Time Management Strategies

What is Robbing Your Time?

Time Robbers Internal: Poor planning Procrastination Disorganization Perfectionism Excessive socializing Inability to say “no” Taking on too much Ineffective delegation Externa l: Visitors Phone calls Events

Time Robbers: Which are a big problem for you? Not setting goals No daily plan Priorities unclear Leave tasks unfinished No self-imposed deadlines Personal disorganization Lack of motivation Telephone interruptions Drop in visitors Lack of self discipline Too many interests Inability to say “no” Too many meetings Socializing Indecision Perfectionism Failure to listen Incomplete information

Setting Limits” Learn to Set Boundaries Why we can’t set limits: Feel guilty Don’t want to offend or hurt others Think its your responsibility Person may not like you

Get Organized Being disorganized makes us feel overwhelmed and out of control What to Organize: Desk/work area Workbooks Daily/weekly/monthly calendar Personal: (closet, bedroom, apt. etc.)

Why Do We Procrastinate?

Dealing with Procrastination Why we procrastinate: A task is too hard A task is too big A task is too boring Difficult, overwhelming, tedious, unpleasant, fear of failure, not your responsibility…….

Procrastination: Swiss Cheese Approach Punch holes into overwhelming tasks, reduce to bitesize pieces. Start with the smallest piece. Commit yourself to a specific time. Get help it task is too hard. Use resources available to you. Set a deadline for small pieces and completion of entire project. Build in rewards each step of the way. Arrange your environment Think about what will happen if you delay action. Think about how good you will feel when you get the task done.

Daily/Weekly Planner 1. All “A” priority tasks Break down big tasks into smaller pieces Put each piece into calendar 2. Over-estimate how long it will take to get something done. 3. Never over-schedule back to back.

Time Management Tips Keep a To Do List In the morning or evening list and prioritize all the things you have to do. Do it Now Make a decision on what to do with the item in your hand and follow through on it. Don’t put it off. Touch it once and have it finished. Best Time of the Day Are you a morning person, a midday person or a night person? Especially for creative endeavors, pick the time of day when you have the most energy. You’ll be more efficient.

Tips Swiss Cheese Method Big projects, like annual reports, can be overwhelming. Even if you only have a few minutes, take a bite out of the big project. This will get you moving on it. When you have enough holes in the project, you have Swiss cheese and a task that is almost complete. Do One Thing at a Time For people who are jugglers, this is a difficult task. When you stick to one thing you get it done quickly and more effectively. Reduce overlong telephone calls and visitor’s stay Set a limit for yourself and keep it. Practice saying, “I’m available to talk for 5 minutes.”

Tips Handling interruptions Be assertive. Use a glance at your watch if someone is already talking. Be prepared to say, “I only have 2 minutes now.” Don’t be a perfectionist Does your task or project really need 100% of your time & energy, or would 80% do? Save your 100% for what is really important. Learn to lower your standards in areas you are comfortable. Make a daily/weekly/monthly plan Without a plan you won’t know how to spend your time. Taking time to plan saves time in the end. Set goals and objectives on a regular basis

Tips Know what is important: Live by your values Many people waste time doing what isn’t really important. Know what your values are and make decisions according to your values. Let everything else go. Learn to say “NO” Say “no” to unreasonable requests, or to any request that doesn’t fit into your value system. Think about why you say “yes” when you should be saying “no”. Prioritize how you spend your time, and say “no” to low priority tasks.