Perspectives     Dallas Chapter of ASTD     Membership Newsletter May 2008    Table of Contents

Tips for Effective Time Management

It can be hard to find the time you need to do everything. Consider doing a few key things instead of trying to do everything. Start with these 5 simple ideas for managing time: writing things down, prioritizing tasks, reviewing appointments, blocking out time for getting things done, and remaining flexible in your plans. Following are these five ideas with tips to make your planning more effective.

1. Write down everything you need to do in the same tool.

Great time managers always keep a "to do" list handy for jotting down action items, work tasks, project activities, and ideas that come to mind. Keep your list of tasks in a convenient location like a notebook, a planner system, or an electronic system. If you always keep adding to your list, you will know what needs to be done because you can find the list whenever you start to plan each day’s activities.

2. Review your tasks and prioritize the items at the same time each day.

This can be done in the morning of the date you plan to work on the items or in the evening of the day before for tomorrow's items. Determine the priority for each item: high or must-do items for that day, medium level items or everyday business, and low priority things that can be deferred until another time.

3. Look at your list of appointments for the day and determine which are important to do on this day.

Plan what you need for the important appointments you need to keep, so you will have everything ready before the appointment starts. This will save time during the appointment. Be sure to include paper and pen for taking notes or writing down actions. Then determine what you need to do with appointments you can not keep, such as canceling a lunch date or sending a substitute to a meeting.

4. Schedule blocks of time in your day to work on your to-do list.

Schedule high priority items at your peak time, when you are typically most attentive and alert. Then schedule the medium priority items in the remaining time or after appointments. Whenever possible, schedule similar items and errands all in the same time block. For instance, plan to make all outgoing calls in the same hour or read and respond to emails during two small blocks of time each day. Concentrating the time spent on the phone or with email will actually reduce the interruptions they can cause when you are working on other key items blocked for your peak periods.

5. Allow for flexibility in your schedule. In other words, don't over-schedule.

In an eight hour time period, you should plan for only 6 hours of medium to high-priority work and appointments. This way your plan is not greatly disrupted if an emergency or crisis situation comes up that you must handle. If little (or nothing) comes up during the flex time, you can work on something else on your to-do list that was not part of the original plan, give yourself a few minutes of down time to unwind and reduce stress, or use the time to think creatively.

 These five ideas and tips will make your planning more effective and you should become more efficient using them as you time goes by. Remember you can't do everything, so concentrate on doing key things by writing them down, prioritizing tasks, reviewing appointments, blocking out time for working on important items, and remaining flexible. You will find that time management will become easier with time and practice.

Shirley Lee Shirley Fine Lee has considerable training and expertise in leading effective meetings and projects, as well as training others within the corporate world to be able to do the same. Her book, "R.A!R.A! A Meeting Wizard's Approach", is a much-needed guide to planning and conducting meetings so that they are as productive, effectual, and smoothly run as possible. Find out more about her, her books, and learning options on her website http://www.shirleyfinelee.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shirley_Lee. Reprinted with permission.