Time Management Ideas
By Chris Joscelyne
For ten years I taught time management as a visiting lecturer at the
Australian Film, Television and Radio School in Sydney. The students
undertaking the full-time radio course were required to work for long
hours with a demanding mix of theoretical and practical subjects. Time
management was a critical factor for them all.
Time is a valuable resource that can be squandered by people who do not
understand or practise time management. Without time management it is very
easy to be "busy, being busy" while failing to achieve positive
outcomes and goals. Life can be much less stressful if time is planned,
organised and managed effectively.
Here are seven ideas that work for me.
1. 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. Some people prefer a to use a software
program like Microsoft Outlook. Others use a day planner, a diary or a
wall calendar. Find the system that suits you best and then stick to it.
Good planning requires routine and discipline.
2. SET GOALS
Goals give your life, and the way you spend your time, positive direction.
Set goals that are specific, realistic, measurable and achievable. Your
optimum goals are those that cause you to extend yourself to "go the
extra mile" as you strive for achievement. Clear goals will give your
life path a much-needed sense of direction.
3. PRIORITISE
Use the 80-20 rule originally stated by the Italian economist Pareto. He
noted that 80 percent of the outcome comes from 20 percent of the tasks.
Identify the 20 percent that is most valuable to you and then prioritise
your time to concentrate most effort on those items. A simple and
well-tried method of prioritisation is to flag items according to
importance by giving them an A, B or C priority, with A being highest
priority. Setting deadlines for tasks is another way of maintaining focus
on your priorities.
4. USE A "TO DO" LIST
Some people thrive using a daily "To Do" list that they compile
at the end of the previous day or at the start of the new day. Such people
may combine their "To Do" list with a calendar or a schedule.
Others prefer a running "To Do" list that is continuously being
updated. My wife uses the daily list, while I prefer the running list. We
have each chosen what suits our individual needs. Decide which is the
better system for you and try it.
5. USE YOUR INTERNAL PRIME TIME FOR PRIME TASKS
This is the time of day when you are at your natural best. Are you a
"lark" (you perform best at the start of the day), an
"owl" (you perform best at the end of the day), or are you
somewhere in between? Scheduling prime tasks during your internal prime
time is a logical way to achieve more in a given amount of time.
5. BE FLEXIBLE
Allow time for interruptions and distractions. I suggest the 60-40 rule.
That is, plan 60% of your time but allow 40% to deal with interruptions,
unplanned activities, meetings without notice, and other unpredictable
events. When you expect to be interrupted, schedule routine tasks that can
be temporarily halted with minimum stress. For your prime tasks, set aside
the larger blocks of time that will be required without interruption. If
you are interrupted during any task, pause briefly at the end of the
interruption to refocus before you recommence your work. This brief pause
will allow you focus on your "pause point" and assist
continuity.
8. DIVIDE BIG TASKS INTO SMALLER SUB-TASKS
A big task may seem daunting and lead to procrastination. A stress
reducing time management technique is the "salami" method. This
involves cutting the big task into small "slices" and then doing
each of the smaller tasks in short manageable time slots. Often it is
easier to do a big task in eight time slots of 15 minutes, rather than in
one two-hour session. By doing a little at a time you will eventually
complete the task.
7. REDUCE URGENT EMERGENCIES
Some urgent emergencies cannot be avoided because they result from
external influences. However this is not always the case. A task can
become an urgent emergency because of personal procrastination. Urgent
tasks usually 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 more time for your important
priorities. Attaching a realistic deadline to each task may help keep
important items from becoming urgent emergencies.
About the author: Chris Joscelyne trained as a
clinical hypnotherapist under the tutorage of Margaret Tomko. He was
taught grief counselling by Mal McKissock, and he learned meditation in a course sponsored by the Department of Health. He developed his personal awareness
knowledge with mentors Barbara and Terry Tebo of Lifespring. For ten years
Chris was a visiting lecturer at the Australian Film, Television and Radio
School where he taught personal development, meditation and stress
management skills. Now he shares his knowledge with a wider community as a
speaker, trainer and coach, teaching people how to live "Life by choice -
not by chance".
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