How to manage your time
Checklist
- Stand back and establish your long-term goals. Evaluate claims on your time against these goals and not just immediate problems clamouring for attention.
- Prioritise activities which are both important and urgent: for example, where other people are waiting for your input.
- Delegate unimportant activities or drop them altogether.
- Divide major tasks into achievable blocks of work.
- Start the day by clearing the decks: quickly scanning new mail and messages, reviewing your schedule, and dealing with small, urgent tasks.
- Recognise what times of day best suit different activities: for example, calling customers when you are at your liveliest.
- Schedule your activities, deciding how much time to devote to each task and setting realistic deadlines; set interim deadlines for major projects.
- Build tedious, unpleasant or long-term activities into your routine: for example, scheduling a regular weekly project review at a set time.
- Use time-management tools and software: a diary, a to-do list, and a planner for long-term projects.
- Invest time in setting up time-saving systems: for example, a good filing system, templates for standard letters, and procedures for routine tasks.
- Deal with new information effectively: act on it if necessary, delegate it if appropriate, file it if relevant or throw it away.
- Collaborate effectively: ask others to provide what you need, in a form that suits you when you need it, and return the favour.
- Avoid overloading yourself: get involved only if you need to, ignore unnecessary detail, and delegate routine tasks.
- Get rid of distractions: for example, put your phone on voicemail, refuse unscheduled or unnecessary visits and meetings, and clear office clutter.
- Analyse your time use: log your activities, then review how much time you wasted on unimportant matters and tasks you should have delegated.
Cardinal rules
Do:
- prioritise
- set and meet deadlines
- schedule your activities
- tackle one thing at a time
- create efficient systems
- delegate effectively
Don't:
- procrastinate or dither
- try to do too much
- allow unnecessary clutter and distractions
