time-wasters or distractions.

This method allows to better distinguish what truly needs their attention, making their days more intentional and productive.

3. Urgency vs. importance: The Eisenhower Matrix

We also introduced the Eisenhower Matrix, a powerful time management tool that helps you divide your tasks into four clear categories:

This tool encourages learners to focus on what really matters—long-term goals, meaningful work, and relationship-building—rather than being trapped in a loop of reacting to constant emergencies.

It also connects naturally with the ABCDE method and the 60/40 rule by giving a visual way to categorise and manage daily decisions.

4. Stay focused: The Pomodoro Technique

To boost concentration and fight mental fatigue, we shared the Pomodoro Technique, which encourages short bursts of focused work followed by breaks:

• Work for 25 minutes (1 Pomodoro)

• Take a 5-minute break

• After 4 Pomodoros, take a longer 15–30 minute break

• This method is particularly helpful for those who struggle with procrastination or multitasking, helping them reframe their day into manageable chunks of time.

5. Communicate effectively: Understanding your style

Time is often lost through misunderstandings or unclear expectations. That’s why we dedicated time to exploring communication styles—a crucial soft skill in every workplace.

We introduced learners to four typical styles:

• Passive: Avoids conflict, but often leads to unmet needs.
• Aggressive: Expresses needs forcefully, often harming relationships.
• Passive-aggressive: Appears cooperative, but communicates indirectly.
• Assertive: Communicates clearly and respectfully, balancing one’s own needs with others’.

6. Give feedback that builds: From Feedback to Feedforward

We also explored different ways to give and receive feedback, a topic that many of us find difficult, especially in hierarchical work environments.

We reflected on:

• Traditional feedback is often focused on evaluating past behaviour.
• Constructive feedback is solution-oriented but can still be interpreted as criticism.
• Feedforward is a technique introduced by Marshall Goldsmith which skips judgment and instead offers helpful suggestions for future actions.

Example: Instead of saying, “You didn’t communicate the plan clearly,” one might say, “Next time, it could help to summarise the plan during the meeting.” This keeps the conversation positive and focused on improvement.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

In English:

• https://project-management.com/understanding-responsibility-assignment-matrix-raci-matrix/
• “Deep Work” book by Cal Newport
• “Atomic Habits” book by James Clear
• “Eat that Frog” book by Brian Tracy

In Polish:

• https://projektantczasu.pl/macierz-eisenhowera/
• https://www.centrumnowa.pl/style-komunikacji-w-jakim-stylu-sie-komunikujesz/ https://effectiveness.pl/typy-osobowosci-disc/

In Slovenian:

• https://www.spica.si/blog/10-najboljsih-tehnik-upravljanja-casa 
• Book “Spreminjajoči se svet dela” by Mirjana Ivanuša-Bezjak, Zinka Kosec, Tatjana Kolenc

The Wheel of Life project is co-financed by the European Union. Its main objective is to prepare, test and share tools of holistic development for adult learners in 8 key areas: Family, Relationships, Work, Finances, Relax, Health, Environment, Self-Development.

The Wheel of Life is implemented by two organisations: Fundacja Wyobraź sobie from Poland (leader) and ASPIRA from Slovenia (partner).