Time Management
Tips
SPEND TIME PLANNING AND ORGANIZING
Using time to think and plan is time well-spent. In fact, if you
fail to take time for planning, you are, in effect, planning to
fail. Organize in a way that makes sense to you. If you need color
and pictures, use a lot on your calendar or planning book. Some
people need to have papers filed away; others get their creative
energy from their piles. So forget the "shoulds" and organize
your way.
SET GOALS
Goals give your life, and the way you spend your time, direction.
When asked the secret to amassing such a fortune, one of the famous
Hunt brothers from Texas replied: "First you've got to decide
what you want." Set goals which are specific, measurable, realistic
and achievable. Your optimum goals are those which cause you to
"stretch" but not "break" as you strive for
achievement. Goals can give creative people a much-needed sense
of direction.
PRIORITIZE
Use the 80-20 Rule originally stated by the Italian economist
Vilfredo Pareto who noted that 80 percent of the reward comes from
20 percent of the effort. The trick to prioritizing is to isolate
and identify that valuable 20 percent. Once identified, prioritize
time to concentrate your work on those items with the greatest reward.
Prioritize by color, number or letter — whichever method makes
the most sense to you. Flagging items with a deadline is another
idea for helping you stick to your priorities.
USE A TO DO LIST
Some people thrive using a daily To Do list which they construct
either the last thing the previous day or first thing in the morning.
Such people may combine a To Do list with a calendar or schedule.
Others prefer a "running" To Do list which is continuously
being updated. Or, you may prefer a combination of the two previously
described To Do lists. Whatever method works is best for you. Don't
be afraid to try a new system — you just might find one that
works even better than your present one!
BE FLEXIBLE
Allow time for interruptions and distractions. Time management
experts often suggest planning for just 50 percent or less of one's
time. With only 50 percent of your time planned, you will have the
flexibility to handle interruptions and the unplanned "emergency."
When you expect to be interrupted, schedule routine tasks. Save
(or make) larger blocks of time for your priorities. When interrupted,
ask Alan Lakein's crucial question, "What is the most important
thing I can be doing with my time right now?" to help you get
back on track fast.
CONSIDER YOUR BIOLOGICAL PRIME TIME
That's the time of day when you are at your best. Are you a "morning
person," a "night owl," or a late afternoon "whiz?"
Knowing when your best time is and planning to use that time of
day for your priorities (if possible) is effective time management.
DO THE RIGHT THING RIGHT
Noted management expert, Peter Drucker, says "doing the right
thing is more important than doing things right." Doing the
right thing is effectiveness; doing things right is efficiency.
Focus first on effectiveness (identifying what is the right thing
to do), then concentrate on efficiency (doing it right).
ELIMINATE THE URGENT
Urgent tasks have short-term consequences while important tasks
are those with long-term, goal-related implications. Work towards
reducing the urgent things you must do so you'll have time for your
important priorities. Flagging or highlighting items on your To
Do list or attaching a deadline to each item may help keep important
items from becoming urgent emergencies.
PRACTICE THE ART OF INTELLIGENT NEGLECT
Eliminate from your life trivial tasks or those tasks which do
not have long-term consequences for you. Can you delegate or eliminate
any of your To Do list? Work on those tasks which you alone can
do.
AVOID BEING A PERFECTIONIST
In the Malaysian culture, only the gods are considered capable
of producing anything perfect. Whenever something is made, a flaw
is left on purpose so the gods will not be offended. Yes, some things
need to be closer to perfect than others, but perfectionism, paying
unnecessary attention to detail, can be a form of procrastination.
CONQUER PROCRASTINATION
One technique to try is the "Swiss cheese" method described
by Alan Lakein. When you are avoiding something, break it into smaller
tasks and do just one of the smaller tasks or set a timer and work
on the big task for just 15 minutes. By doing a little at a time,
eventually you'll reach a point where you'll want to finish.
LEARN TO SAY "NO
" Such a small word — and so hard to say. Focusing on
your goals may help. Blocking time for important, but often not
scheduled, priorities such as family and friends can also help.
But first you must be convinced that you and your priorities are
important — that seems to be the hardest part in learning
to say "no." Once convinced of their importance, saying
"no" to the unimportant in life gets easier.
REWARD YOURSELF
Even for small successes, celebrate achievement of goals. Promise
yourself a reward for completing each task, or finishing the total
job. Then keep your promise to yourself and indulge in your reward.
Doing so will help you maintain the necessary balance in life between
work and play. As Ann McGee-Cooper says, "If we learn to balance
excellence in work with excellence in play, fun, and relaxation,
our lives become happier, healthier, and a great deal more creative."
Silicon Beach Training offer a time managment training course
Time Managment Training Course
This
Time Management training course is designed to help participants
develop their skills in time management – a way of controlling
time at work in order to achieve more effective results in less
time.
Time Management Training Course Objectives:-
This is a practical time management training course that introduces
proven techniques for mastering time. The approach will involve presentations
and discussion to introduce the concepts of time management and practical
exercises and syndicate work to develop personal skills.
Having completed this time management training course participants will be able
to:
- Identify their own particular time wasters and adopt strategies
for eliminating them from their work pattern.
- Recognise the variety of causes of procrastination and apply relevant
techniques to overcome these.
- Clarify and prioritise their objectives and goals.
- Adopt appropriate strategies for dealing with interruptions.
- Use practical techniques for organising work.
- Reduce time spent in meetings yet contribute more effectively.
- Delegate work more effectively to staff
|
