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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