Great Time Management - Prioritizing
Providing Focus for Time Management
Time management is impossible without first determining which task to start with. Too many people are frozen because they don’t know where to start and as a result, they just spin in place accomplishing little to nothing.
Does this sound like you? If so, let me introduce you to four (4) time management prioritizing tips that will help you organize your day so you can stop the spinning and get productive.
- Baseline: Develop a baseline of your current time management activities by using a log of your daily activity for approximately 4 weeks. Create a chart that breaks up your day into 15–30 minute increments. At normal breaking points during the day fill in the previous four to six hour window with what you have done. Don’t go into too much detail on each entry. For instance, you could just indicate meeting or research for project. At the end of the four (4) week period categorically summarize the amount of time spent.
- Focal Areas: Analyze your time management baseline categorical summary. Identify where you are spending your time, areas that are taking more time than you wish and areas that you want to apply more time. Also, recognize life areas that are important to you but are not even on your list. Using the information you have gathered develop a possibilities list that contains all the life categories you want to schedule time for.
- Prioritize: Rate the value of the items listed on your time management possibilities list for their relative importance to your overall satisfaction with life. Select 5–7 categories that are critical for achieving the quality of life you want and determine how much time you should spend on each. Remember to take a reasonable, balanced approach to this.
- Schedule: Block out appropriate segments of time on your weekly calendar for each time management category identified. Hold as closely as possible to the schedule each week, while working other activities in around the reserved blocks of time.
Case Study:
I had a client in a large manufacturing company who was working 12 – 14 hour days, taking work home with him in the evenings and usually coming to the office on weekends. He was tired, stressed and not pleased with his performance. He was unhappy with his circumstances and wanted to be in control of his life again.
After using this process for only a short time, he was surprised by what he had learned about time management and how quickly he could turn around his performance. A year later he was working 10 hour days, taking very little work home with him and rarely coming to the office on the weekends. He is a new man and very happy with his new life.
These time management tips worked for him and they will help you too.
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Article by John Golden