Time management isn’t a seminar you attend or a book you read.
Time management is a process that must be engaged every day to be effective.
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Some of the most frustrated, disorganized people in any office are the ones with the most time management books on their shelves.
It’s not that these books were ineffective.
Rather in their frantic workday, these people “didn’t have time” to read the time management books!
In the interest of keeping it simple, these tips could set you on the way to getting serious about time management as you see the value unfold:
Get a day planner and use it faithfully.
No more sticky notes with reminders and appointments scattered around your desk, car, and refrigerator at home.
Keep all appointments and reminders in just one place, your day planner.
Create a daily “to-do” list.
If you do this on your computer, you can easily move around items as you prioritize the day.
If on paper, you can code the items with numbers or letters for: Urgent, Need to Do Today, Can Do This Week.
Read your To-Do list first thing in the morning.
Don’t touch the newspaper, open your email, or answer the phone until you see the road map for your day.
Review your To-Do list.
At mid-day and end of the day, review your to-do list to see what was accomplished and what remains to be completed.
You can create a morning routine that will help set the tone for your day, grab a FREE checklist to get started on creating a Productive and Successful morning routine!!
Transfer the items remaining.
At the end of the day transfer any items remaining to the next day or to your Monday list, and if possible, remove any items that are not significant.
Delegate as much as possible.
To an assistant, colleague, or associate.
If you work independently, consider hiring a Virtual Assistant for a few hours per week.
The price is right and there’s no obligation as with hiring an employee.
This is particularly effective if you travel or spend much time outside the office.
Attend only necessary meetings.
These are the meetings that are absolutely necessary for you to do your job.
Avoid any meetings that you can.
Unless a meeting is run well with an agenda, there is usually wasted time chatting.
Close your door.
When you are focusing on a task or put up a sign on your cubicle asking people to stop by later when you are finished with this work.
Utilize Voicemail
Let voice mail answer your phone while you are focusing on an important task.
Say “no”!
Do this as often as possible when you have reached your work limits.
That means saying no to overtime or taking work home.
When you are mentally or physically exhausted you don’t do your best work and you need to say so.
It’s easy to stay on track with time management once you commit to changing your daily habits.
Just put the above tips into action and you should see more free time throughout your day.
See how to GET MORE DONE BY DOING LESS!
Interested in more ways to balance your life and your business? Join my FREE Facebook Group – Time Money & Happiness Matters!
Great time management tips! I’m getting better with many of them, but still have some areas that need improvement. Thank you for the inspiration!
You’re preaching to the choir here — totally agree with each one. Some day we will all be organized to the max!