Time Management Techniques That Get Things Done
Take Charge with These Time-Saving Tips
Sep 14, 2009
Before all of the items on Monday’s to-do list are crossed off, Tuesday arrives and the tasks fall behind schedule. To keep a week from passing by without accomplishing the most important tasks and goals, it’s important to manage time well.
Plan Ahead for Good Time Management
Planners, whether paper-based or electronic, provide a big picture of tasks to accomplish. The key to using planners effectively is to color code entries so that a quick glance provides an overview of the week’s events. Devising a color-coding system for a planner involves using different colors to represent different tasks, events or special occasions. This is easily done using an online calendar, such as Microsoft Outlook, which requires only a single additional click to color code an entry.
For traditional paper-based planners, a color coding system requires the use of highlighters or different colored pens. It is often easier to write all of the appointments down in a single color ink, and then use different colored highlighters to shade the entire date box.
Make To-Do Lists for Daily Tasks
To further organize daily tasks, make a to-do list. While some people eschew to-do lists, others live by them and find great satisfaction in crossing off items as they accomplish them. Consider keeping one list for work-related tasks and another for things that are unrelated to work.
The best way to stick to a to-do list is to set deadlines and keep them short. Keep the time line tight in order to stay on task and prevent being distracted by other things. In addition to a daily to-do list, keep a separate long-term to-do list. Keep these two lists separate but in a place where they are visible at all times.
Improve Time Management by Prioritizing
Prioritizing is a time-saving method that organizes tasks so that the most important things are completed first. These are usually items that have a due date or time, such as paying bills.
The ultimate goal is to finish all of the tasks on the list, but if something prevents you from doing all of the tasks the most significant ones are accomplished. Not prioritizing a to-do list leads to feeling overwhelmed by its magnitude and procrastination rather than attempting to get things done.
How to Avoid Procrastination
Avoiding procrastination is the biggest challenge to effective time management. Sometimes a single task seems so large that beginning it feels more daunting than all of the other tasks combined.
When procrastination rears its ugly head, try setting a specific time to begin tasks. By scheduling specific time periods for these tasks, you are more likely to actually do them.
Take Control of Your Work life
Not only can a tendency to procrastinate get in your way when you are trying to get work done, but other people can as well. To avoid this predicament, emphasize to co-workers, family and friends that certain days or times of the day are busier than others.
When setting up a meeting, let all attendees know that there is a tight time schedule and lateness means that there is not as much time to discuss important matters.
If co-workers drop by to talk about an unrelated topic, do not be afraid to tell ask them to come back later. Another important technique is to resist the temptation to check email each time a new message arrives. Instead check email only two or three times per day.
Schedule Personal Time in Your Planner
When someone’s life becomes all about work or errands, their personal life suffers. For this reason personal time should be scheduled into a planner just as professional appointments and errands are. Items such as time to buy birthday gifts, take a gift basket to the new neighbor, or a date night with a spouse should all be placed into the planner.
Don’t take these appointments lightly, honor them as if they were a business meeting or a doctors appointment. Making these “investments” in personal time will ultimately lead to a greater sense of personal fulfillment and peace, which leads to greater productivity in other areas of life.
Be Realistic About Goals
Good time management techniques take practice to master. No one achieves a perfectly balanced and organized life overnight. Start with implementing one technique at a time.
And most importantly, keep in mind that unexpected surprises will throw off even the best planned day. Instead of getting upset because your plan has been derailed, simply find a new place in the following day's schedule to place uncompleted tasks. Remember that if all of the items on a to-do list don’t get accomplished, there’s always tomorrow.
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