7 Tips To Recapture Time
Copyright 2005 So-lu'shunz Management Services
Time management is a universal concern and taking the
necessary steps to conquer the issue is often avoided. But
since the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a
time, begin today to win time back into your service - it's
been your enemy long enough!
1. Keep a running To Do list.
This yields immediate results. Use your list to
continually reassess your changing priorities, to enable
you to remain fluid in the face of a day that seems to
morph before your very eyes! The idea is to empty your
mind of the daily details and free it for the more valuable
creative opportunities.
If you use your computer, create a template with all the
elements valuable to you and a format easy to read and
update. Load it daily or build continually on the same
list, refreshing as you go.
On the go? Print your list and take it along, making
notations for transfer later. Keep supporting materials
attached, copies letters, estimates, invoices, and phone
numbers, everything necessary to dispatch the items on your
list. Since you won't need 15 minutes to locate supporting
paperwork, you can cross an item from your list, even if
you only have a few minutes between appointments.
2. Use an organizer or palm pilot - make it really work for
you.
If you use a daily planner, make your entries in pencil and
be sure that each date has plenty of room for those
unscheduled "squeeze-in" activities you wish to complete.
Update names and addresses each time you update your
address book in your email program. Consider working with
a zippered planner and include copies of supporting
paperwork for each upcoming appointment, phone call, etc.
You may find the best of both worlds works for you, and a
hand held organizer which syncs with your computer is the
perfect tool for you. Whatever you use, make sure it's
comfortable for you - after all, it will only work if
you'll work it.
3. Handle incoming mail immediately.
Keep a wastebasket near your front door or inbox and sort
mail as it arrives - never let it pile up. Be ruthless!
If you put it aside to read later, make sure "later" is an
actual item on your schedule, "time to review today's
mail," and then stick to it. If it's not, remember manana
never comes. You may be rushed at the moment, but check
your LATER stack and if it's an inch high or more, there is
a pattern in the making and chances are you won't get to it
until you are doing a major muck-out.
4. Use voicemail and email freely as appropriate.
These two valuable technologies have developed somewhat of
a reputation as inferior communication tools. No
technology is all bad or all good - all things in
moderation. Learn how to use electronic communication
wisely and appropriately and value it for the opportunity
it affords you to clearly state your issue uninterrupted
and with no time wasted. These tools are most effective
when used to enhance, not to replace, personal contact.
The same temptation we fight with incoming mail presents
itself with both voicemail and email. Deal with incoming
messages immediately, only filing emails when you have read
them and know you will need to refer to them in future.
Transcribe voicemail messages for future use and then
delete them. If you haven't time to listen right away,
make sure you schedule a time.
5. Use travel time as personal development and study time.
Employing motivational tapes and audio books, make this
time a personal enrichment time that you can look forward
to each day. If you don't already have a backlog of tapes
and CD's you never seem to get to, try your local library
for starters. Large bookstore chains devote entire sections
to audio books - the hardest part is choosing among them!
If personal development is not a key issue, you might
consider a small tape recorder to document squibbets,
brilliant thoughts, notes, or additions to your To Do list.
Don't try to juggle too much if you're the driver though -
save your serious dictation for stop lights, freight trains
and gridlock. Business letters and reports are best kept
for a time when you can concentrate fully on the project.
6. Schedule appointments early in the day.
This is a great time manager and, allowing for a bit of
initial resistance, people will become accustomed to your
scheduling idiosyncrasies. Leave your afternoon for
follow-up conversations, correspondence, etc. Evenings are
free and carryover is minimized. It's worth hitting the
ground running each day if you know the rewards are real
and there will actually be an end to your day!
7. Make a working file for every project & file everything
in it - immediately.
If it's a new project, make a new file the first time it
generates paper - it takes seconds to place an item where
it belongs and most people work smarter in an uncluttered
atmosphere. Keep your current projects handy in a desktop
file; you'll be more likely to keep up with the filing when
it's close at hand.
Consider an old fashioned tickler file, 31 files labeled
with the days of the month. File a copy of a dated action
item along with copies of supporting documents in a desktop
file or a tub drawer and check it first thing each morning.
Start today! Each tip can be implemented with minimal
preparation, but the reward of gaining a sense of control
over the day puts you back in the driver's seat, actually
spending time (i.e., making conscious decisions regarding
its allocation), rather than watching it trickle through
your fingers. With the time you'll save - - start planning
your vacation. See you on the beach!
Karin Syren is a certified coach concentrating on women's
needs, helping leaders clearly identify issues facing them,
coaching them through the steps to gaining, regaining, &
maintaining control of the intense demands and transitions
facing them. She offers guidance in discovering mission,
creating vision and designing goals. For information & to
schedule a complementary session, please see her website at
http://www.solushunz.com
<< ------------- End of Free Reprint Article ---------- >>
Find More Free Articles
See Also:
All Articles About Motivation & Success
Index of All Free Reprint Articles
