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Here are three tips and suggestions for implementing them for better managing your time and work. Here are 3 surefire tips for getting the most out of your time: stop doing stuff that doesn't help move you closer to your goals, plan before you do, and get organized!
1. Stop doing things that do not add value or support who you are and what you do.
* Too much TV, video games, aimless Internet surfing, etc. trap you into feeling you must continue so you don't miss out on anything. Choose to spend your time on real life activities that make a difference and minimize "vegetative" non-activities to five or fewer hours per week.
* Reevaluate how often you must tend to those redundant tasks. I have a friend who used to vacuum every day just because she liked how the vacuum left nice, neat row marks. If this task took 20 minutes, by doing it only once each week, she could save herself a good 2 hours per week, or over 100 hours per year! Schedule your redundant tasks realistically, and just do any spot maintenance between scheduled time if necessary.
* Learn how to deal with interruptions. Just because someone else may have a "perceived" emergency, it doesn't have to become a crisis for you. Make your immediate response "Give me just a minute," go to another room so you can think (even the bathroom works!) and weigh the pros and cons of whether you really need to get involved. This might be an opportunity for the other person to attempt to work something out on their own, minimizing the possibility of future similar interruptions.
* Think about regular activities before continuing them on a daily basis. Do you really need to go through your mail each day? Give it just a quick scan or find someone who can screen it and make sure you see time-sensitive mail right away. Schedule time once or twice per week to sit down with the rest of your mail.
* Get software or see if your e-mail provider can filter junk mail out of your e-mail. The delete key is great and seems pretty quick, but it's amazing how much e-mail is just junk. My e-mail provider recently added filtering services and the result is approximately 70% less e-mail. It is a significant time saver!
* Stop doing things that don't work. Most of us don't realize it, but as human beings, we tend to keep trying the same approach even when it repeatedly has not worked. Past results will predict future results, so if it hasn't worked, eliminate this time waster and search for a new approach!
2. Plan first, then do.
* Planning and doing are completely different types of activities and both are equally important. Set aside time just to plan your activities including the who, what, when, and how. Then, when you're implementing your plan, you'll know exactly what to do next without having to interrupt your flow.
* When you are planning, make sure you take a look at what might go wrong and identify a contingency plan. This will save you significant time later and minimize your level of anxiety about carrying out your task.
* Because you've already decided how you're going to proceed, planning ahead can boost your confidence and help combat the barriers of limited and negative thinking. ( ". . . that will never work!")
* Ask for help. In your planning, give some thought to who else might be able to help. Can specific tasks be delegated, handed off, or shared? Does someone else you know have experience that might help you in your planning? Can you get your hands on a similar plan a co-worker has written? Borrow whatever you can to help you more efficiently and effectively plan out your strategy.
* Plan your projects with a ‘Big Picture' view. Keep other related responsibilities in mind as you plan and avoid planning one project in isolation. Many components of several projects may be able to be coordinated or shared, saving you time and effort in the long run. Tasks from one or various projects can also be grouped, or "bundled." A good example of this is ordering all supplies at one time (saving not only on time, but costs, as well; i.e. shipping and bulk discounts).
3. Be organized.
* Organize your plan by writing it down on an easy to follow format that includes the goal, objectives and how you will measure achievement of each one, steps/strategies/tasks, target dates, who is responsible and a place to indicate the status on a regular interval. Anything not written down will get lost, forgotten, and encourage confusion.
* Keep all project materials together, whether in a file folder or binder. Separate information in categories with tabbed dividers to help make everything easy to find.
* Save time by assuring everything has its own ‘home.' You know that old saying "A place for everything and everything in its place." Look around at the clutter in your home or office. The reason you have stuff just ‘hanging around' is because you haven't designated a place to put it. Once you make a place for an item or a category of items, you can easily put them away. That's what desk drawer organizers, pencil holders, file cabinets, and waste baskets are for! * Set up a desk top file system that includes the following sections: Do, Delay, Delegate, Distribute, Destroy or Dump (this is actually your waste basket). Each time you sit down to go through your mail, sort each piece into one of these categories. Do items are those you'll need to do within a week, Delay items are those that need to get done, but not this week. Items should not stay in your delay box for more than 2 weeks. Delegate items are those you will delegate to someone else. Maintain a document in your Delegate box on which you track the status and follow up of each item you've delegated. Distribute are those items you need to forward, route, or have copied and distributed to a number of people. Destroy or Dump are those items that go straight in the recycling bin or trash can.
About the Author
Donna Birk is a writer, trainer, coach, and Licensed Social Worker. She founded and operates "People Builders," an organization devoted to helping people grow. Get a FREE goal setting guide and FREE E-zine at her website: http://www.youcangetitdone.com