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Time Management and the "to do" list

I recently did a web search on time management and received 50,500,000 hits. In reality probably only two to three hundred of them were really about time management, but the prevalence of such sites indicates how important the concept is to all of us. The time management industry is flooded with books about how manage your day. Time management tools with everything from computer programs for scheduling to the ubiquitous planner to simple task lists can be found in every bookstore across the country. Yet recent reports indicate that we are working longer hours, sleeping less and decreasing productivity.

How can you make time management work for you?

Really that's the question, regardless of what system you choose to apply to your time management needs, it has to be something that can work for you. If your time management tool, choice or system doesn't work for you then it simply becomes another task that has to be accomplished in an already busy day.

Most time management starts with something as useful as a "to do" list. We all have tasks that must be accomplished within a certain period of time, whether that time frame is a single day or a plan for the next several months. Tasks are added to the list and crossed out as they are accomplished. Your "to do" list can be as simple as a notebook page, a daily page in your planner, a function of MS Outlook or a task list on your PDA.

In general a "to do" list is a simple and effective way to see all the tasks that impact your day. Just follow a few simple guideline and your "to do" list will work for you (and not the other way around).

Creating and prioritizing a "To Do" list:

1. First create a simple To-Do List. Using whichever tool you've chosen.

2. List all of the tasks for which you are responsible.

3. Don't worry about accomplishing everything right now. The key is to get the right things done by prioritizing.

4. A To-Do list will most likely be a living, never-ending document. New things appear as old ones are cleared away.

For each item on the list, answer these questions:

One Time or Reoccurring - Do you have to complete this task more than once? Often? Perhaps on a regular basis?

Due Date - When must the task be completed by?

Time Required For Completion -


How long will the task take to complete? Is the task variable?

Other Resources Required - What other resources will be needed to complete this task?

Benefits and Consequences - What are the benefits of completing the task? The consequences on not completing it?

Use the answers to these questions to decide which tasks must be completed first.

Once you have prioritized your tasks you are ready to start scheduling them. Plan the completion of each task.

Start with the givens. Block out those tasks with known times.

Place the rest of your tasks into the schedule according to your priorities.

Build in some flexibility so that you can handle life's little emergencies.

Pay attention to the resources required. Remember that you yourself are a resource. Match tasks requiring the most mental effort to those portions of your day when you feel the most productive.

Don't forget to include personal time. (if you have scheduled every minute of your day for work, when are you going to refresh, regroup, renew?)

Most time management tools are really creative ways of completing a "to do" list. If you choose to use something like a PDA or a computer program like MS Outlook you can easily manage reoccurring events and meetings by reserving blocks of time and creating reminders for those things that might get lost in the daily shuffle of work and paper. If you choose to use a planner, remember to carry reoccurring event through to the next day, week or month. Once your comfortable working with your "to do" list you can expand it to include goal setting.

While "to do" list may get you started on your time management endeavors there are all kinds of thoughts and theories out there about how to effectively manage our time. I would like to think that if I can complete all the tasks I have to accomplish today, and check them off my list, I might be able to schedule an extra hour of sleep. Maybe I can put it on my "to do" list. ;-)

About the author:

Carole Sue Jones is a contributing writer for Interactive Quality Solutions. She is a training and instructional design professional with a strong focus on management development. If you are interested in reading more of Carole's articles please visit http://www.callcentercafe.com and http://www.righttolead.com.

 

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