Two key tenets of Time Management:
Accept – you will never be able to do everything you want… because
there is just too much to do.
Purpose - the driving force behind managing your time is to
accomplish your ultimate goal/s.
Once you are clear on your mission – what it is you want to accomplish, it boils down to 3 things. Plan, Focus and Do. Here are some effective techniques to sharpen your game of getting the important things done!
- Maintain a calendar with appointments and scheduled activities time-blocked
- Maintain a prioritized To Do List (A/B/C); Place “A” Tasks on calendar
- Plan the upcoming week on Sunday evening; Plan each day the night before
- Evaluate tasks using the 4 D’s: Do / Delegate / Defer / Dump
- Do the most unpleasant or biggest and most challenging tasks first in the day
- Say to yourself “What do I want to Accomplish” NOT “What do I have to do”
- Focus: Minimize Distractions
- Don’t Multi-Task – Start a task, finish the task; don’t jump from one task to another
- Don’t instantly give someone your attention unless it is critical to the business
- Clearly define the purpose and desired outcome of all meetings
- Continually assess the urgency & importance of tasks and congruency to goals
- Learn to Say NO
- Break Projects / Activities into Tasks; Tasks into Steps – Get incremental Progress
- Ensure all commitments made and asked are time-framed i.e. Do By When
- Use Checklists to improve chances of getting things right the first time
- Keep a Scorecard of Accomplishments / Tasks completed or KPI targets achieved
- Have an Accountability Partner to help keep you on track
- Work on doing the Right things Right at the Right Time; Then Improve the Process
