Time Management
Time management is one of those elusive phrases like “people skills” that carries weight but is hard to define. It comes down to a single question: Do you have enough hours in the day to get everything done?
Your answer is probably a resounding “No!” Who doesn’t have pages of undone “To Do” items? Who doesn’t long for another hour to sleep or play or return e-mail?
Given that you’re already operating on a time deficit, the goal is to minimize the number of hours you spend at work while maximizing your productivity. And there are some relatively simple ways to get the most out of your hours.
Identify Time-Suckers
Cutting wasted time from your day is like cutting extra calories from your diet. First identify where the time is going. Commit to keeping an accurate record (down to 5-minute increments) of your schedule for the next week…
Plan Ahead
One of the greatest fallacies about time management is that planning takes more time than it’s worth. For those of us without personal secretaries, the single biggest move we can make to take control of our time is to plan ahead…
Write Everything Down
How much time do you spend looking for lost items, trying to remember what you need to do next, and figuring out where you should have been an hour ago? Whatever your answer, it’s too much…
Stick to Your Priorities
You do know what your priorities are, don’t you? If not, it’s time to figure them out. Make a list of your typical job tasks, review your job description, determine what’s getting done and what isn’t, and meet with your manager for a heart-to-heart…